EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Western Michigan University

August 2017 - June 2021

Bachelor of Music: Major in Music Composition, Minor in Multimedia Arts Technologies

Deans List: Fall: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Spring: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

Music Composition:

  • Vice President & Secretary of the Western Student Composers Alliance

  • Studied Music Composition with Dr. Lisa Coons, Dr. Christopher Biggs, & Dr. Richard Adams

  • Studied Music Theory with Dr. Lisa Coons & Graeme Shields

  • Studied Orchestration & Counterpoint with Dr. Richard Adams

Multimedia Arts Technologies:

  • Recorded & Produced at Western Sound Studios

  • Studied with John Campos, Dr. Christopher Biggs, Dr. Carter Rice, & Dr. David Loberg Code

  • Studied Logic Pro, Protools, Ableton Live, Max/MSP, Reaper & MiniAudicle

  • Studied microphone placement, signal flow, live to 2-track & live to multitrack recording

Music Performance:

  • Concert Band directed by Dr. Mary Land

  • Symphonic Band directed by Dr. David W. Montgomery

  • Timpani Principal, Percussion Principal

  • Former member of KLOrk: Kalamazoo Laptop Orchestra

Music Education:

  • Elementary to High School Level:

  • Percussion, Keyboards, Vocal Techniques, Guitar, Trombone, & Tuba

  • Studied Conducting with John Leonard

above: recording a multitrack recording in South Kohrman Hall at Western Michigan University
above: recording a live to 2-track recording with band Disco Behemoth: Scott Dumas, Jake Lewkowitz & Thomas Cale in Western Sound Studios at Western Michigan University
above: amongst the composition student body and faculty during a master class with composer, Carter Pann

COMPLETE Weddings + Events

Grand Rapids, MIApril 2021 - Present

Owner & Manager: Justin Loser

Disc Jockey:

  • Communicating with clients

  • Organizing and planning out events

  • Communicating with vendors and venue

  • Public speaking in front of large crowds

  • Setting up and operating sound

Testimonials

"John our DJ was amazing! He interacted with our crowd so well and was very organized and creative. He had great ideas for fun dances and helped create so many special memories!"

- Lauren + Zac (7/17/21)

"At the event John was our DJ and I can honestly say we couldn't have asked for better. He was absolutely excellent from start to finish. Our guests and other vendors praised him up and down. Simply put we had a lot of things that factored into our perfect day and having John as our DJ was one of those factors. I could not recommend him and Complete more."

- Amber + Jonathan (5/29/2021)

Speaking to the family of the married couple during an anniversary dance 2021, photographed by Dyani Moag



Broughton Music & Arts Center

Kalamazoo, MIApril 2019 - Present

Owner: Laurie A. Jarski

Manager: Lynn Bielecki

Music Retail:

  • Ordering & organizing inventory

  • Labeling instruments & accessories

  • Selling & renting musical merchandise

Music Lesson Management:

  • Organizing lesson schedules with teachers and students

  • Billing lesson payments

  • Calling students and teachers for makeups and cancelations

Instrument Maintenance:

  • Instrument Tuning

  • Guitar restringing, fret cleaning, bridge placement, adjusting action, part replacement

  • General polishing and cleaning of instruments

Music Teacher:

  • Percussion: fundamental to expert students (K-12+)

  • Drum Set: fundamental to advanced students (K-12)

  • Piano: fundamental to intermediate students (K-8)

  • Music Theory: fundamental to advanced students (K-12)

looking out for the arrival of a 6:30 student, late winter, 2019

School of Music Scholarship

Awarded in recognition of his accomplishments and potential as a musician and student at Western Michigan University

Best in MAT Semifinalist

Awarded Western Michigan University best in MAT semifinalist in for the production of his song, Free and Beautiful

The Road Song Challenge

Winner of the 2018 Road Song Challenge for his arrangement of The Road by Casely and the Jank

Achievement in Composition

3rd Place, High school- Avant Garde/ Electronic in Illinois Music Education Association 2016-2017 Student Composition Contest for the composition, Reverie on Jan. 28th, 2017

Illinois Drafting Education Association

Awarded 2nd in Regionals for Intro Computer Aided Design in 2015, then Awarded 2nd in State for Intro Computer Aided Design in 2015

White Buffalo Music Festival

performer and technical stagehand at a local Illinois music festival

Left to Right: John Engstrom, Gabrielle Lindhurst, Harmony Kelly, Kennedy Dixon, Carlos Lozano, Andrew Gagiu, Becca Spurbeck, & Aiden Harmon in Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University, February 22nd, 2019 for the performance of "Solitude and the Attempt to Escape It" during the Western Student Composers Concert
John along side music composition & piano instructor, Carol Hoepe during the presentation of his Achievement in Composition Award by the Illinois Music Education Association on January 28, 2017