Bio
I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, NY. When I was about 4 years old, my uncle, renowned composer Michael Isaacson, began teaching me about music. He had me spelling out diminished chords during long car rides. I started formal piano lessons at 7. In 5th grade I formed a singing group with 5 classmates-- we were called The Ace of Spades, and at the Marion Street Elementary School spring musical concert that year, we performed my original songs (music & lyrics) "Lunch Time", "The Train", and (wait for it...) "Swingin' Down the Welfare Line".
I played French horn in the school band. My elementary band director, Mr. Mattson, thought I picked that up too easily, so he also taught me trumpet and trombone. In middle school, Mr. Impastato thought I displayed unusual talent and henceforth referred to me as Arturo (as in Toscanini). (Note to other band directors: please refrain from giving your talented students pet names.) In 8th grade, he let me make my public conducting debut, leading the band in "So Nice" (aka "Summer Samba"). (What's "so nice" about that number is that it stays in a steady 2-beat the whole way. Anyone with a stick could conduct that song.)
In high school I played in band, stage band, and sang in chorus. Mr. Riley and Mr. Reycraft fed me a steady diet of college-level music study (helping me later to pass out of all my basic music curriculum in college). I wrote and conducted a piece for the band my senior year, as well as a fanfare for our commencement ceremony. I also got my first taste of musical theatre, playing piano for the school productions of The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music, and The Me Nobody Knows.
I studied classical piano and composition at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. While there, I worked part-time as the cantor at a Reconstructionist synagogue. I learned a bunch of hard piano pieces, but I always knew I wasn't going to make it as a classical musician. I enjoyed popular and commercial music too. My exposure to CMU's renowned drama department helped steer me in the direction of musical theatre.
After earning my bachelor's degree, I jumped around a bit. I worked as an editor for Boosey & Hawkes music publishers back in New York; I played in a couple of rock bands, one of which was a top-40-cover lounge band. We wore leather pants and white linen jackets with the sleeves rolled up (it was the '80s...); in between I came back to Pittsburgh to do summer stock theatre.
After a couple of years, I ended up just staying in Pittsburgh, because all the local theatres started hiring me to music direct their shows. It was a great and busy time for me, and I got to work with future Broadway luminaries Rob Marshall, Kathleen Marshall, Rob Ashford, and future Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart. I also landed a job on a new local children's TV show, "Let's Read a Story", for which I wrote and performed most of the music, and appeared regularly on camera (sort of like Paul Shaffer for the kiddie set).
I began wanting to write my own shows. Together with playwright Margaret Thomas Kelso, we wrote a family musical entitled Big Bad Wolf and the Endangered Forest, which later premiered at Portland Opera.
Through the recommendation of an actress I had worked with in Pittsburgh, I was hired as the Assistant Conductor for the national tour of Chess, which ran for six months and which subsequently spurred my move back to New York. That led in short order to my being hired as a replacement Music Director for the 4th national tour of Cats, where I was fortunate enough to meet my wife, singer Alice Lynn. (Yes... she was a cat.)
From there, I've been most fortunate to continue working steadily in musical theatre, as a keyboardist, conductor, and music director. I've worked on Broadway shows, many national tours, and regional theatres across the country. I've branched out to do arrangements and orchestrations, and I've worked frequently with the Boston Pops (thanks, Keith!). Please check out my résumé for more specifics on my performing career.
Through it all, I've continued to write original music and lyrics... sometimes for theatre projects, sometimes not. I enjoy collaborating with other dramatists and lyricists, and I encourage you to explore some of my original work on this site. As I've concentrated on my performing career, my writing has suffered from a lack of exposure-- it is my goal that this website help my music to be heard by more people such as yourself!
I welcome your feedback, and I invite you to return often to see what I'm up to.
Thanks for visiting,
Larry
P.S. Almost forgot... I'm also a published author of sorts... check out the info on my book, Broadway Musical Anagrami. It's goofy fun!
I played French horn in the school band. My elementary band director, Mr. Mattson, thought I picked that up too easily, so he also taught me trumpet and trombone. In middle school, Mr. Impastato thought I displayed unusual talent and henceforth referred to me as Arturo (as in Toscanini). (Note to other band directors: please refrain from giving your talented students pet names.) In 8th grade, he let me make my public conducting debut, leading the band in "So Nice" (aka "Summer Samba"). (What's "so nice" about that number is that it stays in a steady 2-beat the whole way. Anyone with a stick could conduct that song.)
In high school I played in band, stage band, and sang in chorus. Mr. Riley and Mr. Reycraft fed me a steady diet of college-level music study (helping me later to pass out of all my basic music curriculum in college). I wrote and conducted a piece for the band my senior year, as well as a fanfare for our commencement ceremony. I also got my first taste of musical theatre, playing piano for the school productions of The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music, and The Me Nobody Knows.
I studied classical piano and composition at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. While there, I worked part-time as the cantor at a Reconstructionist synagogue. I learned a bunch of hard piano pieces, but I always knew I wasn't going to make it as a classical musician. I enjoyed popular and commercial music too. My exposure to CMU's renowned drama department helped steer me in the direction of musical theatre.
After earning my bachelor's degree, I jumped around a bit. I worked as an editor for Boosey & Hawkes music publishers back in New York; I played in a couple of rock bands, one of which was a top-40-cover lounge band. We wore leather pants and white linen jackets with the sleeves rolled up (it was the '80s...); in between I came back to Pittsburgh to do summer stock theatre.
After a couple of years, I ended up just staying in Pittsburgh, because all the local theatres started hiring me to music direct their shows. It was a great and busy time for me, and I got to work with future Broadway luminaries Rob Marshall, Kathleen Marshall, Rob Ashford, and future Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart. I also landed a job on a new local children's TV show, "Let's Read a Story", for which I wrote and performed most of the music, and appeared regularly on camera (sort of like Paul Shaffer for the kiddie set).
I began wanting to write my own shows. Together with playwright Margaret Thomas Kelso, we wrote a family musical entitled Big Bad Wolf and the Endangered Forest, which later premiered at Portland Opera.
Through the recommendation of an actress I had worked with in Pittsburgh, I was hired as the Assistant Conductor for the national tour of Chess, which ran for six months and which subsequently spurred my move back to New York. That led in short order to my being hired as a replacement Music Director for the 4th national tour of Cats, where I was fortunate enough to meet my wife, singer Alice Lynn. (Yes... she was a cat.)
From there, I've been most fortunate to continue working steadily in musical theatre, as a keyboardist, conductor, and music director. I've worked on Broadway shows, many national tours, and regional theatres across the country. I've branched out to do arrangements and orchestrations, and I've worked frequently with the Boston Pops (thanks, Keith!). Please check out my résumé for more specifics on my performing career.
Through it all, I've continued to write original music and lyrics... sometimes for theatre projects, sometimes not. I enjoy collaborating with other dramatists and lyricists, and I encourage you to explore some of my original work on this site. As I've concentrated on my performing career, my writing has suffered from a lack of exposure-- it is my goal that this website help my music to be heard by more people such as yourself!
I welcome your feedback, and I invite you to return often to see what I'm up to.
Thanks for visiting,
Larry
P.S. Almost forgot... I'm also a published author of sorts... check out the info on my book, Broadway Musical Anagrami. It's goofy fun!