The Man Who Goes Well With Wine

Fran Scuderi Is Making His Living As A Musician and Performing At Your Favorite Local Wineries

By Tiffany Young

 Known for his unique ability to please a crowd no matter how big or small, Fran Scuderi has been interested in music since the young age of eight. He remembers one of his five brothers having a mail-in subscription membership to Columbia Records and being interested in the music his brother received monthly. It was everything from R&B hits to Motown jams, you name it, Fran was into it. Now, as a legit musician, he is seen regularly all over Prince George’s at local wineries and traveling internationally to play some of his best tunes

“I remember [my brother] set aside this album by a guy named James Taylor. (The Sweet Baby James album) I would listen to that album over and over and over,” Fran said.

It was at the age of 12 that Fran sparked an interest in playing the guitar, something that his brother (who introduced him to music) never got into himself.

But Fran has not stopped playing the guitar since and is making a living doing so. Now at 62, music has been his career for over 40 years. At one point, the folk, rock r&b guitarist did go back to college in the early 1980s to earn a degree in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland in Baltimore County.

“I played music to help pay for my college needs. By the end of it, I realized I hated computers and just continued playing music as a living,” he said. Fran knew then it was a big risk, giving up a career in IT that would probably grant him a heavy salary. But it wasn't his passion. It was the music that brought out his ambition and aside from the cognitive benefits of playing music, he says making a living as a musician teaches you about all kinds of business and communication skills.

What he likes most about playing at wineries in the county, like the popular Romano Vineyard & Winery in Brandywine, MD and other folksy venues, is not just the performance, but the interaction he gets to experience with the audience.

“I realized early on that we're all trying to get through this life in our own unique ways. But there is always something we all have in common: The music,” Fran says.

Especially on a nice weather day, the musician is aware of the power music brings. Whether he’s performing domestically or internationally, he’s putting smiles on peoples’ faces with the music.

When he’s not setting up his guitar at the wineries on the weekends, he’s ‘booked and busy’ jetting to places such as Denmark, Japan, Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Belize and the Virgin Islands. Those aboard gigs can take him away from home for several months, but it really allows him time to get to know the community and learn people.

“I like meeting people. So if I have the chance, I like to walk around and find out a little bit about someone, like where they're from, etc. I also frequently ask for requests from a song sheet I try to provide. I don’t just play anything,” Fran said.

His fans say his sense of humor is appealing. It’s his unique approach to engaging with the crowd and making his music likable. Fran has been faced with some challenges as a local artist, however, he continues to keep pounding the pavement and seeking new venues and new spaces to can perform.

“I like to keep my schedule booked and at some point I perhaps would like to get back into the studio,” he says.