Born…Brooklyn, NYC, New York ( A long time ago, in a
Galaxy far, far away…)
Currently residing in Manville, New Jersey
Occupation: Self-employed full time as a Music Arranger and Instructor since the mid-seventies.
| Education: | AAS Degree in Music
(Performance/Trumpet), Bronx Community College. BA Degree in Music (Performance/Trumpet), Queens College Private Study: Arranging, with Valerie Capers (Professor of Music, Composer, and Jazz & Concert Pianist). Private Study: Theory, with James D’Angelo (Professor of Music and Big Band/Jazz Pianist. Private Study: Trumpet, with Alan Dean, Principal First Trumpet with the N.Y. Ballet. |
Performance Credits: Had the pleasure, over the years, of playing in numerous Jazz and Latin Big Bands and Combos/Groups, Community Orchestras and Wind Ensembles, Musicals (Scholastic and Local Theatres) and Drum & Bugle Corps.
College years were filled with many 3 and 4 nights/week of playing in various Latin, Jazz and Funk Clubs (some of questionable legality) throughout the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn boroughs of New York City. The paychecks were usually small and, often, of “dubious nature and/or content”, but the playing experiences and life experiences gained, and the musical personalities met, were worth “more than all the gold in Ft. Knox”.
The list of Corps and Bands that John has written for and/or instructed is fairly long and includes
( in alphabetical rather than chronological order) :
|
Bands: |
(College): Eastern Illinois
University - Panther Marching Band |
| Junior Drum Corps: |
Black Knights (Bellville, Ill.) |
| Senior Drum Corps: |
Caballeros (NJ), Hurricanes (CT), Kilties (Wisc.), |
Additionally, John has performed as a soprano soloist with a number of the senior corps that he has taught/written for…Caballeros, Skyliners, Sunrisers, Volunteers and Westshoremen…and has won numerous Best Soloist awards at competitions throughout the years.
In 2000 John was awarded the prestigious DCA Best Soloist Award at the DCA Finals in Syracuse, NY.
The list of titles won by corps in which John was working with in the various capacities of Show Coordinator and/or Music Arranger/Instructor include both State and National American Legion titles, DC Midwest, the National Dream Championship, DCA Mini-Corps, and nine DCA Championship Titles (Caballeros, Skyliners, Sunrisers and Westshoremen).
On August 31, 1996, John was inducted into the DCA World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in recognition of his long list of accomplishments and contributions to the Drum & Bugle Corps activity.