At the age of eight years my brothers and I build a crude guitar using scrap wood and rubber bands. We had the idea that there should be a way to write down the music that we played on this homemade instrument. (Little did we know that others had been working on the same idea for about 600 years.)

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While attending high school, I decided to take what I thought would be an easy, fun class called BEGINNING MUSIC THEORY. As my fellow classmates were scratching their heads with utter confusion, lights were lighting up in my head. It all made perfect sense to me and I eagerly absorbed all aspects of music theory. Then came the obligatory final composition assignment. Using my new found music building tools, I blissfully composed my first music piece. From that point on, I was hooked. I knew I was a composer.

After high school, I attended a community college which happened to have some excellent and inspiring music professors. I continued to compose. Two of my chorals were performed by the college choir and I was student conductor of the choir. At the same time I studied classical guitar with Joseph Mayes at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory.

After community college I went on the road with various show bands. During that period I ran into an old jazz journeyman musician named Curt Black. He was the old beatnik type and he taught me to play, live, and breathe jazz. To this day I get a lot of work with jazz type groups because of the authenticity of my playing style. (Upright bass and Guitar)

Returning home, I decided to get my four year degree in composition. I studied at West Chester University of Pennsylvania under Larry Nelson. I was student chair of the New Music Department and graduated Magna Cum Laudi. Many of my guitar trios were performed by the WCU guitar ensemble.

In 1995 I got a job at the Theodore Presser retail store and two years later I took the job as manager of our Custom Print department.

I continue to compose, arrange, play bass and guitar as a freelancer. I also have a small but state of the art recording studio.

I worked during the week managing a print shop at a major music publisher and I do freelance gigs on the weekends. I have a degree in music (Magna cum Laude) from West Chester University where I majored in classical guitar and composition. I spent about ten years on the road playing bass in various music shows. Among those that I currently perform with are The Joe Soprani Trio, Up Front Big Band, Tom Smith, and The Main Street Orchestra. Recently I've begun building a small but state of the art recording studio at my home. I'm in the process, with the help of fellow musicians, of learning the art of sound recording.

My favorite kind of music is good music.

©HLP