A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Schiff moved to Las Vegas, Nevada immediately after high school in 1974.

At age 19 he quickly developed a reputation and within five months got his first break when hired to be the 'house bassist' for the Flamingo Las Vegas and Hilton Hotel Showrooms.

There, he played for such artists as Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr., Ann-Margret, Perry Como, and The 5th Dimension, as well as others.

Gradually, around the time he was making the move to Los Angeles in 1977, he began using it during live dates and recording sessions for various artists including Eddie Money, Lana Lane, Dwight Yoakam, Erik Norlander and Sheryl Crow.

He met screenwriter and director Patrick Sean Duncan who hired him to score the films Live From Death Row and Family Values.