Lucien

It all began around age 5 or 6 with a red half sized acoustic guitar that my parents got.. somewhere. Of course, that not being enough I demanded to have every other guitar that I saw, including a dozen or so of those small plastic ones in the toy stores. After the initial cosmetic attraction that the instrument had to offer, I was listening to music which inspired me to actually play the damn thing - my curse to this day.

After hearing 'Come Together" on the radio I needed to have that 45 single. Although I was too young to have experienced the Beatle phenomenon, I was hooked. It was John Lennon who actually inspired it all for me to pick up the instrument. The other two songs, at that time, that were constant on the record player were Glen Campbell's 'Southern Nights' and a song called 'Ride Captain Ride'.

After this point, it was my Beatle album collection that began to take over.

My first real guitar chords, C and F Major, I learned around age 9 or 10 when my Grandfather Tony Francischetti fixed up a garage sale acoustic guitar and showed them to me. To me, this was the world in my hands. He was a musician who played the Banjo, Guitar and Violin. "Thank you, Papa Tony!"

My appreciation for music began to grow,

as well as my need to have a... yes... an electric

guitar! Oh God, what I put my poor parents through!

God bless my parents, the absolute most wonderful

people. After driving my mother to the point of a

nervous breakdown, she took me to get my first

electric guitar at Sam Ash - the King of the music

store industry back then. I got a Lyle electric guitar

(a Gibson SG knock-off) - but it was absolutely

beautiful!

"Ma! What? No amp?! Are you out of your

mind! How do you expect me to play an electric

guitar with no amp!" My parents would have gave

my brother and I anything, but they could only

afford what they could afford. So I had to wait until

my birthday to get an amp. They got me a small

Pignose practice amp. It could run on batteries

or plug into the wall. Ugh.. my poor parents didn't

know what hit them when I opened it.... "How can

I play in a band with this little brown Pignose amp

thing!" I was disappointed because of it's size

mainly. A few days later I took a sick day out from

school and spent the day lounging on the couch -

this just so happened to be the same day my

father was trading in the Pignose for something

bigger. As I was laying, praying for a real amp,

he walked in the door and there it was a big

black guitar amplifier. It was a Kustom guitar amp.

When I wasn't locked in my room practicing, I would scan the T.V. for any show with musical acts. Two of my T.V. guitar hero's were Roy Clark and Glen Campbell. One night while watching a special Doobie Brothers concert, I turned to my mother and asked proudly, "I play like that, right?" She answered, "Well... not really." I was crushed. I realized I was good, but I needed to get better. I was on a mission.

At age 15 or so, my Lyle (SG copy) could only take me so far. I needed to have a real Gibson. This time, my father brought me to a great local music store warehouse called Mascara Music in Belleville, NJ. I wanted a blond, double cut away - like John Lennon's Casino from the Let It Be movie and rooftop concert. Sure enough, they didn't have a blond Casino - but a Burgundy ES335 Gibson. I said, "Close enough!" and my father bought it for me. Then I convinced my parents that even a bigger amplifier was needed and so I got a new big Yamaha amp. I was set, my life was complete.

At this time, I was starting to jam with

other people, especially my cousin Steve

down the street. I had spent a lot of time

growing up with my cousins since they lived

so close. Steve was drumming for a while,

so we started a band that would rehearse

at my Aunt Mick's house. Me and Steve

and the rest of the group, Destiny, got good -

real good. I was the lead vocalist and lead

guitarist. We were 16 and gigging all over

New Jersey playing colleges, high schools,

churchs and dances. We played covers,

rocking to stuff like Lynard Skynard, Doobie

Brothers, Beatles, Stones, Thin Lizzy,

Clapton, Dire Straits, Grateful Dead

and all kinds of great stuff.

At age 16 my taste for music was changing. I was acquiring a strong interest in "Fusion", a wonderful blend of jazz and rock. This instrumental blend was a combination of jazz rock type of rhythms with more melodic and improvised melody. I heard Chick Corea's Return To Forever which included the line up of Chick, Lenny White, Stanley Clark, and Al Dimeola. From that moment on, Chick changed my life and my direction. That direction has never changed, Jazz and Jazz Fusion remain a huge part of my existence and my overall inspiration. At that time, I also began listening to

my then favorite guitar heros Al Dimeola and Larry Carlton -

"known as Mr. 335" (I acquired my Gibson 335 well before

I heard of Larry Carlton).

From that point on my life had changed. I started studying

with a great Jazz guitar teacher and player, Tony Scally. I needed

to know everything that guitar theory and music theory had to offer.

I continued with my first guitar teacher until he could not teach me

anymore, then I moved on to Tony. Tony taught me that I had to

learn straight Jazz first then I could play and understand Fusion.

(At that time Fusion was not considered what it is today as

"Jazz Pop"). At this time, I co-developed a band called World

of Difference. Each member in the band brought their own unique

style and talent, which created a great blend of Jazz-Rock and

Funk with Pop melodies. Although it was short lived, it made a

lot of interesting, great music.

I continued taking Jazz lessons for years with Tony studying out of the best books published. I also studied with Tal Farlow, a renowned Jazz guitarist. I advanced rapidly as a young aspiring Jazz guitar player. From this point on for about 12 years I left rock / pop behind. I bought a Heritage Jazz guitar and a new amp and played the New York City Jazz circuit with my trio 'Lucien Nocelli and The Jazz Experience'. I also recorded instrumental Jazz music which was published with Woodrich Record Company and played all over college radio. I also wrote and scored instrumental jazz pop music for Sony Corporation. After years of performing Jazz Fusion instrumental music, I felt I did all I could to a changing market.

I began teaching guitar and advanced guitar as my love for sharing my knowledge began. I also wrote my book for advanced guitar players called Modes In

Motion (available in my online store). I was offered

a teaching position in a prestigious music school Von Bartheld School for Music in Ridgewood, NJ. From there, I opened my own teaching establishment The School For Musical Instruction in Forked River, NJ. The school was open for 6 years before my constant performing schedule got too hectic to maintain both, so I closed the school and took private advanced students.

I wanted to share my thoughts not only with the instrument but as a combination of my voice, music styles and skills that I acquired over the years. I was inspired to write more lyrical work and less guitar instrumental songs. But what I found was that I could create a unique blend of both serious guitar work and meaningful, catchy lyrics.

I developed a band called the Bebop Gypsies

in the early 90's that had a culmination of great

players and vocalists. The music was heavy with

very distorted overdriven guitars, and melodic vocal

lines over a Rock Fusion rhythm. The band had a

promising future with one recording release, but

too many politics came between everyone. I was

always writing and recording my own music, but I

always liked the band efforts as well. For a short

time, I was also part of my cousin Ray's group

called Test Infection. They liked my heavy distorted

guitar sounds with my Jazz Fusion background to

incorporate in their unique industrial metal sound.

They released a few songs which we went out and

performed live. My schedule got too intense and I

could no longer commit to all of their needs. It was

a real fun experience.. Ray and I were always

crossing musical paths and in and out of bands

together. When we got together we would create

the most bizarre eclectic sounds ever - great stuff.

It was about this time that I was getting back in the role of portraying John Lennon in the stage show Beatlemania, which I still tour with as much as I can. Performing nationally and internationally, I continue to meet people who I can introduce myself to as my own artist and to my music.

Over the years I was in and out of many bands and many situations when I finally decided that to be a solo rock artist was the way for me to be heard as me. I have full control of what I want when writing and recording since I play guitar, bass, piano, and keyboards.

I signed with Infinite Trend Records in the fall of 2004 and released the single 'Message For Peace / Electric Train' which I was really excited about. The response has been amazing with sales and air play of the single. Thanks to all of you! In July 2005, I released an Acoustic cd, called Lullabies For Lucy. Most exciting is my latest album release, Deal With It. It's a great rock album on which I was able to showcase my best guitar work to date. Response to Deal With It have been amazing, and again I can't thank you, the fans, it's all because of you!

After everything that I have experienced musically

and personally I have reached the ultimate balance. I have

a beautiful family; my children Lucien III, Justen, Adrian and

Luciana give me more joy and strength than one could

imagine. I finally have support in my life to help me through

it all, like I've never had before, from my soul mate, my

inspiration and my one true love, my wife, Sheri.

After dedicating my entire life to music, there is

nothing more satisfying when people acknowledge and

appreciate my music.