Martin Hand Biography
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS I HAVE PERFORMED WITH:
Dizzy Gillespie, Warren Vache', Harry Allen, Dave Valentin, Peter Nero, Nell Carter, Eddie Harris, Henry Mancini, Darius Rucker,
Bernadette Peters, Andrea McCardle, Trini Lopez, Burt Bacharach, Barbara McNair, Julie Budd,
Blackstone, Jack Jones, Al Martino, The Lettermen, The Fifth Dimension, Eartha KItt, Destino, Vic Damone, Dinah Shore, Maureen McGovern, Mellisa Manchester, Maria Osmond, Monica Mancini, Patti
Austin, Robert Klein, Michael Feinstein, Ann Hampton Calloway, Arturo Sandoval, David Benoit, Jeff
Kashua, The Supremes, The Platters, Sam and Dave, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Rupert Holmes,
Roy Clark, Tommy Tune, Joel Gray, Joe Piscopo, Tommy Mitchell and Doc Severinson.
SHOWS AND MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS:
"Storyville", @ Miami Shores Theater, "The Spitfire Grill', "The Last Five Years", @The Stage Door
Theatre. "The Alter Boyz" @ Parker Playhouse. "Fiddler on the Roof". @ Kravis Center for the
Performing Arts. "Vices". @ The Caldwell Theatre. "The Lion KIng". "The Carbonnell Awards". @
Broward Center for the Performing Arts. "Copa Cabana". @ Jackie Gleason Theatre.
ORCHESTRA AFFILIATIONS:
The New World Symphony 1995. The Symphonic Pops of
Boca Raton 1987-2002. The Palm Beach Pops 2002- the present. The Florida Philharmonic
1998-2004. The Naples Philharmonic 1997-the present. The Philadelphia Pops 2000. The Peter
Graves Orchestra 1987-the present . The Sunshine Pops 2000 - the present
BAND LEADER, CONDUCTOR AND/OR MUSICAL DIRECTOR :
Joe Piscopo, Andrea McCardle, The Supremes, Sam and Dave, The Tommy Mitchell Band, The Peter Graves Orchestra, The Platters, Dana Paul and the Nantucket Sound.
I was born in England in the late 50's. My early musical
influences were the Beatles, Rolling Stones.The Yardbirds and many skiffle artists of the time. In
1967 my parents emigrated to the United States. I was then exposed to "Motown" and the emerging rock
scene. When I was in high school I started helping my father hang wallpaper on saturdays. He always
took a radio with him to work and loved the "easy listening" station. This was my first exposure to
standards and show tunes. I heard the melodies of Richard Rogers, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and the
Gershwins to name a few. This proved to be an invaluble learning tool for my future profession.
After highschool I attended Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA. The winters never agreed with me
and so I moved to Fort Lauderdale,FL. I started working for music offices that needed a guitar
player who could play both rock and standards. It has been an interesting and fulfilling journey and
I look forward to future opportunities and challenges.