Born into an artistic family in Charlotte, NC (his father is a visual artist; his mother a violinist), it seemed almost a guarantee that Johns would be groomed for a career of some sort of artistic expression. While most children his age were learning their ABCs, Johns was doing that and more, as influenced by the music filling his home from his mom and sisters. By the age of four, he began studying what would eventually become the centerpiece of his career – the cello.

"I was the third of four kids, with two older sisters already playing violin, so I guess it was time for a lower-stringed instrument like the cello," he says. "My first teacher was a friend of my parents, a cellist and public school orchestra teacher who played in several orchestras with my mom, a violinist and also orchestra teacher. I studied with her from the beginning until the end of eighth grade, when I began studying with the principal cellist of the Charlotte Symphony."

Although already proven to be a talented and dedicated young cellist, Johns, like many other precocious and curious musicians his age, knew that there was more to playing music than the etudes and ensembles with which he’d grown up. But it wasn’t until his pre-teen years that he was given the opportunity to explore the cello outside of the traditional repertoire.

"When I was in junior high, I had an orchestra director who played string bass, banjo, and guitar, and was a successful local bluegrass musician, among other things," he says.  "He often encouraged us to try things with our instruments that were not in our comfort zone, specifically, improvisation. Since I was one of the more advanced students in the class, he would often bring his banjo or guitar and have me play along with him, sometimes reading music, and sometimes through improvisation."

But Johns quickly learned that breaking out of any comfort zone was not so easy, even for a musician as talented as himself.

"My improv was awful," he says. "My early attempts made me feel like I had never played the cello before, and I hadn’t, not like that. It opened up a new realm of possibility that I eventually explored with a band in high school. By this time, I had also been playing electric bass for a few years, which took priority in ‘the band’ while my cello playing continued on the classical path I was always on."

After high school, Johns continued to live a double life of classical and rock musician as he left Charlotte to study music at UNCW. While performing with area ensembles and symphony orchestras throughout his college career, he continued to explore other avenues for the cello, including expanding his pop music reach and improvisation through live performances and recording sessions with several area bands. After receiving his Master of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Georgia, Johns returned to Wilmington a year and a half ago, where he is a part-time faculty member in the UNCW Music Department and works as an in-demand freelance musician throughout North and South Carolina. Although he admits he’s rarely at a loss for work, it’s not always an easy path to security.

"Classical music is my love and now also my career – I count on it for my living," he says. "It pays to play and also teach. But I still need to play cello for my own enjoyment, to blow off steam and relax when I can. The non-classical ‘pop’ career is purely for my own enjoyment – playing with good friends is always a blast no matter what vein of music. It’s refreshing to get away from Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven from time to time, even if it’s just for a few minutes of playing my bass guitar or standing up and playing my cello with a band on stage. Being involved in all aspects of music keeps me balanced."

And as many experts would agree, therein lays the keys to success, not only in the business world but perhaps in life itself.

On Saturday, April 24^th, Johns will be performing Ottorino Respighi’s Adagio Con Variazioni with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra as part of their 2009-2010 season finales. For tickets and information, contact the Kenan Auditorium Ticket Office at 962-3500, or toll free at 1-800-732-3643. The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.