John Mock is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and photographer with a particular interest in the topic of maritime history and culture.
Biography.
Early years.
Mock is a native of Connecticut’s eastern shore. His father was in the Coast Guard in New London, Connecticut, and Mock grew to love the ocean and shoreline. Mock began playing guitar at age 15. When he visited Ireland at age 28, he started playing the tin whistle, and he took up the concertina in his 30s.
Studio work, composing, and arranging.
Eventually, Mock left the Atlantic coast for Nashville, where he works as a composer, producer, arranger and instrumentalist. Studio and live credits include James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Sylvia, Kathy Mattea, Nanci Griffith, Tim O'Brien, Mark O'Connor, Gretchen Peters, Maura O'Connell, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, and many others.
His orchestral arrangements have been performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the symphonies of Atlanta and Nashville. His work "The Stone" was included on the Nashville Chamber Orchestra's 1997 Warner Bros, Debut.
Mock’s film scoring credits include the 2017 SONY/Affirm film “All Saints” (written with Conni Ellisor) starring John Corbett, Barry Corbin, and Cara Buono. John's music can also be heard in the independent film “The Otherworld”.
The Dixie Chicks performed Mock's arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXXVII.
From The Shoreline.
Mock has toured extensively to stage his concert presentation From the Shoreline, which uses multimedia to celebrate the Atlantic coastline from New England to Ireland. He performs original compositions on guitar, concertina, mandolin, tin whistle and other instruments and integrates projections of his own photographs of castles, lighthouses, and ships, taken during his travels to New England, Ireland, and Scotland.
In 2013, Mock was recognized by the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) as an artist advocate. He launched the Keeper’s House Concert Series to benefit the ALF and to promote the appreciation and preservation of lighthouses.
Collaborations.
Since 1996, Mock has been producing and arranging for ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Sylvia, and leads her band on tour as well. He has co-written many of her songs. Their albums together include: 
Mock’s long association with Maura O'Connell has included recording, touring throughout the US and Ireland, and extensive work creating orchestral arrangements of her songs.
In 1998, Mock and the late Butch Baldassari released "Cantabile: Duets for Mandolin and Guitar", both as a CD and a book of music transcriptions. In 2007, they recorded "Music of O'Carolan", a tribute to Irish composer Turlough O'Carolan. Both albums are on Baldassari's SoundArt label.
Other projects.
Mock contributed bodhrán, low whistle, and penny whistle to the soundtrack for "Liberty! The American Revolution" spearheaded by Mark O'Connor, Yo Yo Ma, and James Taylor.
He also worked with Ma on "Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology" along with O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush, and others.
Mock has recorded numerous albums of Irish and Colonial American instrumental music for Green Hill Music of Nashville.
References.
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