Thomas Melillo
President & Founder, OleaRecords
Music has always been a major part of my life and something I have been passionate for. I grew up surrounded by the sounds of Harry Chapin, Neil Diamond, and Simon & Garfunkle and knew every word to every song. As a child, I owned every KISS album and was as good a drummer as Peter Criss and a better guitarist (in my own mind) than Ace Frehley. I remember my first Walkman and the cassette tape that I wore out listening to it (Def Leppard’s “Pyromania”). It seems like all of my major life events have had a soundtrack set to them. When I realized that my talents were not meant for the stage, I started looking at other ways to become involved. After learning how to develop and run a successful medical practice, I started developing skills that could translate to the business of music. I started Olea Records with the idea of bringing a partnership model to the music world, and helping our artists view their profession in that light. I believe that musicians should be musicians and work to allow them to focus on what they do best.
Olea is the latin name of a genus of trees most commonly known as olive trees. The olive tree has been associated over time with such qualities as wisdom, power, wealth, peace, purity, and balance. At Olea Records, we aspire to match these noble traits. Our passion is music, our business is success.
Cheers!
Tom