John Shannon is a guitarist and composer who grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, and began playing music at age 6. After working professionally during high school and studying with local greats Dwayne Dolphin, Eric Kloss, and Mike Ross, he went on to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied with jazz luminaries Mick Goodrick and Hal Crook. John also formed the group Waking Vision Trio with musicians during this time and began touring Europe at 19. Moving to New York City, John performed as a freelance guitarist for many artists and albums across genres, such as Sonya Kitchell, Hiromi, and Bob Reynolds. During this time, John also recorded three records under his name for the record label ObliqSound.