Shem von Schroeck

Shem Schroeck (born 1965) also known as Shem Von Schroeck (Son of Arthur) is an American musician, a singer, bassist, and drummer. Eldest son of musician Artie Schroeck, Shem was a member of the band Ambrosia, playing with them off and on since 1989, and then worked with Kenny Loggins in the 1990s. He was also a backup musician for many other artists such as Steve Perry, Marie Osmond, Tom Jones, and Jim Messina. Starting in 2004, he also added opera to his repertoire, singing as a tenor.

Biography

The oldest of three children to musician Artie Schroeck, he grew up in a very MusicAL environment, as his mother was a musician as well. As a child, Shem would often accompany his parents on tours or to recording studios. He learned how to play the drums at the age of 3, then piano, and began playing bass at the age of 12. In an interview, he stated that at the age of 16, he would sometimes play bass during his father's recording sessions. He attended the Manhattan School of Music, studying composition with a minor in bass-playing, and then moved to Los Angeles in 1989. His first desire was to be a drummer, as his father and grandfather had been, but he realized that there was more of a demand for bass players, so he started focusing on that instrument instead. He performed in musical theater for awhile, and was also part of a tribute band to The Police. Other members of the band included Ken Edmondson on drums, and John Defaria (composer of "Get On Your Feet" for Gloria Estefan). Defaria knew Kenny Loggins, and that his regular bassist, Freddie Washington was going to be busy with another project, so Defaria recommended Schroeck for the job. Loggins liked Schroeck's work, and Schroeck spent the next three years performing off and on with Loggins' band, from 1994–1996.

Starting in 1989, von Schroeck began playing with the band Ambrosia, and continued with them for many years.

In 1992, Schroeck was a backup musician and vocalist on Patti Dunham's album Repertoire, and in 1998 he played backup on Julius Papp's album Go Deep with Julius Papp. He worked with Marie Osmond on her 2007 Magic of Christmas tour, and has also toured with Tom Jones, Jim Messina, and Christopher Cross, Tanya Tucker, Peter Cetera, Sheena Easton, Patti Austin, and Amy Grant. Schroeck also did work on television. Through Kenny Loggins, he knew Vicki Randle, a regular vocalist on The Tonight Show, who would frequently invite Schroeck to join the band as a backup vocalist.

In 2003, he was a guest musician on the television special Lifetime's 4th Annual Women Rock! Songs from the Movies.

In 2004, he won the El Camino Symphony Competition, singing a piece from a Wagner opera. He was noticed by famed opera tenor Jon Vickers, who encouraged Schroeck to pursue his own career in opera. He is a principal tenor for the Millennium Wagner Opera Company, and has been a guest conductor at pops concerts with multiple symphonies. In 2005, he appeared in the documentary Loggins & Messina: Sittin' in Again.

In 2010, von Schroeck was a guest soloist with the Verdi Chorus in Los Angeles. As of 2011, von Schroeck continues to tour off and on with Kenny Loggins, or sometimes Don Felder of the Eagles.