Leo Schornstein recorded popular selections for Artempo, some examples being 'Marion (You'll Soon Be Maryin' Me)' and 'The Hen And The Cow (Onestep)'.

Born in Newark, Essex, NJ on 24 March 1899,  his father Jacob was a Jewish grocery merchant who immigrated from Austria in 1891.

His WWI draft registration card, dated September 1918, describes him as tall and of slender built with black hair and brown eyes and living at 337 New York Ave, Essex, NJ (with his parents). He lists himself as 'student (not employed - intends to go to college)'.

He fell into recording rolls by accident, as recounted to me by his daughter Bernice:

First of all, he never actually took piano lessons and he played by ear!  He did take violin lessons and learned about chords and harmony.  I have a number of books that he must have purchased where he evidently learned what he could.  When he was about 18 he was at a party playing piano for his friends very late at night and someone came knocking on the door to ask who was playing. My father said when he was telling 
me this story that he was "scared stiff". The man was from the Artempo Company.  He gave my father his card and told him to come see him about making piano rolls.

He also had an orchestra.  He ended up teaching Popular Piano and was very successful at it.  I have a sign that his father made for him which says in part "LEO SCHORNSTEIN PIANO INSTRUCTION MUSIC FURNISHED".  He must have started teaching when he was still at home.

He did explain to me how the rolls were made. Of course, we did have a player piano at home and my father embellished the melodies on the piano rolls we did have by punching additional holes.  I was always fascinated by the whole process. He continued to teach piano until he died.

In the mid-1930s he resided at 43 Coit St, Irvington, NJ with his wife Lea (1900-1972).

He died in May 1969 at West Orange, NJ.