JOHN ENRICO DOUGLAS BIOGRAPHY

John was born in Santa Barbara, California, but after growing up mainly in the Inland Empire, and lots of travel, eight years in Boston and twenty years in Los Angeles, he returned full circle to Santa Barbara in 2002. He studied music at UC Riverside and U Mass Boston in the 1970s. His performing experience includes gigs with jazz and latin music artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Stagnaro, Justo Almario, Luis Conte, Alex Acuna, Michito Sanchez, Nate Birkey and Cougar Estrada, and a concert with Aretha Franklin in 2005 in the Santa Barbara Bowl. John toured with artists such as the Pointer Sisters, Donald O'Connor, and Eddie Fisher in the 1970s and 80s.

John has recorded extensively in commercial and artistic settings, including original solo piano works, accompanying singers in original songs and songs by other composers, and albums by jazz and latin music artists, including Bongo Logic, the L.A. Salsa Society and Present Tense. In the 1980s he worked with Chiltic Istac, a Salvadoran nueva cancion band in the Central American solidarity movement and in the 1990s with LA's popular Cuban charanga band, Charangoa.

John has extensive experience in musical theatre, including stints as musical director and/or pianist for school productions of Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story and Most Happy Fella (Xaverian Brothers HS, Boston); Moby Dick the Musical, Kiss Me Kate and Beauty and the Beast (Dos Pueblos HS, Goleta); The Boyfriend, Fiddler on the Roof and Anything Goes (Goleta Valley JHS); Once on this Island (Laguna Blanca HS, Santa Barbara); West Side Story (La Cumbre JHS, Santa Barbara); The Wiz and Alice in Wonderland (Performing & Visual Arts Camp, Santa Barbara); and Peter Pan and Seussical (Stage Left summer program, Goleta).

John's songwriting credits include school songs for Brandon and Ellwood Schools, Goleta, and Harding Elementary School, Santa Barbara. He wrote original songs and served as music directory for There's a Door in My Room (with Laezer Schlomkowitz and Dauri Kennedy at PVAC) and Being Human and Esperanza's Box: Stories of Hope (with Joseph Velasco and Nancy Davis at City at Peace, Santa Barbara).

Since 2003 John has worked as a substitute teacher and music teacher in Santa Barbara and Goleta schools. He conducts a jazz seminar at Westmont College, directs the Goleta Valley JHS jazz band, and accompanies the GVJHS performing arts class. He regularly accompanies the Dos Pueblos HS concert choir and theatre classes. He is on staff at SB City College adult ed as accompanist and music teacher.

John serves as music teacher in the Arts at Laguna summer camp, music and karate teacher in PVAC, and pianist and orchestra director for Stage Left summer performing arts camp.

John regularly performs as a solo pianist and with singers and bands in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. He accompanies the Inner Light Community Gospel Choir. John regularly accompanies his 14-year-old daughter, Nanda and her friends in vocal performances at retirement homes in the Santa Barbara area. Nanda is active in musical theatre and plays piano, mallets, flute and guitar. John's 15–year–old son John–Paul plays trumpet in the DPHS jazz, marching and concert bands, as well as the SBCC concert band. He also plays classical piano. They have a family band which performs at local dances.

John's older son Walter is program director/assistant station manager at KUCR, the University of California at Riverside radio station. http://kucr.org/. Walt is an inventive artist who creates electronic soundscapes which transcend their dance–trance roots. He plays keyboards and drums, and records and performs under the name "Biomass." Some of his music can be heard at http://profile.myspace.com/biomass. John's older daughter Lisa also lives in the Inland Empire, and loves music and geckos.

Updated 6/08.