John’s initial exploration into world music traditions, while studying at the Eastman School of Music (1976-80), only served to fuel his fire. He would often seek out recordings from around the world including music from India, Nigeria, Bali and Cuba. These experiences broadened his concept of music and filled him with the desire to study other traditions. So much so, that he was inspired to live and study in India and Brazil (1981-84).
In 1986, John was invited to join the music faculty of Princeton University as a guest lecturer in the composition department and as percussion instructor. He remained there until 2010 and enjoyed his role as teacher to Doctoral students in composition as well as undergraduate students.
In April of 1988, John was commissioned by the Manhattan Marimba Quartet to arrange 12 compositions by Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal. Two of these were performed with John’s participation at a Villa Lobos celebration at Merkin Concert Hall in New York and broadcast live on WNYC radio’s “New Sounds” program. Subsequently, all of his arrangements were performed with John playing drums and percussion in 1988 at a series of concerts at “La Mama” performance space in New York City. Also in 1988, John was commissioned by Christopher Lamb, Principal Percussionist with the New York Philharmonic to write two works for Marimba and Piano. The compositions were given their world premiere at the opening of the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, Norway in 1989 and have had numerous performances since.
In 1990, John returned to Brazil to teach a three-week course on Percussion. He was greeted with newspaper articles in A Tarde and Jornal da Bahia heralding his return to Brazil and citing him as a musician who had “influenced the explosion of Bahian music” during his stay in 1983-84.
In May of 1994, seven of John’s new compositions; Metaphors, Miro’, Before Sleeping, Stars, Menachem, Southwest and Ballad #1 were presented by his ensemble at the Taplin Auditorium at Princeton University.
In December of 1997, “Metaphors” won second place in the Jazz category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, an international competition with over thirty thousand entries. This was very gratifying since three of his other compositions had made it into the top fifty finalists. In 1999, John received a Decentralization grant to present his music in Putnam County. In September of that year, he premiered new works for 5 1/2-octave Marimba, Classical Guitar and Flute at two concerts. Following these concerts he was commissioned by Poet Dick Altman to write a new work for the same trio. This composition in three movements was entitled “In Oaxaca” and was inspired by the yearly “Day of the Dead” celebration of Oaxaca, Mexico as well as by Dick Altman’s poetry.
In 1999 and 2008 John received grants from the New York State Council on the Arts to present new works in concert. Also in 2008, “Meet the Composer” awarded John with a grant to discuss his music in a public forum.
In 2002 he was asked to contribute a recording of his composition “Rose and Spring” to be included on a double CD collection entitled “We stand as One World”. The CD was released in 2002 to raise funds for the victims of the World Trade Center attack. The Mannes College of Music Percussion Ensemble premiered his composition “String Theory” for percussion quartet, on April 30, 2002.
In November of 2002, the Wichita State University Percussion Ensemble premiered his composition “Birth at the Convergence”. John traveled to Wichita, Kansas for the premiere and presented three Master Classes at the University. Both the composition and master classes were very well received.
Harpist Elaine Christy commissioned John to write a new work for solo Harp in 2008.
As a partner in Star Music Group, John has been composing music for film. Most recently, his music was featured in the film “Perhaps Tomorrow” and one piece was presented in “The Camera’s Eye”. He has begun work on the music for a new Eric Roberts film.
In December 2011, John Released the CD “Metaphors” containing 9 original compositions. Metaphors is the first of 3 new planned Cds featuring John’s compositions.