~ Providing Music Services for Musicians ~

John Thomas Bullock was born to a blind piano player and a violinist. He was brought up among musicians playing songs of Fats Waller, Bing Crosby, Hoagie Carmichael and many others of that era. One of these musicians gave Bullock his first guitar and, as he learned, he joined in some of their jam sessions. His next major influence was the Beatles. He began writing songs and also studied George Martin’s arranging and orchestration, which he believes is among the finest work ever done for pop music. As time went by, Bullock composed and arranged for and played with various bands in the New York area. After marrying and having children, he retired to his home studio and made many solo multi-track recordings of his songs.

Then Bullock discovered Beethoven! He began to study classical music intensively and started to compose instrumental music, incorporating many elements of the popular styles he grew up with. After much experimentation, Bullock spent several years studying counterpoint, harmony, orchestration and general composition with two college music professors, first Carlo Lombardi and then Sy Shaffer. Since then, he has composed many pieces, including a sonata for clarinet and piano, a quartet for saxophones, a symphony for chamber orchestra and his String Quartet in Em which was premiered by Willy Sucre and Friends to popular and critical acclaim. He also began to arrange and orchestrate for other composers. Several of these pieces have been published nationally and performed in public including performances by the Miami Symphony Orchestra and violinist Jim Graseck.

In the mid-Eighties, Bullock first heard African popular music and began serious study of music from that continent. This later expanded to music of many other cultures from around the world.

When he moved to New Mexico in 1993, Bullock joined the board of the Placitas Artists Series, including two years as president. Through this organization he became involved with several classical musicians, including violist Willy Sucre. When composer Marni Elci and lyricist/vocalist Eladia Luna were looking for someone to arrange a set of Spanish language songs they composed together, Sucre recommended Bullock. Thus began a collaboration that has led to the CD, Redes de Pasión and the group, Plenilunio. Besides being the arranger of the songs, Bullock produced the studio recording and played guitar, bass and synthesizers on the album. He has also composed and arranged music for the vocal group Musica Romantica and performs regularly with his band "Cheap and Easy" which plays popular music from the 30's to the 90's.