Peter Boynton: A rich musical life.

Peter’s musical training began in the junior choir of his hometown church. He formed a band in the 6th grade with an unusually talented group of neighborhood friends, and played at local HS and Junior College dances through his senior year. Four years later with a degree in music theory/composition from UMass, Amherst, he headed to NYC.

During his years in NYC he met and worked with an amazing group of musicians, vocalists and producers as he pursued his love of songwriting in tandem with his blossoming career as an actor. His 1st studio experience was in 1981 when he recorded The Season Of You with keyboardist/composer/arranger/producer, David Frank at NOLA Studios. David went on to make his mark as the founding father of electronic pop/R&B and half of the pioneering synth duo The System, with later successes including songwriting/production/performance work on Christina Aguilera’s multiplatinum single,Genie In A Bottle.

Peter’s acting career spanned 20+ years while based in NYC with roles in national tours, regional theatre, Off- and On-Broadway, TV specials, daytime soaps and films. Highlights include the 1995 revival of the Broadway musical She Loves Me, and a juicy tenure as the villain Tonio Reyes on As The World Turns from 1985 to 1991. Every actor needs at least one turn in a horror film, and Peter had his with a featured role in HellRaiser III.

Most of the demos of Peter’s songs from the 80s and 90s were done with his home studio set-ups. They ranged from a 4-track Porta Studio cassette player, to a ½” tape deck, to the early DAWs (digital audio workstation). He had a chance to record a few more of his songs in professional studios and to engage some amazing vocalists to perform them. LaJuan Carter sang on a recording of Part Of My Life produced by David Flemming at East Hill Studios, and Tony winners Lillias White and Billy Porter sang on So, It’s Not Love and I’ve Got To See You, respectively. These two songs were performed, arranged and produced by Jon Gordon, a former music director and guitarist for both Madonna and Suzanne Vega.

From 1996 to 2019, Peter produced, directed and performed in stage musicals mounted in the 1891 dairy barn he renovated on his property in Vermont. Moving to Vermont to raise his young daughter also brought new opportunities as an educator as he produced and directed the musicals at the local high school and taught acting and directing classes at Burlington College. Former students of his include Grace Potter, recently nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, and Shaina Taub, a successful composer/lyricist based in NYC who is writing a musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada with Sir Elton John.