BIO
John is a California native who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. At the young age of 3, he demonstrated a keen interest in music. His father, who enjoys playing guitar, and his mother, a registered nurse who loves singing, noticed him trying to play the family’s electric organ. Upon enrolling in the Yamaha music school, he was composing his own music by 5, and by 8 gave his first solo concert recital. His musical journey continued through Yamaha’s Junior Original Composition (JOC), a special program intended to develop gifted young musicians by immersing them in an environment surrounded by Harvard educated teachers, techniques and technologies. This led to him performing his original compositions in Japan when he was 8 and again at 13.
He composed and performed an original composition entitled “Portrait of a Lady” for First Lady Nancy Reagan, who extended him a personal invitation to Washington, DC to perform his composition at the White House. John was featured on the Today Show to talk about his experience of meeting the First Lady, performing at the White House and composing music.
John has been mentored by Academy Award winning composer and conductor Lalo Schifrin. Together, they collaborated on an original composition, with John performing on the piano and Lalo conducting the orchestra at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Born in Los Angeles, John was raised in a vibrant and diverse environment rife with musical influences. His parents, who are from the Philippines, infused their son with their own cultural influences and encouraged him to grow musically. He attended the University of California, Irvine, where he was a member of Kababayan, the Filipino-American student organization. He served as the treasurer, and also as the music director for the Pilipino Cultural Night (PCN), an annual multi-day extravaganza showcasing Filipino heritage and talent. These complex Broadway-type performances required the coordination of multiple actors, sets, and musical compositions, for which John composed and produced the original music.
John’s musical composing style can be described as versatile and multi-dimensional. Formally trained since childhood in classical music, he studied all the nuances of piano and orchestra. He was later introduced to synthesizers and other technology, for which he has had a lifelong fascination and love. Growing up on records, cassette tapes and simply radio, John was captivated by all types of music and their unique sonic signatures. This can be heard in his compositions, which span the range from traditional, classical to electronic and avant garde.
John describes the process of composing simply as “bringing an idea to life.” While he says there is no one way how to do that, to be ready for inspiration. Playing on a instrument can spark a musical idea, so can collaborating with other artists. He states, “Having a goal can help tremendously with focus, since music is so open-ended, and sometimes it helps to think of the project particulars to narrow your scope. But don’t box yourself in creatively.”
“The greatest accomplishment of a composer is bringing something to where there was nothing...music is a beautiful thing and I can’t live without it” he says. Such is not merely a mantra, but a way of life. His tattoo “Music Is My Life” on both arms, complete with ornate symbols, says it all…..