JJ Tartaglia

Instruments: Piano

Area of specialty: Pop, Rock, Beginners, Songwriting, Classical

JJ Tartaglia is an accomplished keyboardist, drummer, and songwriter. He has performed live in many parts of the world with various bands and has earned himself 2x JUNO nominations for his work on studio recordings.
Hailing originally from Cape Breton, JJ grew up in a musically rich environment. Blessed with the help of very supportive parents, he immersed himself into classical piano (eventually completing the John W. Schaum Classical Piano Course) and rock music at a young age. By the age of 15 he was performing regularly with local country artist Wendell Roach, touring the Maritimes and even some dates in the USA. During this time he also learned to play the mandolin and developed an affinity for Celtic music.
In 2001 JJ made the move to Toronto to pursue music full time. Performing and touring with nu-metal bands throughout the 2000s until 2017, including several studio recordings, European and USA tours, and hired live work with Hed PE.
Meanwhile JJ also became a permanent member of the group Skull Fist in 2014, expanding his international touring to South America and Asia, performing at major festivals, and recording 2 studio albums. JJ received JUNO nominations for his work with the band in 2015 and 2023 for Best Loud/Metal Album of the Year.
Currently JJ composes and performs on keys for his rock group Thunderor which he formed with Skull Fist bandmate Jonny Nesta. Highlights so far include touring with Airbourne in 2022 and performing at the ECMAs in 2025.