Today we’d like to introduce you to John Scherer.
Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started out wanting to be a jazz musician in Augusta, where I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a ton of talented musicians, both my age and older. I had no shortage of mentors and peers, so I learned very quickly and was gigging around town 4 or 5 nights a week by the time I was in high school. It’s weird looking back on the idea that my ideal Friday night was never a party or a big game, but instead sitting in on some hole-in-the-wall jazz club with the friends I had made in the music scene. Of course, it’s easy to develop an ego at that age, and the jazz scene is notorious for pretentiousness as it is. That’s where I think my biggest early influence came into play: a man named Joel Cruz. Joel is an exceptional musician now residing in NYC that took on a group of kids in Augusta that all had some sort of prestige in their respective communities.
Some of us had been attending things like Allstate Jazz and the Governors Honors Program, some were young prodigies in rock or bluegrass communities. He picked us because we were under the impression that we were good, and he was there to teach us the difference between being “good for our age” and being “good”. Of course, we became better musicians, but most importantly, we learned humility and the importance of community. To be honest, at times it felt more like learning to be a Jedi than a musician. When I look at where all of those kids ended up, it blows my mind; each one of us in some capacity is playing or teaching music at a very high level. I learned a lot from playing jazz, but as I got older, I realized it wasn’t the genre of music that I liked so much as the approach to understanding music and the community formed around it.
When I graduated high school, I moved to Atlanta and went to Georgia State to major in music. It was then I found new communities of R&B, Hip Hop, and Indie musicians. I did a ton of studio work, played in corporate bands, and met some of my very best friends to this day. I spent most of my college years performing around Atlanta with my band New Tree, which I still play with now, and my now girlfriend Paige Williams, doing parties, weddings and restaurants. I’d love to be able to list all of the incredibly talented, amazing people I’ve had the pleasure of performing and becoming friends with, but I’d have to write a book.
A few years ago, I met an artist named Baby Rose and have been lucky enough to be able to grow with her and our team as her career has exploded in the last year or so. Through that band, I’ve been able to travel the world on tour and do so many things I only dreamed about when I was younger. I am truly blessed that I can support myself just by doing what I love the most, but the greatest gift I’ve been given is this amazing community of talented and loving people that I can call myself a part of.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, it hasn’t been perfect, but I’d be lying if I said I’ve had it harder than most people. I have the most amazing support system in my parents. They never once showed me a shred of doubt that I would end up being successful following my dreams. Granted, I don’t know any musician that hasn’t had to deal with crippling self-doubt, anxiety, insomnia and stress, but just the idea that they believe in me so much has given me the mindset that no matter what I will come out on top.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I wear quite a few hats nowadays, but I make a living playing guitar both live and in studios, musical direction, and playback engineering. I don’t think I’m necessarily the best at any one thing I do, but I think I’m valuable in that I can do a lot of things and adapt quickly to any situation. I love those moments where something needs to be done and no one knows how to do it. I’m always quick to say “screw it I’ll figure it out”, and have thus become very acquainted with YouTube. As far as what sets anyone apart as a musician, it’s all about taste. At a certain level, everybody can play their butts off. There will always be someone who can play faster and more technical, but what keeps me around is what I play, how I play it, and when I play it. Many times it’s even more about what you don’t play.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Attitude plays a big role. Being fun to be around, staying humble, and being loyal is more important a lot of times than your actual skill at your instrument, especially when you’re on tour for months at a time. That and not being afraid to fail or experiment. Ego is the worst enemy of any musician. Getting over it and trusting the people around you is the only way to get better and stay successful. I think a lot of people think that ego is something you have or don’t have, but everyone has it. It’s a constant battle to truly take it out of the equation, but it’s vital to performing and creating with others.
Contact Info:
- Email: johnscherermusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: @johnscherer
Image Credit:
Paige Williams, NPR Music
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