About
I was raised on a 100-acre horse farm on the eastern tip of Long Island by two artist parents. My grandfather, Joseph Liss, was a prominent television writer who split his time between working in New York City and fishing at our family’s home in East Hampton. In the 1930s and 40s my grandfather along with Alan Lomax and Arthur Miller, worked for the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Researching and sharing music has been my family’s legacy. Surrounded by art and music, I developed a love for creative expression and music research.
As a youth I was proficient in drawing and graphic design, winning numerous state and county awards. I had an excellent mentor in high school that encouraged me to put together a professional design portfolio, helping me win a Gold Award for Computer Technology and Design. I went on to attend the New England Institute of Art and Technology on scholarship where I concentrated my studies on front-end web development.
Along with web design I have also spent the past 20 years meticulously researching and collecting music from around the world. My areas of expertise include Hip Hop, Funk, Psych/Indie Rock, Soul, Jazz, Gay Disco, Boogie, African, Caribbean, Salsa, and Cumbia. Through my work at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC I have also built an encyclopedic knowledge of American Folk, Country, R&B, and Blues. I have a passion for sharing my music knowledge and over the past decade have published countless music reviews and released numerous period-specific compilations.