Local news

Local lawyer leaves law practice to pursue passion for music

LOCK HAVEN -- From courtrooms to music studios, one local man's life journey has taken him to a variety of places.

Former Lawyer, Philip Masorti, left his criminal defense practice after over 25 years to commit to his passions of music full-time in New York City.

Growing up in Castanea, Masorti's family owned the farm at the point where the Bald Eagle Creek meets the Susquehanna, as referenced in his most recent single, "Arrowhead." It was there at the west branch in Castanea behind the Castanea Fire Company where the events took place that inspired a folk infused single of remembrance.

"My grandfather bought and started the farm over there that consisted of the Castanea Fire Company clear down to the point. Those fields there are very fertile and when my grandfather used to plow the fields -- because at this time he made it in the meat business and he had bought the farm to raise the cattle to slaughter to sell, little bit of vertical integration," he said. "As kids, we grew up around that, so my grandfather would plow the fields which he enjoyed doing. He would do it in the spring and my father and I would walk behind the plow and as the rich soil would be turned over, the arrowheads would be there."

Having always been interested in Native American history and history in general, skowering for arrowheads was something that "resonated" with him as he enjoyed doing it "immensely" with his father. The arrowheads he and his father unearthed, Masorti kept them in a Philips cigar box -- the cheap cigar brand his father enjoyed smoking. Together, he said, they would pull down and park next to the Bald Eagle Creek and look for arrowheads while listening to the Phillies on the radio. Those memories with his father and wishes to be more involved in his children's life, sparked the creation of the song, "Arrowhead."

"My Dad thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a really special moment that I did as a kid," he expressed.

As Masorti grew older in life, having been married, practicing law and working 60 hours a week traveling for cases, he would reflect about whether he was spending enough time with his own kids.

"I ultimately did take them to look for arrowheads because I had made it a life point … I took them down there and scurried the fields a little bit. But as a metaphor of whether I was spending enough time with my children, I would come back to that and it would make me profoundly sad of them thinking later down in life -- are they going to find those kinds of meaningful artifacts in their life when they are digging through life. That is how I put the song together," he expressed.

Masorti said he has synesthesia where he can see and feel the music he creates, through his chords and melodies.

"I have this ability that I hope to conjure images with my songwriting. Arrowhead is something I am asking people to see that more than hear it," he said.

Masorti made the complete, albeit "intimidating," transition from practicing law to music full-time when the pandemic began. When COVID hit in March of 2020, he decided it was the perfect time to leave his practice, Masorti Law Group, in State College, and pursue his passion for music and writing.

"I was uncertain about what would happen, so I needed to make decisions and be firm so that I couldn't be in limbo because it is so contrary to my personality. It is time to make a transition, I'm going to do it and now I know what I am doing if COVID comes back and moves quickly then so what -- I am going to stick with my decision to transition into music," he said.

It took a year for him to get rid of the obligations that he had with his law practice. When he decided to stop practicing he had an extensive amount of active cases left.

"I couldn't just walk away from active clients, I had 11 months to level those completely down, so I could move to the city," he said.

Once his obligations were settled, he was off and moved to the Upper West Side of New York City in Feb. of 2021.

With COVID still a major issue, Masorti sees no stopping in the the path he is currently taking and return to his roots of law.

Though he is becoming a rising musician in NYC since moving there, recording and putting off live shows, Masorti did not start playing guitar till he was 42 years old. Once he picked up the strings, the writing began naturally right out of the gate as he has been writing since the age of 10.

"It was for six months in 2005, where I was writing songs in my den before by chance, I was at Mark Ross's guitar shop (Alley Cat Music). Waiting for him, I picked up an acoustic guitar towards closing time and started playing the guitar -- in the back of his guitar shop, noodling on the guitar playing one of my own songs. He stopped his closing process and came back and said "What is that? I haven't heard that. What song are you playing?" I said it was something I just came up with," he said. "He looked at me with a confused face and asked him when he started writing songs. I have been writing songs for months. He just looked at me and said to play it."

As time passed onward and as many small venue shows were played, he eventually ended up in New York City, recording with "some of the best people in the industry."

Those people would be the musicians that would back up Masorti on several of his upcoming singles include bassist Conrad Korsch who toured with Rod Stewart for 16 years and worked as Stewart's music director as well as acting as Masorti's music director; lead guitarist Oz Noy who is a "major player in the city and has a great reputation" according to Masorti; two saxophonist, Bob Franceshini who has played with Paul Simon and Celine Dion, and Stan Harrison who has played/worked with Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Talking Heads and Radiohead, just to name a few; and drummer Brian Delaney who had played for the New York Dolls.

Those renowned members will be backing up Masorti on his next single release titled "Millionaire," due out on Feb. 25.

"I was playing in Brooklyn last year as a solo standup act and a guy grabbed his saxophone and walked past me on stage as I was singing. He got his saxophone and randomly started playing with me. That was Bob Franceschini … I never met him before in my life before that," he said. "One time unsolicited, we had been rehearsing, he (Franceschini) said to me "Phil, don't worry about your fans and don't ever worry about an audience … people, your fans, will find you because people will always find music with integrity."

The vain of artists with the singles he has written and released so far is with the influence from Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Dire Straits and Leonard Cohen. The music is a genre fusion of Amerciana/folk and jazz with the mix of jazz musicians backing up Masorti's acoustic rhythm.

Currently, Masorti is recording eight more tracks throughout February and will be going to Ireland to record another five track EP with an Irish ensemble in late February. His six track EP titled "80 East" is due to release in April. The EP's title derives from Interstate 80 East that stretches from Lamar to New York City, a personal connection for Masorti.

"Interstate 80 in my mind has been this linear access in my mind of where I have been in life. Going West on 80 at one point was a big time in my life and going East on 80 certainly later in life is a big thing. My publishing company is also called 80 East and I wanted to call this first record that," he said. "I am really excited, I can barely contain my excitement. I'm really in the city with my songs, playing my acoustic rhythm guitar with these amazing, talented musicians with worldwide reputation and it's killer stuff!"

To listen to Masorti's music, check him out by searching Masorti on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube. For more information on him and his upcoming projects, check out his website at www.masortimusic.com, his Facebook and Instagram at @masortimusic.