'Star man' fronts musically diverse band Crawfish

UNT planetarium manager Ron DiIulio doesn't just gaze at stars — he is one. DiIulio fronts the five-man group Crawfish, a baby-boomer band that plays music audiences can sing along with.

"We combine Dixieland, blues, jazz, rock and roll and country into what we call 'crawfish gumbo,'" DiIulio says. "We rely heavily on Louisiana-style improvisation, including Dixieland and Zydeco musical styles."

Band members trade off lead vocals, and DiIulio also plays keyboards and arranges music.

"I use digital samples of instrumental sounds as varied as accordion, piano, strings, trumpet, trombone, horn section, steel drums, acoustic guitar, a Hammond B-3 Organ, and even choir," he says.

He has found a way to link his love of astronomy with his love of music.

"My original compositions have always been a reflection of my experience," he says. "In 1991, I composed and produced an album that was heavily influenced by the 'dark noon' of a solar eclipse I videotaped in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico."

A former UNT music student, DiIulio says he has three loves in his life: his wife, astronomy and his music.

BY CATHY CASHIO ccashio@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT to present gala celebration Feb. 14 to honor 50 years of desegregation
• Academy wins federal funds
• Gift creates UNT euphonium endowment
• Equity, diversity workshop set
• Staff Council discusses insurance changes
• New UNT research center uncovers secrets of plants
• UNT performance of oratorio set for Jan. 29
• UNT to present films from eight countries during series
• Markley accepted into Leadership Texas

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