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John Dickson, a Texas native, discovered the piano at age two, began formal study at eight, and soon began winning numerous awards and competitions in classical music. He graduated summa cum laude from Stephen F. Austin University in Texas and the University of Miami, Florida with bachelors and masters degrees in piano, composition and commercial music. He studied additionally at Berklee College of Music in Boston and at various music festivals as well. Curiously though, no one ever asks to see his diplomas or piano trophies... Upon graduation John initially embarked upon a career as a French hornist and pianist, but transitioned over time to composition and arranging. After a short period in Houston, where among other things he served as composer in residence at the prestigious Alley Theater, he moved to Hollywood, donned a pith helmet, and plunged into the entertainment business trenches. Some years later, John has composed scores or contributed music to dozens of films, tele-features, TV series, documentaries, stage plays, and feature shorts. His projects have appeared around the world and in some of the industry's top film festivals, including Sundance, Cannes, Slamdance, Telluride, New York, Hollywood, and the Los Angeles festivals. Dickson's background in both jazz and classical music has allowed him to work with numerous up-and-coming filmmakers on a wide variety of films running the gamut of compositional styles: from Matt Nix's new show on USA Network, “Burn Notice” to his renaissance-themed “First Prince” and sci-fi “Singularity” to Sony's quiet “paperlily,” starring Fiounnula Flanagan and Ralph Bakshi's industrial animation “Cool World.” More recently he has provided music programming and arrangements for the Vin Diesel film “xXx” and has scored a number of features for the Sci Fi Channel including Nu Image's “Alien Lockdown,” “Larva,” and Plinyminor’s “Mammoth” for director Tim Cox. John’s music also appears in Sony Classic’s “Who Killed the Electric Car?” Dickson’s music has also been heard on daytime television including the Oprah Winfrey Show, Days of Our Lives, All My Children, and General Hospital and on a growing number of trailers for film and television. As an arranger/orchestrator he has provided music for a number of recording artists including Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, and Alanis Morissette. Additionally, he has composed music for several national commercials - from beers to Barbie to cars to the Marines. In 1995 John began an incredibly rewarding association with jazz giant Chick Corea as an orchestrator and rehearsal assistant resulting in works for piano and string quartet and pieces for orchestra and jazz quintet/sextet. The first of these, "Spain for Sextet and Orchestra" won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for 2000. Dickson has performed with a wide variety of artists: Natalie Cole, David Foster, Ray Charles, Kenny Loggins, Alanis Morrisette, Tommy Tune, and Wynonna Judd to name a few, and has recorded with many artists including Shirley Horn, Harry Connick, Jr., Lionel Richie, Selena, and Chick Corea. John has even been known to don lawyerly apparel for an onscreen appearance in a soap opera from time to time.
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