A native of Brooklyn, New York, Hand was attracted to the music of Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis in his teens.
He graduated from the Mannes School of Music, then studied in England with classical guitarist Julian Bream.
[2] In 1984, Hand became guitarist and lutenist for the Metropolitan Opera, where he accompanied Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.
He was given the Samuel Sanders Award by the Classical Recording Foundation for his work with flautist Paula Robison.
As a composer, his scores have been featured in the films This Boy's Life, Kramer vs. Kramer, and The Next Man, as well as television programs Sesame Street, As the World Turns, and Guiding Light, for which he won an Emmy Award in 1996.