Frank Critelli

Growing up in Levittown, New York, in the 1970s, Critelli had a fairly normal life until a friend who played in a neighborhood garage band invited him along to a rehearsal. "That was probably what put ideas in my head that maybe I could do this. Maybe I could be a musician and write some of my own songs and perform them in front of people. There was no doubt about it. Musicians were cool," Critelli said. As a kid, he listened to a steady diet of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, but found that he was most attracted to folk and the acoustic guitar, singing, and songwriting of Cat Stevens, whose Tea for the Tillerman had a lasting impact. "Such great songs, one after another. Each song told a story, each song had a message, and each song was unforgettable."

While at North Adams State College, majoring in English and communications, he began to play the guitar and really spend time developing his own kind of music. "It seemed like it was such a natural progression for me. I was such a fan of folk and rock music, and here I was making my way in coffeehouses and small gatherings and trying out my own kind of songs. It was scary but exciting. I always seemed to get a good reaction from the people in the audience, and everyone was so encouraging, so I kept at it." College radio also loved Critelli, especially when he played live and performed his song "First Words" over the air; it became a regional hit. His shows at the legendary Mohawk Theater and the Sullivan Lounge earned him a respectable following of fans in the Berkshires. Western Massachusetts was his.

Finishing school and thinking about making music a primary focus in his life, Critelli headed east to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he played shows and open mics with such luminaries as Dar Williams, Ellis Paul, and Vance Gilbert. He developed his own style of music, a comfortable niche with one foot firmly in rock 'n' roll and the other in folk music. "I write songs for myself. If others enjoy them, so much the better."