Dale Schneck, originally from Emmaus and currently residing in Salisbury Township, takes the adage, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” seriously.

Across the years, his ventures, and adventures, have been many and varied.

Schneck’s writing career began early. While still an Emmaus High School student, he contributed a high school news column to the Emmaus Free Press.

Schneck’s creative flair is also fueled by a deep love of music for which he credits his father. Following the family’s musical bent, Schneck spent his college weekends working as a disc jockey for WHOL in Allentown. The disc jockey job brought Schneck and the Shillings together.

After hearing a local band play, Schneck advised them to hire a manager; they offered him the job. The Beatles-led British Invasion was in full swing. Consequently, Schneck suggested the band adopt a name in tune with the times, The Shillings. To gain recognition, the band competed in Gene K’s Battle of the Bands. Although they did not win, they did impress a representative from Mercury Records. Schneck negotiated a contract and with producer Wes Farrell, who also produced records for David Cassidy and the Partridge Family, the band recorded three songs. The records did well locally but never became major hits.

Schneck then booked the band at Tamiment, a Pocono resort, where they appeared with comedian Sam Levenson and caught the attention of Neil Sedaka. With Sedaka’s help, Schneck connected the group with mega-producer Don Kirschner. Kirschner is best remembered for bringing the Monkees to television. With a Kirschner movie deal on the table, the Shillings’ path seemed clear. Then, the U.S. Military drafted their lead singer. The Shillings disbanded, and Schneck’s career in the music business was temporarily derailed.

With college behind him, Schneck began teaching English and French at Easton Area High School. In addition to his regular classes, Schneck created a film course. As part of the program, a documentary filmmaker provided students with firsthand advice. This association led Schneck to leave the classroom and spend two years as an associate producer of film documentaries.

The combination of his writing skills and film expertise drew the attention of Allentown’s Morning Call management. Schneck moved seamlessly from movie producer to film arts editor of the Morning Call. The Los Angeles Times syndicate soon recognized his talent and published many of his columns and features internationally.

Schneck recalls an incident pertaining to the movie Mommy Dearest. One of Joan Crawford’s adopted children wrote a tell-all book of the same title that provided the basis for the film. Another daughter steadfastly refused to speak to the press. Schneck persuaded her to meet with him, view the movie and share her perspective. She disagreed with many aspects of the Crawfords’ home life depiction. The resulting story was picked up by the Los Angeles Times and went into syndication. Giving credit to his source for the story’s impact, Schneck states, “She gave me such a great interview!”

After seven years Schneck needed a change. He left film critiquing behind and returned to teaching. He taught English in the Saucon Valley School District for the next 15 years. Although he no longer grades papers or prepares lectures, Schneck has definitely not retired.

He is presently involved in the creation of a dramatic series and a music oriented reality series. Schneck, whose stage name is Arthur Henry, has also periodically worked as a character actor. He appeared in television commercials for Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews and in several episodes of The Monsters Inside Me. His Fartley family videos, in which he plays all the roles, may be viewed on YouTube.

Schneck began by devoting time and energy to promoting The Shillings. His career arc has brought him back to those roots. In addition to his other pursuits, Schneck manages a young, local talent, Demetrius.

He describes his protege as “a waiter serving up records.” The two first connected at the Superior Restaurant in Emmaus where Demetrius, known to the patrons as Jimmy, works as a waiter.

Schneck began mentoring Demetrius as an actor and then learned of his musicality. With Schneck’s support, Demetrius has signed a contract with Dee Town Entertainment, an influential music production company. “Love Hurts,” his first pop/rap video, will be available on YouTube’s Demetrius VEVO in the coming weeks.

Writer, teacher, actor, critic, promoter, Schneck wears many hats, each equally well. He continually explores new opportunities, and, although his career path has taken many turns, his main focus, a passion for excellence, has not.