Hi! My name is Thomas E. Carley and I am a bassist based in New York City. I graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 2017 before moving to New York City to attend New York University Steinhardt’s Masters of Music program, which I graduated from in 2021. As a lover of all music stylings, I have found myself playing in a variety of live, recording, and remote sessions - including venues like 54 Below, Green Room 42, and Rockwood Music Hall. I have to the honor to play wonderful singers like Alyssa Wray (American Idol), Henry Platt (Sing On!), Carolina Rial (The Voice), and Megan Dwinell.

My first love of playing live music came from playing in pit orchestras in musicals, which I've been happily and diligently doing for almost ten years. Additionally, I’ve had wonderful performing opportunities across the globe with national tours, cruise ships, and theme parks.

Being a bass player, I know that I am seldom in the spotlight and I love that about my role in a group. I would much rather bob around in the corner, laying down a sweet groove, than be the center of attention. My favorite thing about being a bassist is that I love using my particular skill set to help project leaders accomplish their goals using my abilities to help a project get from Point A to Point B in the most musical way possible.

As a music director/producer, I love bringing out the individual's talents from within. It brings me a ton of joy to see people settle into an ensemble/role and bring it to life. I understand that there are times when an ensemble has to fit into a specific mold. On the contrary, there are frequent instances when a group needs to play to the individuals' strengths. Fitting a square peg into a round hole does not do any justice to the ensemble or particular member. As a director, you have a responsibility of figuring out which of those two groups your ensemble is and how you can help everyone shine and succeed in their position.

My interests outside of music include cooking, taking care of my plants, playing Pokémon, and anything Marvel!

“Thomas is a high-energy individual with an infectious passion for music. An enthusiastic team leader, he can communicate effectively with people of all ages and backgrounds to work collaboratively to resolve issues and to motivate team members to achieve both personal and organizational objectives. He enjoys learning new skills and quickly adapts to change.

Thomas finds great joy in being able to express himself in the language that is music. He always tries to reinvent the way he plays and looks at music because there is never one way to approach a series of notes on paper.

Thomas loves being an energetic performer who always puts on an entertaining show. All he wants to do is show up, play some songs, and have fun doing it.”