Born Walter Reginald Bland in North Butte, California on August 4, 1878 to Register Webb Bland and Flora Ann Goodall. For several generations his forebears were ministers in the Methodist Episcopal Church. His paternal grandfather, Adam Bland, came to California in 1851, founded the first Methodist Church in Los Angeles and for many years served as presiding elder for the church. His maternal grandfather, Captain Charles Goodall, who came to California in 1850, was one of the founders of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, first Trustee of Golden Gate Park, and first Trustee of Stanford University.

His parents moved from California to Illinois when he was a young child (early 1880's). He started as a student in the Armour Institute of Technology and studied science there for 3 years, but as he had inherited his mother's musical ability (she was a child prodigy and a concert artist) he turned to music. He continued his studies at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. The family moved to Pasadena in 1986, where he and his mother opened a music studio. He continued the studio until the day he died, a span of 50 years.

He met his future wife Flavilla Corson while playing quartets in the Green Street Hotel. He and Flavilla had four children together, Carmen, Judith, Reginald, and Flora. Early in their marriage they joined a Theosophical Society in Point Loma, California. Reginald was in charge of music. The children were placed into a nursery as soon as they were born, like a kibbutz in Israel. After becoming disenchanted with some of the philosophy of the Theosophical Society they moved back to Pasadena. In 1911, he decided to become a farmer and bought a tract of land near the San Luis Rey Valley. He farmed rhubarb for four years. Farming was the only "failure" he ever admitted to. The family moved back to Pasadena to be close to Flavilla's parents and remained there for the rest of their lives.

Early in his career he played first violist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1908, he conducted the Maryland Hotel and the Virginia Hotel Long Beach orchestras. In the 1920s, he had great success in teaching prize-winning students. He was also the founder and first music director of the Pasadena Civic Orchestra which was made up of volunteer musicians, most of whom were his students. Throughout his years in Pasadena he hosted Saturday night musicales (chamber music concerts) at his home. Many of the scientists from Caltech would come to listen, including Albert Einstein while on one of his visiting professorships to Caltech.

In his spare time he tinkered with the invention of an automatic gear shift for automobiles, 12 years before one was adopted by industry. Unfortunately, he did not patent his idea so never made any money from his invention. After retiring from conducting in 1935, he took up surf fishing and invented an automatic fishing reel with gears. This time he applied for patent rights for his invention.

During the war he returned to Caltech, where he once served as an orchestra instructor in the 1920s, to work as a mechanic on the rocket project. He was awarded a citation from the Government for his efforts.

He was a Mason, member of the Musicians Guild of Los Angeles, and member of the Fine Arts Club of Pasadena. He passed away in 1950 at age 72, one year after his wife Flavilla passed away.

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