Born in Hartford, Connecticut to Sicilian immigrants, he received his musical training at the Hartt College of Music, the University of Hartford (BMus., composition cum laude, 1954, MMus., composition, 1955),[REF] Hochschule für Musik, Berlin (1958-1959)[REF] and the University of Iowa (Ph.D., composition, 1959-1961) [REF].
He began teaching music theory at the University of Iowa in 1959,[REF] then moved to Hartt College in 1963 [REF].