About Walt & Music:

I have been fascinated with music my whole life, primarily composition. I write for myself and perform occasionally. Once in a while, I am asked to write something for someone/something else. I am able, at least sometimes, to write for an occasion, or write to spec.

One of the things I love about songwriting is that it is a deeply peaceful activity. It feels peaceful, makes me more at peace with whatever the song is about, even if the feelings expressed the song are anything but.

I think my music is pretty eclectic. I used to call it "FROJ" – an acronym for "folk, reggae, opera and jazz", but I am not doing anything very operatic these days. Maybe I should call it "FRAZZ" Either way, I like to say it sounds better than it sounds.

Clam Radio, 90.5 WUSB

Dec 2, 2010. I was John Tabacco’s guest on Clam Radio, 90.5 WUSB. Here’s the playlist. I have a recording of it, but I have not edited it into something worthy.

In 2007, I co-wrote the Alma Mater for Dowling College with Olivia Marie, We Stand Taller. I definitely wanted something along the lines of Pomp and Circumstance. Lyrically, I wanted something that was truthful and positive, but not over-the-top. I think the song evokes both a well-deserved sense of accomplishment without getting sappy.

"Writing a song is like catching a fish. You never know what you’re going to get."

A year earlier, my friend Dave challenged me to write a pop-rock song for the song market. He had me listen to a few Jewel and Avril Lavene CDs, which I liked. I don’t normally listen to that stuff, but it had some powerful hooks. I got a sense of what I would like to hear them sing and wrote Beautiful. I recorded the song with Dave and entered it in the 2007 Dallas Songwriters Association - annual Songwriters Competition. Beautiful placed third in the pop-rock category and is on my second CD, 14 Fish, 2 Bottles & a Shoe.

The Island Songwriters Showcase has been really important and helpful to my writing. I joined back in 1995 when I was writing and recording my first CD, Songs of Dunder. I’ve hung in there, gotten a lot of good advice and encouragement over the years. The 2nd CD in 2006 is much more representative of what I can do with just a guitar and mic. I certainly could not have written those songs without the ISS.

I performed for many years (late 90’s) with Opera Pro Voce as a baritone. It was a great group of friends, led by Joy and Al Tepedino, and am fortunate to have been a part. What a workout!

I want to especially acknowledge the memory of my beloved voice teacher and friend, Gloria Hilborn.. Gloria was not only a wonderful teacher and a dear friend, but remains an inspiration and loving presence in my life. I will treasure my memories and my time with her always. I was introduced to Gloria by another music teacher, friend and inspiration, Dan Slick, my high school music teacher. Dan inspired many.

I studied music theory at SUNY Fredonia and electronic music with Barton McLean and David Tudor at iEar studios/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. I also got quite an education at WRPI, the college radio station. Specifically, I auditioned about a hundred CDs per week from unknown artists around the country and around the world. Through that, I gained a bit of persepective on how the music industry views original artists very differently than the artists see themselves.

Artists and friends I have worked with along the way include the Gone Tribe, the Hold Outs, the Scoundrels, the Reggaematics, Tooly Look, Smokestack Lightning, Angels In Overdrive, the Scoundrels and the Blue Unknown.

I have written, or co-written, songs for a couple of Gone Tribe CDs. In 1995, producer Doug Morrow told me he was producing a blues project called the HOBO Project and had created a cast of Hobo characters with storylines, or backstories. He asked if I would like to write a song and I said sure. Since the CD was going to be blues, I decided to write an up-tempo, happy song, called This is the Good Life. It features some of the characters and romanticized the life of a hobo, which was very much in the spirit of the project.

Tooly Look – No doubt there are at least a dozen people who remember this obscure band I co-founded back in ancient times. Click here for the Official Tooly Look Web Page.

The Hold Outs – For those elite few who remember the Hold Outs, I have a special "treasure" for you. Brace yourself.

Click here for my list of fishy music sites…