A soothing blend of classical and 12 string guitars used to create a sense of relaxation and inner peace

9 MP3 Songs
NEW AGE: Meditation, EASY LISTENING: Mood Music



Details:
"The House of the Rising Sunâ. That was the first song I learned when I was six years old. My cousin showed me where to place my fingers and how to use a guitar pick. I had no idea what a chord was or how to read a note of music, but I knew that playing the guitar made me very popular at show and tell.

I remember sitting next to our black and white television, on Saturday mornings, strumming my guitar along with the âMonkeysâ and trying to imitate the âBeatlesâ while I watched their cartoon.

I had come from a musical family, and my father (who to this day is an incredible trumpet player) had taught me important music fundamentals. My older sister played the accordion, and I was next in line. After an unsuccessful attempt at this instrument, my father steered me toward the trumpet. I played all throughout high school, but I also remained true to my first love, the guitar.

As far as my musical influences, I grew up in the period which is now known as âClassic Rockâ. From Aerosmith to Zepplin, and all bands in between that ârockedâ my world. If I had to chose one band that shaped my musical style, that band would be âJerry Kelly/ Dakotaâ. Dakotaâs incredible harmonies, along with their melodic chord structures have made me a devoted fan for years.

To sum up my 20-year journey as a performer, I started out in a local garage band called âGhandiâ. It was a band that gave me experience and exposure as a guitarist/vocalist; but college eventually pulled me away, and I found myself going down another musical path.

While attending Penn State University, I became quite popular as a singles act, performing at dormitory parties and smaller restaurants. After graduating, I returned to the Hazleton area where I continued as a singles act. Eventually, I would team up with two other musicians, forming a vocal trio known as âTrilogyâ. Trilogy was another very popular local band, and my confidence grew as a lead singer. It was with this band that I sang on my first record and was introduced to a professional music studio.

Well, all good things must come to an end. Again I found myself going down another road. I followed up on another opportunity and joined an âoldiesâ band known as âThe Fall Guysâ. This was a band that had tons of talent and a reputation that packed halls and clubs every weekend.

After five years with the Fall Guys, I then pursued an opportunity with a country band known as âWhiskey Runâ (talk about making a 180). Again, I found myself surrounded by very talented musicians that included fiddle, steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, acoustic and electric guitars and incredible three-part harmonies. Whiskey Run was very popular right around the time country line dancing exploded, and I was at the right place at the right time.

Eventually, for one reason or another, Whiskey Run disbanded and âSteel Canyonâ emerged. This was another harmony-based band that attracted a large following. Once again, I found myself surrounded by some extremely talented performers.

As the new millennium was rolling around, I decided to take a break from performing nearly every weekend since the early 80âs. I figured it was time for something different. Shortly after retiring, I was approached by an old friend, Dan DeMelfi, who asked me if I would like to teach in his music studio. I agreed and I taught for six gratifying years. It was during this time that I began to write and compose my own songs.

I have spent the last year arranging and rearranging fragments of songs and piecing together all of my thoughts and ideas. It has been a long process, but finishing my own compositions, and having a CD with my name on it has to be one of the greatest accomplishments I could ever hope for. Hopefully, I have carried this love of harmonies and infectious melodies into my own style of writing and by incorporating different guitars into my music, the result is a unique combination of relaxing textures. In other words, just sit back and enjoy the ride. But before you start drifting off, I would just like to thank several people who made this project possible. Taylor Sappe, for being the recording engineer; Greg Sunder, for his âangelicâ violin solo and being a musical inspiration and string virtuoso; and finally, Matt McGasko for helping me compose and arrange âSerenityâ (first recorded with vocals and orchestration in 1987).

Now with all that said, grab a soft pillow and your favorite beverage, turn you lights down low and get ready for some quiet, relaxing time. Does it get any better?