John Wesley Barker

About John Wesley Barker

As of December 2023, I'm an MU Music Education Rep and a member of my regional committee.

In 1961 John moved to Australia. In 1965 he studied recorder & violin, then flute with David Cubbin at the Elder Conservatorium, Adelaide University and composition with Richard Meale. In 1971 he moved to London and attended the Central Tutorial School For Young Musicians (the Purcell School) and performed two compositions, 6 Pieces for chamber orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Odyssey for chamber orchestra at St John's Smith Square, followed by a recording with the Dunedin Civic Orchestra conducted by Professor Peter Platt for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation.

He had private composition lessons with Peter Maxwell Davies and flute lessons with Gareth Morris and Sebastian Bell. He then moved to New Zealand and began busking and improvising on flute and composed music for plays at The Globe Theatre. In 1973 he returned to London then Dartington College, then studied composition with Max Deutsch in Paris at Le Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. Returning to London he pursued freelance employment in diverse roles and a broad range of musical styles from Punk to Avant Garde, Noise to Ambient, Free Jazz to Community Music, etc. He was an Assistant Producer at Decca West Hampstead studios, score reading and managing takes of contemporary music, assistant to film composers recording at EMI Studios in Abbey Road, messenger in Allen, Brady & Marsh advertising agency, then composed and recorded jingles for national advertisement. He was also a music engraver and copyist for composers and publishers, Peters Edition, Universal Edition and Boosey & Hawkes. He became a Studio Engineer and Producer at Weemeenit Studios, Wessex Studio.

He moved to York and co-ordinated York Music Co-operative and founded the St Paul's Square Community Festival with other residents and local community. In 1976 John then returned to London to begin work at the newly opened National Theatre and worked there as musician and researcher for Dominic Muldowney and Harrison Birtwistle. Productions included Tamberlaine, Il Campiello, Don Juan and other as well as foyer performances with the Bugati Ensemble and others. He worked at the National Theatre until 1981. He founded Lost Jockey Music Co-operative a large collective of composers, performers, visual artists which provided performance opportunities for new work and presented the work of American minimal composers for the first time in the UK, giving premiers of work by Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley and La Monte Young.

Many other freelance projects and recording sessions including Oxford University Press, Lost Jockey, Heaven 17, ABC, Palais Shaumberg, John Foxx with 2 appearances on Top Of The Pops plus numerous other bands and ensembles in different genres. He played keyboards, saxophone, flute on commercial recordings and soundtracks. He joined Inter-Action Community Arts Trust as Music Co-ordinator delivering community music workshops and creating a community recording studio opened by HRH King Charles.

John graduated with BA (Hons) from Middlesex Polytechnic and moved to Birmingham to do an MA. He worked as a peripatetic instrumental teacher for Birmingham Music Service and conductor of Birmingham Schools Wind Orchestra and Project Director for Birmingham Young Composers, and ARTS4Express project. He performed as solo flautist doing first performances of works using extended flute techniques and electro-acoustics with BEAST.

In 1999 John moved to Leith, Edinburgh to produce recordings for the Greentrax Label using Pro Tools including Out Of The Bag by Bag O' Cats. He formed Infinite Trio playing a residency at The Shore Bar & Restaurant and two gigs on the Isle Of Arran at Brodick Castle as well as a lunch time gig in the Spiegeltent during the Edinburgh Festival. He delivered music technology workshops and recording sessions across schools and colleges in Scotland including Drake Music Project (Scotland).

In 2004, he moved back to Birmingham to do cover teaching for the instrumental service and in 2006 he began teaching Music Technology at Birmingham City University in the Birmingham Conservatoire.

In 2008 he moved to Dorset and established Independent Music Services, which delivers original compositions, arrangements and internet resources to commission. Project recording studio for music projects. John also works as a freelance professional player on flute, clarinet, saxophone and piano.