John's unique perspective as a songwriter is partly due to his training as a biologist. He earned a bachelor's degree in genetics and a doctorate in neurobiology before dedicating himself to a career in music. John has explored various forms of writing, but he feels that songwriting is the medium that suits him best. "When harmony and melody and lyric all work together," he says, "you can hit some spots emotionally that are very difficult to reach in any other medium." His musical influences range from Bob Dylan, to Sam Cooke, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, and Eric Satie. John was born in New York City and grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Brooklyn, New York. His father, a journalist for The New York Times, first encouraged John to play the guitar, and also introduced John to his future songwriting idol, Bob Dylan. John's mother, a singer and music teacher in the New York City school system, encouraged him to play music, write songs, and sing from an early age. John's training as a scientist has informed his life as a musician in surprising ways. "For me, writing a song is very similar to doing scientific research," he says. "There's that same overpowering sense of excitement and release when you think you have something, when you think you've found or rendered some little piece of the truth." "One Step Away," John's debut CD, co-produced by Dusty Wakeman (Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, Me'shell Ndegeocello), includes an illustrious cast of supporting musicians, and has received substantial radio play in both the U.S. and Europe. "One Step Away" was featured for several months on listening stations at Tower Record stores in Los Angeles, and Hear Music stores in Santa Monica, Palo Alto, and Berkeley, CA. Songs from "One Step Away" have also appeared on cable television shows and independent films.