It all begins on July 16 some years ago.  A couple years later, Phil earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, but was majoring in rock - n - roll long before that. He got his first guitar when he was just a very young boy, but when he broke it he quickly started playing piano, which he did until he got his first bass guitar in eighth grade. (He did not break that one, but he didn't really learn to play it until much later.)

When Phil wanted to learn the guitar, he began borrowing guitars from friends and family. Then when he was 17 years old, Phil finally got his first "real" guitar (a Rickenbacker 360, quite a start,) and has been adding to his talent, and collection, since then.

Phil plays a collection of guitars that rivals and echoes those of his influences and guitar heroes like Chuck Berry, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, the Edge. Phil has an Epiphone Casino and acoustic, a Gretsch Tennessee Rose, a Gibson Les Paul, a Fender Stratocaster, Mustang and Guild D30 acoustic, and two Rickenbackers (a 330 and his original 360.) He plays these guitars through his 1965 Vox Pacemaker amp and Fender Blues Deville.

waking at seven is the most recent of several band Phil has played in over the years.