By DON STINE
Local musician and songwriter Ron Weinstein, who lives in Ocean Township, is fulfilling his life-long dream to be a full-time musician and is garnering some success along the way.
Last year Weinstein had his first national musical exposure with one of his compositions serving as the main theme for an A&E television Oscar special called “And The Nominees Are…”
He has also sold some background music to Oprah Winfrey for a television special and scored a corporate video for an Oscar nominated film.
“So I guess you can say I am almost somebody,” he said.
Weinstein, 50, has been a professional musician since he was 10 years old. He lives in the township’s Oakhurst section with his wife and two daughters.
“I play guitar, bass, drums and piano, like my hero Sir Paul McCartney. I am mostly self-taught on all the instruments,” he said.
Weinstein said he overdubs all the instruments together in a recording studio in his house
He said his earliest musical inspiration was seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964
“Once I saw all the pretty young girls screaming in the audience with a bunch of long-haired guys singing rock and roll, I said ‘I’m in.’ I’ve been performing ever since,” he said.
Weinstein travels frequently with his band, The Kootz, and plays about 300 gigs a year in the tri-state area.
The Kootz will be performing at the Lake House in Loch Arbour on Feb. 27 beginning at 9:30 p.m.
Weinstein has a full-time job as an optician but he hopes to soon quit that career and focus totally on his music.
Weinstein said he is also very proud to have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity over the years, including for 9/11 families and for tsunami relief in 2004.
“We rebuilt a school that was destroyed by holding a concert at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park,” he said.
Weinstein also plays his music for children in Monmouth Medical Center’s pediatrics ward in Long Branch.
From about Memorial Day through Labor Day Weinstein can also be found every Friday at the Seagull’s Nest restaurant on Sandy Hook
“We always ask everyone to stand, look at the beautiful sunset on the bay, hold hands, and sing “God Bless America” in honor of all the veterans, living and dead,” he said.
Weinstein said this particular tribute in especially profound and moving for him because his father and his six brothers all fought overseas during World War II, with his father participating in the D-Day landing
“I’ve traveled all my life and this country is still the best place to be thanks to their great sacrifice,” he said.
Anyone interested in learning more about Weinstein and hearing six of his original compositions can go to his website at www.myspace.com/ronweinsteinsongs.
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