John Joseph Ray, MMT, MBA
I’ve been playing music and singing for a lot of years, while also doing a little bit of everything else! (See below) I’ve performed in bands, duets, trios, and as a solo artist countless times over the years. I keep coming back to music every day because it feeds me – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
I love writing original songs. That is one of my absolute joys! I also like to “re-purpose” obscure songs written by other songwriters that I admire. On my albums, about two-thirds of the songs are my originals, and a third were written by someone else.
I love playing various types of guitars. I also love diverse instrumentation, which is why you might hear a mandolin on one song and a soprano saxophone on another. Some songs have lots of slide guitar, while others may have flute, organ, ukulele, cello, tenor sax, piano, harmonica, electric guitar, or something totally different.
The reason for the diversity of instruments, besides the fact that I like it, is because I enjoy playing so many different types of music – from folk to country to rock to bluegrass to blues to gospel and even some jazz-flavored tunes. Which means that if you don’t like one song, just keep listening – you’re bound to find something you like. Persistence pays off. 🙂
I love to sing, too, but I love vocal harmonies even more, so I’ve included several wonderful singers on my albums, with a variety of harmonization styles that I enjoy. I feel so fortunate to have had so many incredible singers and musicians help me with these albums. Truly Ozark Friends!
What else have I been doing besides playing music all these years? I’ve had careers as a computer programmer and software development manager, master massage therapist and cranial-sacral therapist, bodywork technique trainer (which I still do), and health food store manager (in Australia). Some of the other jobs I’ve had along the way include car mechanic, law firm proofreader, swimming instructor, tax accountant, warehouse manager, purchasing manager, dishwasher, taxi driver (in NYC), short order cook, and too many more to list here.
In my free time 🙂 I got married and divorced, raised a wonderful son, met my sweetheart 15 years ago, backpacked down most of the Appalachian trail (with my guitar and my dog), traveled through India and Europe, went to over a thousand soccer and little league games and practices, and boy scout campouts (as an assistant scoutmaster), ran a summer camp, and a few hundred other things.
Somewhere along the line, I figured out how to set up a website, and you’re looking at one of them now. If you see anything that could be done better, please contact me via the contact page and let me know.
If you enjoy the music, please leave a review and tell your friends and family about this site. If you don’t enjoy it, please keep it to yourself. 🙂 I do hope you enjoy it, though. There’s enough negativity in the world these days, and it’s definitely worth taking the time to look for those things that give us joy. For me, that includes playing music and singing – and hearing what you and other folks think of the music.
Stay well,
John Joseph Ray