John Gibson, Clarinet

John is the owner/operator of JB Linear Music and music4woodwinds.com.

He was born in Dallas, Texas and began studying with Oakley Pittman, from Southern Methodist University and principal clarinetist of the Dallas Symphony. John and his family moved to Denver, Coloradoto study clarinet, and later with David Etheridge, Jerry Neil Smith and John McGrosso, resulting in a music education degree and a masters of music performance degree from the University of Colorado.

As a new music teacher, John began arranging music for his instrumental students, an interest that eventually resulted in starting an internet based sheet music publishing business called JB Linear Music in 1998.  The first publications were duets taken from orchestral literature. Mr. Gibson’s theory was that the process of turning a full orchestral work into only two parts required music that was linear in nature, hence the company name of JB Linear!

Although not always empoyed in the music business, John has never stopped playing, particularly in orchestras. While clarinet has been his principal instrument, he also played oboe in orchestras for about eight years, as well as flute, saxophone and penny whistles in other venues.

Besides The VSO, John plays clarinet with the Oregon Chamber Players and is an instructor of clarinet and saxophone at Music World in Vancouver.

Through JB Linear Music, his music and the music of other selected musicians is played and enjoyed throughout the entire world. Although John loves marketing his music, he also gets great pleasure from giving it away in his monthly newsletter.