JOHN PRITCHARD - drummer/gongster/composer/keyboardist/filmmaker
John has been playing drums since he was seven-years-old. He is an acoustic-electro drummer who simultaneously plays a Tama drum kit with a set of Roland midi drums and Korg keyboards. He has performed with "Blood, Sweat & Tears" saxophonist, Fred Lipsius; Native American flute master, Ken Little Hawk; and legendary drummer, Jack DeJohnette (see below at St. John The Divine in NYC on Sept. 17, 1996).
John has collaborated with Miles Davis keyboardist, Adam Holzman, on seven albums (Unum, Novus, Star Cycles, Freedom, 3:6:9, Entraining, and The Healing: 2023), as well as a musical project celebrating the amazing animation of the Fleischer Brothers' 1941-43 classic Superman films. In addition, John runs the www.jazz-rock.com site with Adam for a hardcore audience of progressive jazz-rock/fusion fans.
John has been playing with bassist Rich Damone and sax/flute master, Charlie Tokarz, since 2003. They call themselves VyZ: ImproVyZed Music for Movies.
VIDEO PRODUCER/FILMMAKER
John helps clients with strategic multimedia design and specializes in video production for the web. He founded Pritchard Digital Arts in 2001, working with clients such as Sony, Williams College and The New York Times. John has extensive experience as an award-winning filmmaker, creative director, online learning/web designer and enhanced eBook producer. He has developed commercial software products and provided multimedia consulting to Fortune 500 and Advertising firms such as BBDO, Young & Rubicam, Saatchi & Saatchi, Time-Warner, McGraw-Hill, Canon, Simon & Schuster, Bear Stearns, Citibank, and American Express.
In 1983, John graduated from St. Lawrence University as a Dean’s List student and Fine Arts major focusing on filmmaking. He was awarded a grant by the Jeanne Scribner Cashin Endowment for Fine Arts to film in mainland China right as China opened its doors to western tourism in 1983. From 1984 to 1986, John became a Macintosh computer expert while serving as an Assistant Director of the Upward Bound Program where he worked with Native American high school students on the Akwesasne Reservation in upstate NY. In Nov. 1986, he moved to NYC where his multimedia career began by founding one of the world's first interactive companies, Applied Imagination, to work with Apple Computer on cutting edge educational projects and multimedia consulting with Fortune 500 executives.
In 1997, John moved from NYC to Boston to work as a Creative/Art Director on three start-up companies with Internet giant, CMGi: InfoMation, Planet Direct, and the $100 million iCAST.com site for musicians and filmmakers. In 2001, he moved out to Williamstown in the Berkshires of Western MA to set up Pritchard Digital Arts.
In 2010, John launched ETERNAL WAYS as a multimedia publishing label for educational and inspiring movies, books, music, and online training. In 2012, he produced Freddy's Guide, a great jazz improvisation training site featuring Berklee College of Music Professor, Fred Lipsius, of the legendary band, "Blood, Sweat & Tears." See all of John's projects at eternalways.com.
In 2016, John founded the ONE HEART - ONE SPIRIT PROJECT as a non-profit, 501c3 educational film organization (aka, ONE HEART MOVIES). Visit OneHeartMovies.org for more info.
On July 16, 2017, John's first feature film, ONE HEART - ONE SPIRIT, won "BEST INDIGENOUS DOCUMENTARY" at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in Australia.
On November 19, 2018 (Discovery of Puerto Rico Day), John released his second film, ¡OJALÁ!-PUERTO RICO REBUILDS. He filmed over 50 interviews on location in July 2018. See the official bilingual trailers at ojalamovie.com. The movie is available ON-DEMAND at vimeo.com/ondemand/ojalamovie.
In 2019, John completed his third documentary film, RESPECT FOR ALL, which features Drum Circle Facilitator and Community Builder, Otha Day. Due to COVID, the movie has been postponed for release until 2023.
In 2020, John released his fourth ONE HEART MOVIES film, WE ALL JUST NEED TO DRUM!, on Thanksgiving day, November 26, 2020.
In 2022, John will be releasing his fifth ONE HEART MOVIES film, WE ALL JUST NEED TO GONG!, on October 22, 2022.
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHN: GetMoreCreative.com
