Al Shikaly

It started in third grade in Yonkers, New York. The teacher's questionnaire asked “Would you like your child to play a musical instrument?” I wanted to play the drums, but living in an apartment surrounded by neighbors made that impractical. My father, a product of “The Greatest Generation,” was a huge Benny Goodman fan. He convinced me to try the clarinet. The saxophones and flute followed. 

 Vinny Riccitelli, a graduate of the Juilliard Conservatory of Music, was my private instructor from the age of 8 through graduation from high school. He was the person responsible for teaching me the fundamentals of how music works. 

There was one place I wanted to go after high school – Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It was there where I honed my skills under the guidance of Joe Viola, Gary Burton, and Herb Pomeroy. At Berklee, I shared classes with Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Bill Pierce, Philip Glass, Abe LaBoriel and Claudio Roditi.

After leaving Berklee, I had the extraordinary opportunity to perform with Tito Puente lasting 4 years. That experience allowed me to play all over the world with some of the finest Latin musicians ever to live including  Carlos Santana, Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto, and Cal Tjader.

My wife and I moved to South Florida in 1980 where she taught third grade while I earned a wonderful living in the music business as a performer, bandleader, arranger, and educator. After our move to Florida, I toured with Lou Rawls, The Spinners, The Four Tops, and Tavares. Joining the renowned Boca Raton Symphonic Pops Orchestra gave me the chance to play with some of the world’s brightest stars in show business including Henry Mancini, Burt Bacharach, Marvin Hamlisch, and Tony Bennett. 

In the late 80’s, I started my own music company - S.E.A.Coast Music, Inc. and  became the music director at the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel, a five-star resort on Ft. Lauderdale beach, contracting and performing with my own band for hundreds of corporate and social functions.

In 2007 my wife retired and we relocated to Carmel, Indiana - her hometown. Teaching and performing extensively throughout the midwest continued, but in 2015 we both decided to return to South Florida. When the offer came to finish my schooling through online courses, I accepted and  graduated with the class of 2017 and now have a bachelor's degree in Professional Music from the Berklee College of Music. Teaching and performing are once again front and center. I perform steadily at major hotels, restaurants and country clubs throughout South Florida. And I have also taken on the responsibility as Musical Director for a Motown and an Earth Wind and Fire revue called "Elements." My musical journey continues.