Bio

John began his musical journey at age four studying classical violin at Marylhurst University. Growing up, he was immersed in music, performing in numerous concerts as a solo violinist and with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Portland, OR. At age sixteen, he found a nylon-string guitar in his parent's basement, and taught himself to play by writing his own music. Over the course of the next 7 years, he wrote over 200 songs, keeping them largely to himself. When asked why he didn't share them, he told Spin Magazine, "songwriting was like turning on the TV....it became a habit. If I didn't write a song every couple of weeks, I didn't feel like myself. And, at the time, I was studying business and psychology at University of Washington, looking ahead to graduate school. I didn't even think about making a living as a musician or songwriter, I just loved writing songs."

After finishing law school in 2011, his best friend finally convinced him to share his music at a local competition hosted by West Coast Songwriters Association. With his unique musical style and soulful / rhythmic lyrics, he won over the audience, and was chosen to perform in the Finals. Judged by a panel of industry leaders, he won Best Performance, inspiring him to begin sharing his original tunes with others. From 2012-2015, he started a rock / funk band, called Commonly Courteous, who quickly made a name for themselves in the local scene due to their energetic live performances and relatable songs. They performed at numerous notable venues and festivals throughout Oregon, and went on several successful tours throughout the northwestern United States, until they parted ways in 2015.

In 2015, John submitted to an online contest for original music, sponsored by Axe and Spin Magazine, and was chosen out of thousands by John Legend to play SXSW. Due to this and the success of his live shows in Oregon, he moved to Southern California in 2016 to pursue music. Since, he has developed a highly sought after live show, where he frequently uses a loop pedal to mix beats, vocal harmonies and violin solos throughout his performance. As a solo musician, he has played NAMM, SeaWorld's Seven Seas Festival, and numerous clubs and venues throughout the United States. From 2016-2019, he averaged 18 shows per month. Beginning in 2020, he started recording and producing artists in Southern California. By 2023, two of the albums, as well as two singles that he co-wrote, produced and engineered were nominated for San Diego Music Awards, bringing the total to four nominations.

In 2024, John is focusing on composing music for film and digital media at Roots Up Studios, while still producing artists and playing the occasional live show.