West Orange High School Alum Releases Debut Music Album

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A West Orange High School graduate has released his first album, “What Am I Waiting For.”

Joe Piserchio of the class of 2012 had one of his earliest stage debuts in the Edison Central Sixth production of “Guys and Dolls” in 2007. He continued performing in musical theater at Roosevelt Middle School and West Orange High School, which he says helped him decide that he wanted to purse a career in the entertainment industry.

“At the high school, I was able to be a part of so many shows, really immerse myself in the art, and figure out that I didn’t really know how/want to do anything else,” Piserchio said.

According to a news release from his alma mater, after high school, Piserchio attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and graduated in 2016 with a bachelor of arts and a concentration in musical theatre. Since then, he has been involved in New Jersey-based theatre companies and local productions.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Piserchio began writing music and developing the concept for an album.

“Releasing an album has always been a dream of mine, and I finally had the opportunity to do it,” he recalled.

The first song he wrote was “Just Go,” which is also the first song on the album. He also collaborated with Eileen Doan, who “gave me the perfect guitar and drum tracks that the song needed,” he said.

“The rest of the album came together with storyteller, songwriter and creator Taylor Fagins,” Piserchio continued. “It was pretty clear from the start that Taylor was the perfect collaborator for the rest of the songs for this album. We would have writing sessions over Zoom and talk about what kind of song we wanted to write next and within days, I had a demo of the new songs. He is brilliant! The songs we wanted to write were personal, yet relatable; honest and vulnerable, but also feel-good songs. I wanted people to listen to this music and hear themselves in the lyrics, the melodies and the vibe.”

“We put together an album of seven amazing songs that I am so, so proud of,” Piserchio concluded.

“What Am I Waiting For” is available on streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. Learn more at Piserchio’s website.

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