Writing & Composition
Writer
John has studied music and composition for over a decade. He has written one musical, Alone (Co-music/lyrics, book) with long-time collaborator Joseph Mathusek, which received a world premiere reading with the American Music Theatre Project and has announced one album of original pop music (Idle Growth). At Northwestern, he studied with his mentor David Bell, as well as under lyricists Ryan Cunningham and Masi Asare. He and Joe were also coached by New York-based composer and Broadway Music Conductor Daniel Green. John and Joe participated in two composition masterclasses with Broadway composers Michael R. Jackson and Craig Carnielia. John holds a BA in Theatre & Legal Studies, a Certificate in Music Theatre, and a Module in Creating the Musical from Northwestern University.
John has a website with collaborator Joseph Mathusek where their public portfolio can be found. Click here to visit the site.
Recent and Upcoming Releases
Alone: A New Musical (Full staged reading) | Independent Production | 2021 | Co-music & Lyrics, Book | Paper Mill Playhouse Black Box
Alone: A New Musical (one-hour cut) | American Music Theatre Project | 2021 | Co-music & Lyrics, Book | Online
Idle Growth (Album) | Independent Project | 2020 | Music & Lyrics
The 87th Annual Waa-Mu Show (Manhattan Miracle) | Northwestern University | 2018 | Book & Lyrics | Northwestern University
Waa-Mu (Book):
Waa-Mu (Music & Lyrics):
Rosie (Arrangement + Orchestration):
Note: Material from Alone can be found on the Ertman & Mathusek joint website. Click here to see more.