Rising Stars: Meet Analisa and John Gallo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Analisa and John Gallo. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Analisa and John have diverse musical backgrounds, from playing in late-night jazz clubs to massive country festivals. But they have found that the music that most closely resembles them is the music that tied them together in the first place: the Italian classics.

When they met at a rehearsal in Nashville playing in a country band, they quickly discovered the never-ending list of commonalities between them: memories of the Italian crooners echoing off the walls at their grandparent’s house, the plastic covering on their grandmother’s dining room chairs, early Sunday dinners with their cousins after church, and the list goes on. Analisa and John’s romance was sparked at the same time that their musical chemistry was ignited. Since marrying in 2020 and having their first child in 2021, they have especially cherished the opportunities to play music together.

Over the years, they have performed across many states, playing with country artist Paulina Jayne and opening for artists like Rascal Flatts and Old Dominion. In 2016, John was invited to play guitar with Il Divo at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Analisa graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she majored in Commercial Voice with an emphasis in Music Business.

After working for years as individual musicians, Analisa and John began putting more time and energy into pursuing their duo. They have since performed in places like the Opryland Resort in Nashville, Blue Heaven in Key West, the Johnnie Johnson Blues Festival in West Virginia, the San Gennaro Festival in Seattle, the Stark County Italian Festival in Ohio, and many other places nationwide. Regardless of the style they’re playing, John’s 7-string guitar and Analisa’s rich vocal tone create world music and ethnic flare that are truly unique.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
One of the most challenging times was navigating the pandemic in 2020 and the events that followed. Of course, many people struggled during that time. Our specific struggle began when John’s dad became extremely ill at the beginning of the pandemic. Fortunately, after months in the hospital and a long road to recovery, he overcame a scary medical situation. Around the same time, our plan to get married in May of 2020 was not possible due to the pandemic and John’s family emergency. After navigating the pandemic like everyone else, we decided to have a small wedding in July 2020 with just our parents and siblings.

At this time, we could barely work because live music was not happening during the pandemic, and music was our primary source of income. As newlyweds, we had yet to determine where our careers would go with the inability to work. Eventually, things slowly returned to normal, but it was a while until our livelihood picked up where it left off. Six months after getting married, we were expecting our first child. Though over-the-moon excited, we wondered how life as musicians without family living nearby would work as new parents. Truthfully, the transition was difficult. Analisa endured a scary and unpredictable birth, which took many months to recover from. After taking a lot of time off from music, Analisa got her footing again, and ever since, we’ve been hitting music hard. Although challenging at times, we are happy to report that growing a family while pursuing music is not only possible but also rewarding and lots of fun!

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
John is a guitar player, and although he studied Jazz Guitar at Wayne State University, he can play pretty much any style. John plays music 5-6 days a week in Nashville. These gigs range from high-end restaurants to private events and recording sessions. Analisa is a singer and also plays guitar. She loves writing songs, and her love for country music inspired her to be in Nashville. She has since transformed into performing a lot of jazz music, although she still often gets to perform country and pop music as well.

Although we perform individually, we are the most proud of our ability to play music together as a couple. It can be rare for a married couple to work well together, professionally and creatively. We work best with one another, and we realize that is a special thing to be able to do. We travel a lot and play at Italian festivals; playing music together is one of our greatest joys!

Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
Some people see luck as a pivotal role in their careers. We truly believe we’ve been blessed with our lives and strive to do what God wants us to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: analisaandjohn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/analisaandjohn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnalisaandJohn/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7yKv1OxtwQhzxb47BSXp9Q

Image Credits
Brittany Lane Photography