Artist description At present, I am a solo composer/arranger/producer/pianist/keyboardist/synthesist, playing all instrumental parts on MIDI keyboard instruments in Studio Central in the north suburban area of Indianapolis, Indiana. I have 10 years experience playing in bands in Indiana and Arizona, played solo grand piano at major resorts in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1986-1987, and played in symphony orchestras in Indiana for 14 years from 1960-1974. I play and record sounds of saxophone, classical harp, voices, grand piano, orchestral instruments, bass, drums, as well as modern synthesized sounds...the "sky is the limit"!! John is listed in the current editions of "Who's Who in America" and "Who's Who in the World", available in your public library, in the reference section...check out this composer's biography, his career, a listing of his creative works and music compositions, discography, family history, etc.!!! He's also a member of ASCAP, AES, NARAS, and Mensa, and graduated from Ball State University in 1976 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Theory & Composition...he studied music composition with 4 composers on the music faculty there at BSU: Dr. Ernesto Pellegrini (who graduated from Julliard School of Music in NYC, NY); Dr. Cleve Scott from California (an expert in electronic music and a "New Music" and avant-garde composer, who has met world-famous composers like Pierre Boulez, John Cage, and others); Morris Knight (a "New Music" and avant-garde composer, with recordings of his modern music on national record labels of "art music"); and David Foley, a modern composer who has also composed an opera. John David Thomas's music has been played on radio stations in Indiana and Louisville, KY in the past, and on an Indianapolis TV station in the past. His classical music for churches has been performed by the chamber orchestra of Edmonds United Methodist Church in Edmonds, Washington (a northern suburb of Seattle) in 1989 and 1990, with John playing piano with the orchestra, conducted by Daniel Hibbitt, the music director of that church. John's orchestral composition performed there in 1990 was "Love Flowers: Reflections and Meditations on Beauty and Truth"...he also performed his classical piece, "Jubilee in F" for French Horn and Pipe Organ, which John played "live" in front of the 1,000 people there in Edmonds on his "Yamaha DX-7 synth", accompanied by the church organist...also, John's anthem, "Praise Him, the King Liveth", was performed there in 1989-1990 about a dozen times in abbreviated form, as a "Call to Worship". John has composed music for symphony orchestra "intermittently" since he was in high school...since 1969...but most music he composes presently is "beautiful, romantic, melodic music for piano"...still, he also composes in the recording studio on the multiple synthesizers (with sampled orchestral and acoustic instrumental sounds). When John was earning his music degree at BSU from 1971-1975, he composed several major "avant-garde" music compositions for the BSU music-faculty composers, as part of his degree requirements: John's best avant-garde music compositions were performed AT Ball State Univerisity as part of official BSU School of Music "Student Composers Concerts" at University Hall there on the BSU campus, during the years of 1973-1975...at present, though, John writes romantic, melodic music...music that is relaxing...though he also composes some "dramatic, powerful music" at times, just for "contrast"! John David Thomas has just created 7 NEW CDs of his most recent compositions for piano and synthesizers...these new CDs, entitled: "Desires of the Heart", "Musical Essences","The Journey of Life", "Music for Bethany", "The Avant-Garde of John David Thomas", "Spirit Music", and "From Me to You" were released to the public in 2002, through this website, and through other distribution channels. These 7 NEW CDs (in addition to the 3 John already released in the year 2000) feature his latest compositions/recordings...which are "romantic, relaxing, beautiful" instrumental piano pieces, with some dramatic and powerful "spiritual" synthesizer music, and his eclectic new "orchestral" music!! John David Thomas's 10 CD albums are currently available for sale NOW on this web site!! He has also composed 115 NEW solo piano compositions since November 1999, for future recordings of his, to be released on future CD's of his!! "Imagination gives form to dreams!!!" (quote from Edgard Varese, French avant-garde composer of the 20th century, who died in 1965 in New York City!!

Music Style Eclectic (Classical/Jazz-Rock/Soft Jazz/Top 40/Theatre Rock/New Age/Electronic Music)

Musical Influences Stravinsky, Beethoven, Varese, Beatles, The Who, ABBA, F. Zappa, Vangelis, Enya, John Cage, Stockhausen, Xenakis

Similar Artists Vangelis;Kenny G; ABBA, George Winston, Ferrante & Teischer, Henry Mancini, John Williams, etc.

Artist History John David Thomas was born in 1951 in Muncie, Indiana, USA, the son of musical parents. He began playing piano at the age of 4, and began studying piano at age 5. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1957, and was placed in a special school and class for gifted children in 1961. He was already composing music by age 9, and gave a public performance on piano of his first composition in his school at the same time. He began studying cello in 1960, and also began playing in orchestras...he continued his orchestral playing for 14 years, and also played in a professional string quartet while in high school. He began composing orchestral music in 1969, and had public performances of this music in 1969, and again in 1970 at Purdue University at Slayter Center (a modern outdoor performing-arts complex.) In 1971, John was awarded a music scholarship at Ball State University, where he majored in Music Theory and Composition, and studied piano and cello as well as a multitude of music theory courses (including 6 courses in Electronic Music composition) and also 6 courses in music composition, studying with 4 nationally-prominent composers: Morris Knight, Ernesto Pellegrini, Cleve Scott, and David Foley. John composed experimental and electronic "new music", "avant-garde" music, and commercial Theater-rock, classical-rock, and jazz-rock music while at Ball State U. He had several public performances there of his original "art-music" and popular music, including large orchestrations of some of his works. Two special performances, of a huge production of John's original theater-rock song, "Death of Rock and Roll" (which John describes as "Stravinskian-rock in style, with Beatles and F. Zappa flavoring), which he composed in 1970, was performed at Ball State in Emens Auditorium in March 1972 by the Ball State University Singers and a large group of musicians which John conducted from the piano backstage. This song and performance received a rave review by the music critic for the Ball State Daily News paper. John has composed a wide variety of music styles, (over 150 original instrumental compositions and songs) from Top 40 Rock to Gospel to New Age to Electronic New Music to classical to disco and sacred music (which had public performances in Edmonds, Washington in 1989-1990). His ten years of playing in rock bands and variety bands (in Indiana and in resort areas in Arizona), plus his orchestral experience, has been a great asset for John as a composer. He has made recordings of his original compositions and past songs in commercial, pro studios in Indiana and Arizona since 1970. He has recorded 10 CD albums, released on JDT Records, MP3.com (in California, worldwide), and BESONIC.com (in Europe). On a personal note, John is "totally SINGLE" (he's been divorced for the past 12+ years since 1990/1991), and has two children, Bethany and Mark (ages 23 and 19), who live north of Seattle, Washington on the west coast (where John David Thomas lived)...Bethany got married in July 2002 to a fantastic young man named Jason, and she has worked at a STARBUCK's coffee store and a hospital in the Seattle area...Bethany graduated from college in 2001 (Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, her major: English), and she is an accomplished pianist...Mark joined the Army in February 2001 and will be deployed to Iraq in 2003...he's stationed near Seattle, Washington at Fort Lewis, WA. (Both of John's children were born in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.) (John's former wife of 16 years divorced him in 1990, and she re-married to another man in March 1992). John has been totally single/divorced since 1990/1991, and has lived in the Indianapolis/Carmel, Indiana area for the past 12+ years...John David Thomas also lived in the Phoenix, Arizona area for 4 years from March 1984-June 1988, where he earned his living in music there for 3 years, playing solo grand piano at 2 major resorts in the Scottsdale, Arizona area from October 1986-May 1987 and playing keyboards for 2 years at a tourist location for the #1 popular music female singer in Pheonix, Arizona: Dee Dee Ryan, at "The Longhorn" in Apache Junction, AZ!! The 2 famous resorts where John played solo grand piano from October 1986-May 1987 were: "The Clarion Inn/McCormick's Ranch Resort" and "The BOULDERS Resort", just north of Scottsdale, AZ. After moving with his wife and 2 children to the greater Seattle, Washington area in June, 1988, up the coast of California and Oregon, John David Thomas composed much CLASSICAL music for the CHURCHES there in Edmonds, Washington, a Seattle suburb, for Edmonds United Methodist Church...these 3 major classical compositions of John's were performed at that major church in front of 1,000 members of the church congregation...John's 3 compositions which he performed with the orchestral and choral members of that church, and also in solo performance with the church organist, were his 3 compositions: "Love Flowers: Reflections and Meditations on Beauty and Truth" (for 14-piece chamber orchestra, John at the grand piano), "Jubilee in F" (for French Horn/synthesizer and pipe organ), and "Praise Him, the King Liveth" for full, mixed choir...this last piece, an anthem of John's, was performed in abbreviated version as a Call to Worship about a dozen times at Edmonds United Methodist Church around 1990, conducted by Daniel Hibbitt, the former music director there...John's music was very well recevied by the stunned congregation, as their jaws dropped open by the conclusion of John's "Love Flowers" orchestral work!!" Back to his 2 children now...John David Thomas's daughter, Bethany, is active in her church in Marysville as is her husband, Jason. John David Thomas continues to compose much new music on the piano--he has composed 115 NEW solo piano music compositons since November 1999, for future recordings and CD albums of his, and he hopes you will listen to his music on this web site, using the icon, "Lo Fi Play", unless you have a CABLE-modem or DSL high-speed internet service, in which case, use the "HI-FI Play" option! Enjoy the music, everyone! (You can buy any of John's 10 CD albums, plus any of 16 CD singles, on this or other web sites, such as "www.mp3.com/johndavidthomas" and on his EUROPEAN music website (in London, Paris, and Hamburg, Germany) at: "www.besonic.com/johndavidthomas"!! On CD's purchased through THIS website, these can ALSO be played as "Mp3's" in an Mp3-player, or used in the CD-ROM drive of your PC Computer with "video pictures and info" displayed at the same time on your computer's monitor, while hearing ALL of the music of the CD on your computer's speakers!!

Group Members John David Thomas, solo artist, is a COMPOSER/pianist/synthesist/keyboardist/ arranger/orchestrator/producer (of his own CD albums)/recording engineer, etc. He's also CEO/Owner/Composer/Producer of his 3 music companies! His 4 NEW albums on CD ("Musical Essences", "From Me to You", "Desires of the Heart", and "SPIRIT Music") are a TOTAL SOLO effort, with John David Thomas composing, arranging, performing, and recording all of the music on the CD. He has made solo recordings throughout the past twelve years. Past band members on recording projects from 1971-1983 include Paul Thomas on drums and vocals; Gary Fitch, Tom Padgett, Kimmer Smith, Mark Moran on lead guitars; Randy Hamm on tenor sax; Jim Sanders, Rusty Humphrey and Steve Dokken on Electric Bass; Don Fisher and Larry Hall on Principal Trumpet; Jim Still on lead Trombone, and other "studio musicians!!

Instruments MIDI keyboards including Kurzweil K2000, KAWAI 88-key weighted-action MIDI-controller, Korg 03R-W, Roland Super JD-990, Oberheim Matrix-1000 module, Yamaha DX-7, all in Studio Central.

Albums "The Journey of Life", "Musical Essences", "Desires of the Heart", "From Me to You", "SPIRIT Music", "Desires of the Heart", "From Me to You", "POTPOURRI: Music for the World", "The Seen and the Unseen", and "Music for the World: Volume 2"

Press Reviews This is what others have said recently about the original music of John David Thomas: "I got to admit...I really liked (your tunes)...GREAT STUFF!!" Errol Rackipov, composer/Mp3.com Artist (BMI); "I downloaded a song from your (Web) page...SOUNDS GREAT!!! (Bill Harris of "Banderjam")..."Special congratulations should go to John David Thomas, the composer/arranger/conductor of "Death of Rock and Roll"...the audience sat totally spellbound..." (music critic for the Ball State Daily News, March 1972); "You are one of the top 3 composers of melodies (instrumental music) in the world, along with ENYA and Vangelis" (Paul Thomas, songwriter

Additional Info Bachelors degree in Music Theory & Composition, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana in 1976. Member: ASCAP, AES, Mensa, NARAS. ..listed in current "Who's Who in the World", "Who's Who in America"

Location Indianapolis (Carmel), IN - USA

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