While growing up in Guelph, John began playing drums in the early 80s, playing mainly for school bands as well as other small projects. John also focused his time mainly practicing and progressing as a musician and drummer. Many people noted how well he played the kit, which gave him the encouragement to progress more and more as a player.

When in secondary school, John was mostly involved in musical projects within his school community including stage band competitions. As John developed musically, played with more and more people within the school setting, thus allowing him to develop in his experience as a drummer. By the end of his secondary school experience, John had played with an extensive array of musicians and started to play gigs outside the school community.

After graduating secondary school, John began playing professionally around the Guelph region. Playing at different venues allowed John to become even more experienced. After playing with several professional bands, John began to take his show across the country, touring with certain bands across Canada.

It wasn’t until September of 1999, when John began a new course in his musical journey moving from Guelph to Toronto to start his undergraduate work at the prestigious Humber College of Music. While at Humber College, John was able to further advance his musical knowledge and experience while playing with many jazz, latin, fusion, funk, blues as well as contemporary ensembles and bands. In addition, throughout his Humber College experience, John studied with some of Toronto’s best drummers, thus propelling John to become an even more advanced player. John graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies in 2002.

After his undergraduate studies were completed, John moved back to Guelph to attend teachers college. During this time, he continued to play with various acts around the Southern Ontario region, but mainly focused his time in developing his career as a classroom teacher. Today, aside from his work in the classroom, John continues to play with many people, in addition to Bad Neighbours. John currently holds a Master of Education degree, a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Studies) degree as well as a Honours Diploma of Music. John looks forward to continue developing as much as possible in his musical career, always eager to reach new heights!

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