Jeff Gitelman

Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman (born February 5, 1982) is a record producer, musician, and songwriter from Chișinău, Moldova. He is known for his work with the band the Stepkids, which formed in 2010 and for his composition, production, and providing instrumentation for J. Cole, H.E.R., Jennifer Lopez, Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak. Gitelman was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his work on H.E.R.'s 2019 album, I Used to Know Her.

Early life

Jeff Gitelman was born on February 5, 1982, to a Jewish family in Soviet-ruled Moldavia. He and his family emigrated from Chișinău in 1991 and moved to New Haven, Connecticut. His interest in music developed in his early childhood when he found a guitar in a trash can and his father refurbished it. He then learned to speak English through playing and listening to Western music, notably the Beatles.

Career

Performing

Gitelman's music career began while attending Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge, Connecticut. After graduating from there he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. His first professional job was recording and touring with Lauryn Hill, leading to being hired as a touring guitarist for Alicia Keys and performances with Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Chance the Rapper, and others.

The Stepkids

In 2010, Gitelman, along with Tim Walsh and Dan Edinberg formed the Stepkids, a psychedelic soul band. They released their debut self-titled album The Stepkids in 2011 under Stones Throw Records. The band toured and collaborated with Kimbra, Mayer Hawthorne, and Aloe Blacc.

Independent work and production

After working with the Stepkids, Gitelman moved to Los Angeles to focus on production. His guitar, production, composition, and writing is featured on J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive, H.E.R.'s I Used to Know Her, Anderson .Paak's Oxnard, Donnie Trumpet's Surf, Mac Miller's Swimming and The Divine Feminine, and ASAP Ferg's Always Strive and Prosper. He has worked with Camila Cabello, Ty Dolla $ign, Jeremih, Kid Ink, Trey Songz, Rick Ross, and others.

Education

Gitelman has worked in music education, serving on the panel of Music Industry Advisors at the 2015 Grammy Camp in Los Angeles, and conducting lectures and seminars on composition, production, music business, and performance. The camp works with young musicians throughout the U.S. In 2005, he co-founded the American Roots Music program, an initiative to teach young adults grades 1-12 the history of American music through performance and lecture. In 2015, he was inducted into his alma mater Amity High School's hall of fame. In 2016, Gitelman founded the Duality School of Music which began programming during the Fall 2017 semester at Amity High School.