John has an honours degree in composition from Melbourne University, writing in many styles and forms, including eight musicals and countless scores for theatre and cabaret shows. His songs are performed around the world from solo artists to 1000 voiced choirs.

He has toured internationally with his original one-man shows Background Boy (Edinburgh Festival, The Pheasantry London) and Dirt - an Existential Songbook (Edinburgh Fringe, The Rose Garden London). He also scored and accompanied Tom Flanagan's physical comedy show Kaput on multiple North American tours.

Other writing credits include two string quartets, compositions for Melbourne jazz bands Neo-Penguin, Miss Dorothy and his Fools in Love and John Thorn and The Roses and a collection of tangos Impro Tango. He has written for TV (Lano & Woodley’s: The Fly on Amazon Prime) and film including the mini-musical Saddam The Musical for the 2017 feature film Ali’s Wedding.

John has been musical director for many leading Australian and International cabaret artists including Meow Meow, Bob Downe/Mark Trevorrow, Paul Capsis, Rhonda Burchmore, Eddie Perfect, Camille O’Sullivan (Ire), Caroline Nin (France), Barb Jungr (UK), Bridget Everitt (US), Amy Gordon (US), Tommy Bradson, Michael Dalley, Fiona Thorn/Pastel Vespa, Jason Kravits (US) and was assistant musical director on the Australian/Hong Kong tour of Saturday Night Fever. 

He has recorded albums of original compositions and lounge arrangements of pop songs for the cabaret artist Pastel Vespa for the Spanish label Siesta. John is currently the musical director for the Australian Barbra Streisand Show with Rachael Grace.

He has an international reputation for his work in Improvised Theatre as accompanist and producer of Spontaneous Broadway (Sydney Opera House, Edinburgh Festival) and created the family musical improv format show Random Musical (Victorian Arts Centre, Sydney Opera House, New Zealand Tour). He has performed many seasons of Jason Kravitz’s internationally-renowned improvised cabaret show Off the Top (Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Crazy Coqs London). He also spent many years as the Theatresports musician (Victorian Arts Centre).

John has written and presented three highly acclaimed poetry song cycles including Looking For Lawson (Henry Lawson), SURELY GOD WAS A LOVER (John Shaw Neilson) and PROTEST POETRY and the PRIEST (protest poems presented by the Anglican minister for Flinders and Balnarring Rev. Keiron Jones).