Born in Long Island, New York, and influenced by his drumming father, Joe developed an interest in music at a very early age. After seeing his first concert, KISS, at the fabled Philadelphia Spectrum, he finally convinced his parents to buy him a bass for Christmas and subsequently began playing at age 13.  While he drummed in the grade school band and also took guitar lessons, Joe concentrated solely on improving his bass skills and music theory through many years of private instruction with notable teachers, as well as classes at the University of Delaware. Currently, Joe boasts over 20 years of musical experience, with over 10 as an instructor.

More recently, Joe served as bassist and the primary lyricist and songwriter for the much-heralded rock band Stealing December. In the fall of 2006, just a year and a half after the group's formation, fans across the United States voted Joe and his bandmates as the top unsigned act in the country. As a result, they embarked on the 14-date Zippo Hot Tour, playing sold-out venues such as Philadelphia's Theatre of Living Arts and House of Blues - Orlando with six-times platinum Geffen recording artists Papa Roach. Stealing December also performed with top pop rock acts such as Paramore and Boys Like Girls during its tenure.

In addition to being signed to an independent deal, Stealing December showcased for major labels such as Geffen, Epic and Universal Music Group everywhere from the legendary Viper Room in Hollywood to the New Music Seminar in Cleveland. During its tenure, Stealing December also appeared on TV Guide Network on Demand, HDNet, MTV Radio, MTV Online, Fuse TV and Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR. In February 2007, Stealing December received Best Band and Best Album accolades from Delaware radio station 93.7 WSTW. A year later, the band earned the Delaware Music Awards’ Best Rock Act award, presented by Spark Magazine.