John Switzer
John Switzer | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 18, 1955 |
| Occupations | Musician, Songwriter, Producer, Educator |
| Instrument | Bass Guitar |
Spouse | Ingrid Veninger |
| Website | https://johnswitzer.ca/ |
John Switzer (born November 18, 1955) is a Canadian music producer, bassist and educator. Switzer is best known for being a frequent collaborator and producing partner of singer/songwriter Jane Siberry, as well as his production work with other notable artists, such as Andrew Cash, Grievous Angels, Rita Chiarelli, and Waltons.
He also frequently works with his wife, filmmaker Ingrid Veninger.[1]
Early life
Switzer was born in Guelph, Ontario in 1955 to Dorothy and Clayton Switzer as the eldest of three siblings. His father was dean of agriculture at the University of Guelph,[2] and John spent summers working on the university farms. It was at the University of Guelph where he met frequent collaborator Jane Siberry.
Career
John Switzer and Jane Siberry met in Guelph in the 1980s and began performing together in the band Java Jive on the Ontario campus circuit.[3]
After Siberry decided to pursue a solo career, she retained Switzer as her musical and personal partner.[3] Their partnership was marked by a deep musical synergy, with Switzer's production skills complementing Siberry's unique artistic vision.[4] This collaboration led to the production of several of Siberry's notable albums, including No Borders Here, The Speckless Sky, and The Walking.[5]
In this era he also produced albums for Andrew Cash,[6] Grievous Angels,[7] and The Cajun Ramblers.[8]
Switzer was music consultant and music director for filmmaker Patricia Rozema's I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) and White Room (1990).[9] He later produced the score for Zero Patience (1993) by filmmaker John Greyson.
Switzer worked as production sound recordist on a number of the films of Ingrid Veninger, including Modra (2010), Porcupine Lake (2017), The World or Nothing (El Mundo O Nada) (2019), and Crocodile Eyes (2024).
John Switzer teaches audio production at Seneca Polytechnic and is the program coordinator of the Independent Music Production (IMP) and Independent Songwriting & Performance programs at Seneca College in Toronto.[10]
He also performs as a session bassist.
Selected discography
Jane Siberry
- No Borders Here (1984)
- The Speckless Sky (1985)
- The Walking (1987)
- Bound by the Beauty (1989)
The Waltons
- Lik My Trakter (1992)
Rita Chiarelli
- Road Rockets (1991)
- Just Gettin' Started (1994)
Anne Lederman
- Fiddlesong (2002)
Leela Gilday
- Spirit World, Solid Wood (2002)
Nathan
- Jimson Weed (2004)
Awards
- Producer of the Year at the 1986 Casby Awards for Jane Siberry's The Speckless Sky
- Best Recording Producer in the 1996 NOW magazine Reader's Poll
- Producer of the Year at the 1996 Porcupine Awards
- Best Producer/Engineer trophy at the 2000 Aboriginal Music Awards[11]
References
- ^ Peter Howell, "Finding yourself while lost". Toronto Star, June 15, 2012.
- ^ "SWITZER, Clayton". Guelph Today. July 3, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ a b Betty Nygaard King, "Jane Siberry". The Canadian Encyclopedia, July 29, 2007.
- ^ "Critical love affair sours but Siberry not worried". Montreal Gazette, November 26, 1987.
- ^ Jonathan Gross, "Color her Jane". Toronto Star, March 21, 1987.
- ^ Greg Quill, "Cash pays dividends with world-class LP". Toronto Star, April 22, 1988.
- ^ Jennifer Bain, "Angels are proud of Canadian roots". Calgary Herald, August 12, 1990.
- ^ "Angels change tracks with Cajun sound". Edmonton Journal, December 8, 1990.
- ^ Craig MacInnis, "Music and celluloid mix gives Canadian flicks special rhythm". Toronto Star, November 7, 1992.
- ^ David Israelson, "Intense program takes musicians to the next stage: Colleges providing artists a well-rounded education in the industry - from setting up a mic to performing behind it". The Globe and Mail, October 20, 2017.
- ^ Gordon Kennedy, "Fiddler performs at native awards". Sudbury Star, November 30, 2000.