 He studied at the University of Pisa and in 1594 he was studying with Giulio Caccini.He may have been in Carlo Gesualdo's retinue when he went to Ferrara for his wedding in 1594.In 1598 he joined the court of Duke Vincent I in Mantua, and probably served the Gonzaga family the rest of his life, with whom he travelled all over Italy and as far afield as Poland.