On May 7, 1962, I was born in Manhattan. My childhood was spent in Bronx. However, my Bronx Tale ended in 1968 when my family moved to New Jersey. My father was a professional musician and was on tour with Tito Puente from the late 60’s to the early 70’s. At age five, my father began teaching me how to play the Trumpet and basic music theory. At five years old, I realized that my pitch was perfect. This has been a valuable asset throughout my career. I continued to study Trumpet until I was 16 years old, when I discovered the joy of playing the bass guitar. I was the first to play the Trumpet in school’s Concert Band and then as the Bass in the Jazz Band. Al Faraldi, a local teacher, taught me how to play the bass guitar in 1977. He was a Jazz Guitarist who also played Classical Guitar. He was a teacher of fundamentals and not tricks or gimmicks. His teachings were based on reading, Bach Inventions and Partitas as well as Cello suites and all five Carol Kaye books. They are also the foundation of my teaching. After three years of studying under Mr. Faraldi I decided to go out into the real world and gain some experience. Since 1980, my entire livelihood has been based on music. I have worked in all of the major New York studios. Many of these sessions were conducted by Jason Corsaro who has engineered and produced for every band from Soundgarden to Motorhead. In July 1987, Mike Varney featured me in his Spotlight column of Guitar Player Magazine. As a sideman, I recorded for Mr. Varney on the 1991 Shrapnel release entitled Midnight Drive. It was produced by Stephen Ross, a virtuoso guitarist, and featured special guests Joe Nevolo (Greg Howe, Mahogany rush) and Jens Johanssen (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ronnie James Dio). Jay Lustig wrote an article for Aquarian and Down Beat Magazine. Visionary Sound Studios has had me as their bassist since 1993. Under the guidance of Tom Gioia (producer/engineer), I have been involved in many projects at Visionary. These include music for several soap operas like Guiding Light (CBS), Another World, NBC, As the World Turns(CBS) and One Life to Live. Visionary is a great place to work with and I highly recommend them for any aspect of recording. You can find out more about Studio owner Tom Gioia and Visionary Sound Studios at www.visionarymusicgroup.com. I’ve also been a performer on numerous sessions for Jason Corsaro (Soundgarden and Motorhead), as well as Ben Elliot, Showplace Studios in Denville, New Jersey. Also, I was a six-month stint with King/Mercury Recording artist DOGMA. Mary’s Magnet, a New Jersey-based band, has been a part of my life. Our debut CD, which was produced by Jim Barg, was recorded last year with Andy Rothstein as guitarist and Lou Petto as drummer. I’m available for serious projects of any kind. Studio, live, and private instruction are all options. I place a strong emphasis on perfect pitch. Last but not least, I want to thank Mike Varney and Jay Lustig, who first recognized my talents, as well as Jay Lustig, for the Aquarian article. from http://www.senny.com/
