Mr. Vacation Music

John is a lifelong performer and a career-long music educator, composer, and arranger. He holds a BA in Music and an MM in Theory and Composition from Southern Illinois University, and his compositions and arrangements have been performed by high school and college music ensembles, churches, college and regional theatre companies, chamber groups, and cabaret performers.

An experienced educator, John has taught Orchestration and Arranging at Maryville University-St. Louis since 2004 as well as a nationwide online course on the history of Jazz. Additionally, he taught at Fontbonne University and St. Louis Public Schools for many years; during his tenure with SLPS, he was recognized as Music Teacher of the Year and awarded the Office Max “A Day Made Better” Teacher of the Year, both in 2011. He has also mentored dozens of educators, performers, and composer/arrangers.

John’s performing experience in the St. Louis area includes performances with City Players, COCA, Affton Center Stage, New Line Theatre, Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra, Stray Dog Theatre, OverDue Theatre Company, KTK Productions, Stages Performing Arts Academy, Gateway Center for Performing Arts, The Q Collective, and understudying with That Uppity Theatre Company. He is a founding member of Saluki Brass and has appeared in local commercials and served as a voiceover artist for OverDue Theatre Company.

In addition to performing, John has music directed shows for Affton Center Stage and New Line Theatre, and he has recently added the title of producer to his repertoire by producing the studio recording of his original Advent oratorio Light a Candle.