I suppose it all began for me listening to the Beach Boys in the car with my mom making her own alto harmony that added a richness to the already captivating choruses. Her own alternative notes added to the genius of Brian Wilson set me up for a lifetime of creating harmonies. The genre of singer-songwriter is fitting, because I’ve always considered myself to be a singer first.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to play with some incredible musicians and I’ve always tried to surround myself with better musicians who bring out my most creative offerings. In high school, I was gifted with a chance to play in a local band with Eric Oshige and that opened my world and my dreams. There were bands in college and an amazing experience singing with the acapella group, Tigeroar, at Clemson University. Writing music and singing songs were always a part of who I am. Today, music continues to be a fun outlet and a life-giving experience for me. The real gift is creating music with this group of people who have become some of my closest friends.
Thank you for reading and thank you for listening! I hope our paths will cross one day and we can share a song together.
Much love,
John
The band:
Eric Oshige (Greensboro, NC) – Although Eric plays a lot of bass these days when jamming with John, Eric has written songs, arranged cello music, rocked the electric guitar, and sung beautiful harmonies. He is a gifted artist. He a father of two. He is a loving spouse. He is a wonderful friend.
Kevin Shehan (Spartanburg, SC) – The drummer is often viewed in bands as the backbeat or the backbone and that is certainly the case with Kevin. More important than keeping the band in the pocket, Kevin keeps the band in stitches. This librarian by day is a stand-up comedian and drummer by night. He is a talented musician. He is a father of two. He is hilarious. He is a wonderful friend.
Sean Thomson (Columbia, SC) – If you have heard an album from the Columbia area in the last ten years, chances are you have heard Sean play. This guy looks like a mountain wizard and magically plays every stringed instrument known to humankind. He is an amazing musician. He is the perfectly timed comment or solo. He is a wonderful friend.
Charles Smith (Kansas City, MO) – The hilarity just continues with this group. Charles is the wittiest human being I’ve ever encountered. Musically, Charles makes any type of music sound better with his fiddle/violin. If you are ever in a jam of any kind, you want to be with Charles. He is an incredible musician. He is a father of three. He is a wonderful friend.
Moses Andrews (Columbia, SC) – This guy is in more bands than I can count on two hands for a reason. Moses can play keys, bass, drums, and has a beautiful voice. The newest and youngest member of the band, Moses became fast friends and we are grateful. He is an uber-talented musician. He is father of one. He is a wonderful friend.
