Scott Ferrone, Territory Manager – Long Island & 5 Boroughs of NYC
Meet Scott Ferrone, one of our Northeast Territory Managers, who has been a dedicated member of the team for 15 years. Outside of work, Scott is a true creative at heart. He enjoys photo artistry, playing the piano and composing music, all of which allow him to express his artistic side. In addition to his creative pursuits, Scott is passionate about LEPCO and feels incredibly blessed to be part of such a great organization that fosters both personal and professional growth. Here’s to many more years of success and creativity, Scott!
See below for Scott’s interview to learn more about his hobbies and get an insight on his love for photography and music!
How do your hobbies like photography, playing piano and composing music balance with your work life? This is the best part of it. All my hobbies are just that. Photography takes little time out of my life. It’s easy to take pictures, upload, correct, then send the files to a print company. I pick and choose the fairs I go to. Perhaps in retirement, if that ever happens, I will get more involved with galleries. As far as my piano is concerned, it’s mostly when time permits me to play. One of my lifelong dreams is to compose a musical which I will accomplish at some point in my life.
Do you find that your hobbies help inspire or influence your work in any way? Generally, yes. It’s part of me and I have 35-year relationships with some of my dealers who know my hobbies, so it makes for great conversations as they know my hobbies and I know theirs – a large part of relationship building.
Photography
What inspired you to get into photography, and how long have you been at it? I can start by saying I am a self-taught photographer. I moved to a beachfront community in Long Island, NY in 2014. While walking the beach one evening, I happened to capture a photo of an incredible sunset on my cell phone. The colors were so impressive, I decided to post to a Facebook page called I Love Long Beach, NY. I received a few requests to purchase that photo so I printed and sold a few of them. That’s where it all started. I now shoot with Nikon cameras and participate in occasional weekend art fairs to sell my work. (See the photo that started it all below!)
Do you have a favorite subject or theme that you love to capture with your camera? Landscapes and seascapes are my favorites. I have learned different shooting techniques just from meeting other photographers. For example, one technique I’ve learned is Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) which allows me to capture the image while I’m moving the camera to create abstract images.
How has photography influenced your perspective on the world around you? Taking pictures allows me to keep the memories of events that happen around me. I get to examine a scene or images and find things that I missed or give me a different perspective of what I thought I was shooting at the time.
Playing Piano
How did you first start learning to play the piano, and how long have you been playing? I started taking piano lessons in the 2nd grade. My parents bought a piano and I was the one out of 6 children to gravitate towards it. Unfortunately, I stopped 2 years later to play sports until one day, when I was 17, I started playing again.
Shortly after, I started a band playing all original 80’s rock. I was the lead singer, keyboardist and sometimes guitarist which I taught myself. I would never call myself a guitarist though as piano has always been my main instrument. We were together for 7 years, playing mostly local venues. We did get to perform 2 shows at the famous NYC music venue, CBGB’s, known for country, blue grass and blues music. Ever since then, I have been playing when time permits up to this point in my life.
Do you have a specific genre or style of music you prefer playing on the piano? Being a musician, I enjoy most genres of music. The music I write can vary from classical to hard rock.
What do you enjoy most about playing the piano — is it the creative expression or the relaxation it brings? It’s both – just like the photos I take. I consider myself more a photo artist rather than a photographer – not just a picture taker. It’s the same with my music. A lot of thought goes into it. I enjoy the relaxation of it as well.
Composing Music
How did you first become interested in composing music? My brother has been living in Italy for almost 40 years. He introduced me to a ballet company in Florence. They asked if I was interested in composing music for an original ballet after they heard me play an original piece. This was my best musical challenge of my life and I jumped at the opportunity. So, not only did I compose a short ballet, I got to go over to Italy and perform live while they danced to it. It was a really incredible moment.
Do you have a favorite composition that you’ve created, and what makes it stand out to you? I, of course, enjoy all my compositions. I do have a few that stand out. Fun fact, I don’t know how to read music. All my compositions are written by ear!
Thank you, Scott, for sharing these details and pictures about your hobbies!