Tanner Johns

My story

How many people do you know make a living by doing what they love? Everyone has a dream job, the perfect day, and a fantasy life they picture in their head. I have been able to achieve this though doing the one thing I love most. This is how I learned to support myself by playing music.

I had always loved music. My Grandmother taught me how to play guitar along to old folk songs that she sang when I was very little. She would play on this magnificent Fender acoustic guitar that sounded like a slice of heaven every time she would strum. We would play for hours until my fingers couldn’t take it any more and then we would go play a game of cards with my granddad. Things were simple back then.

Throughout school I had many other people of inspiration. The first one was my best friend’s brother, Jaron Haines. I had developed a taste for rock music, but between the heavy, huge sounding chords, the tightness of the bands, and the lightening fast guitar solos, it always seemed way out of my league until I heard Jaron flawlessly perform all the songs I had thought to be impossible to perform. I was able to get a few lessons with Jaron, but before I could really get a lot out of him, he graduated from high school to join the military. Disheartened as I was, the most important thing he did for me was taught me that the impossible was possible if I kept my nose to the grindstone. He inspired me to keep playing so one day I might be able to reach his level.

The second person that helped me on my quest for music turned out to be one of my biggest life mentors. His name was John Breen. He was a guitar player that went to college to teach music. He was currently teaching lessons for money. The issue was that I did not have any money to give him. My family did not have a lot of money at the time, I wasn’t old enough to get a job and the little bit of money that I made would not have been enough to pay for weekly lessons. I came to him with this problem and he said if you call me instead of me calling you I will give you a lesson in return for mowing my lawn. I was allergic to freshly cut grass, but I couldn’t refuse the generous offer. Through John, I learned very important life lessons such as showing initiative, not giving up, and looking for different ways to work through my problems. Musically we would often talk about theory, which helped me become a better songwriter, and would help me find new sounds to give me a competitive advantage over other guitar players in my area. I owe a lot to that man.

Before I graduated from high school my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She would only remember my name when I brought my guitar to the nursing home and sang to her all the songs that she instilled in my heart as a child. After a painful good bye, I had found that she had left her beautiful fender guitar to me in her will. From that moment, I knew that I was going to make music apart of my life forever. I decided the next step for me was to go to college for music.

Upon entering college I met my third musical mentor, Charles Carey. He was the best guitar player I had ever seen live at the time. He had a lifetime of playing experience with a handful of well-known musicians, Eric Clapton being the most notable. He knew his instrument and his way around the music industry. I was very excited to be his student.

Professor Carey was a very odd individual to me at first. He would always be talking about spider monkeys, South Park, and loved inappropriately conversing about certain subjects that most professors would never think to talk to students about, but in time he began to change my life. He encouraged me to always get paid from playing in live situations because everyone will respect you more. So I began to ask for money to play for different events and venues. At first, It didn’t feel right to ask for money to do the thing I loved most, But as I progressed to get more people to hire me I noticed that when I charged the venue I often had a bigger and more involved crowd which was great for both me and the person who hired me. Carey taught me many advanced techniques that allowed me to play with anybody and eventually I was able to stay booked 3-4 times a week and pay my bills to support my growing lifestyle. I also became a capable jazz musician, which taught me how to listen and appreciate music in an even deeper way. Charles Carey showed me that the life I though was impossible was indeed possible.

Now I am currently looking to share my music with everyone through my writing. I love sharing my personal experiences through songs, and my biggest goal in life is that my original songs will help someone better their own life. Through my music I constantly seek to find inspiration in the beauty of life, and I aim to contribute to everyone’s search of true happiness.

I would love to connect with everyone who shares my passion and vision for music!
Please follow me on social media, get on my email list, and take a listen to some of my original music! I cannot believe how far music has brought me, and I cannot wait to see what’s around the corner! I hope I can help everyone follow their dreams, so they don’t have to work for someone else’s.