Curriculum vitae
for John O'Hagan
I have over twenty-five years of experience in the
arts, including seven years as Musical Director of Circus Oz, one of
Australia’s foremost major performing arts groups, where I was
responsible for the artistic, management and technical aspects of the
musical component of Circus Oz productions. I am a composer and
multi-instrumentalist, specialising in Double Bass, with a V.C.A.
degree. I have played live in more than twenty countries to around one
million people.
I also have long and diverse experience as a
freelance musician and performer, teacher, technician, graphic artist,
show crew member, and more; and many other interests including social
justice issues, science, and ICT (look around this site!).
I am looking for opportunities to bring these skills
and this experience to a creative, management, technical, educational
or administrative context in the arts.
Feb 2008-present:
I took long service leave from Circus Oz and
began working on diverse projects, including writing computer
programs to create music, learning Spanish, setting
up a rehearsal and music workshop studio, and musical
projects including:
- Creating and performing works with Phunktional Dance Company.
- Creating and performing works with dancer Tony Yap.
- Performances and recordings with composer/guitarist Mark Finsterer.
- Violinist/singer Jenny M. Thomas's modern treatments of Australian folk songs.
- Improvised collaborations and recordings with bass clarinettist ChristopherYoung, particularly with the group Oskar and Bebra.
- Performances of my stochastic music-generating computer program, Phraser.
- With singer Leili Mander, performing early jazz vocal music.
- Django Reinhardt's music, with the group Bois et Charbon.
- With Karen Kyriakou's Kazband.
- With klezmer/gypsy collective Tzigas.
- With world act Reflejos.
- The music of John Coltrane et al with Tim Pledger and Chris Lewis.
- Cabaret performances with Dave Evans and the late Josephine Fisher.
- Giving private lessons in double bass, guitar and music theory.
- Professional musical engagements.
- Audio and lighting installation, rigging assist for Showtech Australia, Circus Oz.
1998-2008:
Performing and global touring full-time in Circus Oz, as Musical Director from 2001, including a famous comic aerial act, the "Flying Bass". (Here are some of the places we've been.) I served on the Circus Oz Board of Directors, as union delegate, and in cultural development projects, including with remote indigenous communities and urban Mexican youth. Highlights included a commission to write and perform two pieces for global broadcast on NYE 2000 at the Sydney Opera House, and three 6-8 week seasons on 42nd St, New York.
1995-97:
Undertook and completed a degree in music (performance and improvisation) at the
Victorian College of the Arts.
1986-95:
Freelanced and played in bands including:
- Bohjass: an everchanging art-rock/jazz ensemble.
- Running Joak: grotesque parodists.
- Rococo Pops: just like a reception band, only crunchy.
- Colonial V-Knees: country-punk request karaoke.
- The Maelstrom: impassioned proto-soul.
- Barcode: my first original band; two horns, bass and two percussionists.
- Buckley's 44: street band inventing on invented instruments.
- Hot Cafe: Django's music.
- Musiikki Oy: freewheeling jazz expressionism.
- Ju-Ju: sitar-led Indian fusion.
- Billy London Orchestra: original songs from the charismatic Graham Barker.
- Trio Grand: acoustic guitar, bass and drums in a delicate balance.
- Bucketrider: extreme art/rock/jazz.
- Hop Jump Big Band: experimentation on a large scale.
- Mantramancy: bass clarinet, double bass, harmonic singing and didgeridu.
- Bloom: silky trip-hop.
- Blame the Acrobats: the Flying Fruit Fly Circus band.
Other experience:
- Graphic design and publications production as Publications Officer for the Youth Affairs Council of Australia.
- Studied philosophy and physics at Melbourne University. Editor of the student newspaper, Farrago.
- Providing direct care in Intellectual Disability
Services with Noraccom.
- Studied saxophone and guitar.