For 40 years, Mark Daugherty has been weaving musical magic throughout Northwest Philadelphia, earning him the nickname "Pied Piper of Northwest Philly" from his admirers at the Ambler Choral Society. But behind the conductor's baton lies an unexpected twist: the 73-year-old Mt. Airy resident is also a lawyer.

This November, Old York Road Temple Beth Am in Abington will honor Daugherty for his four decades as music director. It's just one chapter in a remarkable musical journey that includes 38 years as music director at the Unitarian Society of Germantown (USG), where he served until November 2021.

Like Taylor Swift, Daugherty hails from West Reading, but his path took a unique turn. After earning his undergraduate degree from the prestigious Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, he graduated from Temple University Law School in 1978 and worked as a judicial clerk in litigation.

"I was a piano performance major as an undergrad," Daugherty explained. "I had always been interested in law, and at Eastman I had a bit of a reputation as someone who would argue unpopular points in piano class. But after I graduated from law school, passed the bar and worked for a while, I reassessed what I was doing and how I wanted to spend my working life. In fact, the best decision I have ever made in my life was to get back to doing music after working in law."

His transformation from lawyer to conductor began in the early 1980s while pursuing his teaching certification at Temple. Required to sing in a chorus, Daugherty discovered the joy of choral music. "One of the great experiences for me at that time was singing with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a part of Temple's University Singers. We performed Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony at both the Academy of Music and Carnegie Hall. I loved it."

While studying conducting and working as a rehearsal pianist/accompanist for various Philadelphia groups — including Pennsylvania Pro Music, The Pennsylvania Opera Theater, The Savoy Company and choruses at Haverford/Bryn Mawr Colleges — Daugherty landed the position of music director at USG.

"The church had a reputation as a place that appreciated good music," he said, "and they had the resources to fund four section leader/soloists, which enabled them to present more sophisticated music as a part of their Sunday morning worship."

In 1985, Daugherty took a pivotal step away from the keyboard to focus on conducting, joining the Ambler Community Singers, where he continues to direct. He later earned a Master's degree in choral conducting from Temple, receiving the Elaine Brown Tribute Award for embodying the values of the legendary Singing City founder and conductor.

"More than a quarter century after earning my degree," he reflected, "I have to say that I find it incredibly rewarding to take a group of people and mold them into a musical community that together discovers how much beauty and joy there is to be had in the simple activity of singing together and sharing this joy with an audience."

Today, at 73, Daugherty's musical influence continues to grow. He directs choruses at two retirement communities — Foulkeways in Gwynedd and The Hill at Whitemarsh — as well as the Young Starrs Theater Company in Fort Washington. "Making music is lifelong activity!" he said.

His summers are spent as musical director for Gilbert & Sullivan productions at Camp Tecumseh in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, a boys' athletic camp that has presented G & S operettas for more than 90 years. This summer, he led many of his singers to Salzburg, Austria, for a choral festival.

When USG celebrated his 38-year tenure in 2021, their online statement captured the community's sentiment: "For 38 years Maestro Mark Daugherty has blessed USG with his music … Come one, come all, in whatever way you can, to add your 'Bravo, Maestro!'"

Through it all, Daugherty has had a steadfast supporter. "I share my life with my husband, Michael, who is my greatest cheerleader and supporter," he said.

Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com