THE AUTHOR

Growing up in Philadelphia, Derek D’Angiolini was a first generation television kid. Inspired by The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, 77 Sunset Strip, and other classic programs set in 1950’s California, he was drawn to Hollywood and the West Coast from a young age. Among his favorite programs, however, was The Ed Sullivan Show. After witnessing the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the rise of Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, his path was clear.  He would follow in the steps of his music idols,  and become part of the music business.

Instead, Derek was drafted into the Vietnam War, where he served two years before making it home safely in 1971. Rather than the adoring fans he had hoped for as a young boy, he returned to no fanfare, no parades, and no support from a country that didn’t want to occupy Vietnam in the first place.

Decades later, the conversation about Vietnam has shifted. Though the war has remained unpopular, more and more people are curious about how life changed for those drafted. After sharing his experiences with family one summer night, 43 years after he left for Vietnam, Frank DiScardecchia—Derek’s alter ego—was born.

What began as a 35-page draft has evolved into a 160 minute theatre of the mind experience. Alongside his best friend of 52 years, renowned recording engineer Peter Humphreys, Derek recorded Frank’s story into a compelling and engaging audio book—something that they hope you enjoy hearing as much as they enjoyed creating.

Derek holds a BA in Business from Southern California School of Professional Studies – Tustin, CA – Don Martin School of Broadcasting and Communications , Hollywood, CA. 

The Producer

Engineer Peter Humphreys is regarded as the region's finest mastering engineer. Those in pursuit of premium sound will inevitably find themselves steered to Pete's room; few engineers offer the wealth of experience and perspective that Peter has accumulated over his three decades in the business.

Pete was playing music and touring extensively on the east coast during the early 1970s. He decided to pursue studies in audio engineering at I.A.R. (institute of Audio Research) New York City; over the course of the program Pete displayed considerable proficiency in engineering, and on the strength of his performance there, he landed a coveted staff position as recording engineer at Sigma Sound Studios, the virtual epicenter of hit record activity during the 1970s. Pete engineered for a steady stream of major label artists at Sigma. His credits include gold and platinum dates for Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls, Phyllis Hyman, Billy Paul, and many others. In the early 80s, Pete teamed with Grover Washington Jr; the two went on to become close friends. Humphreys recorded a number of records for Grover and served as audio consultant on two of his world tours. (He would eventually go on to master several of Grover's later albums.) Pete was also instrumental in helping to grow Sigma's expansion into media services for radio and television, and audio sweetening for video and film.

Demand continued to grow for Humphrey's services, and he found himself branching out to consult on disc mastering and album manufacturing in addition to his session work at Sigma. In 1986 Pete made the move over to the mastering side with the acquisition of Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs of Philadelphia. Soon to follow was the birth of Masterwork Recording which provided him the perfect venue for his engineering skills. Since that time, Peter's mastering has enhanced thousands of discs and garnered praise from musicians of every type. With artists traveling from as far away as Canada and Italy to master with him, it's evident that Peter Humphreys is regarded as one of the best mastering engineers in the business.