Chris Johnson BA(Hons)
PGCHE FHEA
I am a producer-songwriter having worked on over 20 commercially released albums to date. I am most well known in the international Progressive Rock niche for my work with Mostly Autumn, Halo Blind and Fish (ex-Marillion) and I perform around 80 to 100 gigs in various bands, and as a solo artist, across the UK and Europe every year. My most recent work with Mostly Autumn reached number 6 in the UK Official Rock Chart in April 2017 and I work professionally as a producer, songwriter, mix engineer and multi-instrumentalist. My first publishing contract in 2004 helped finance a small home studio which I have been building up ever since and forms the heart of my boutique record label Nautical Records which deals with the contracts, release schedules and promotion of my in-house productions. I studied Sound Design for Film and Television and have worked as a sound designer on several short festival films, and well as the multi-award winning feature film Ahlaam, which was optioned for an Academy Award in 2006.
In 2000 I devised and produced BBC Music Live in York; a music festival which brought together the BBC, local government, venues, musicians and communities in an annual 10-day event that was televised nationwide. Such community work developed into songwriting, music production and film making workshops designed to help embed creativity into school curricula and to widen access to media arts.
Before joining York St John University, I worked as a Lecturer at Huddersfield University teaching radio production and music production. Teaching on the BA Music Production at York St John draws on my wide range of expertise and my research enables me to continue exploring and discovering more about creativity in songwriting, performance and producing music.
Qualifications
- BA(Hons) Music Production: First Class
- Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education
- Foundation Degree: Sound Design for Film and TV
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- I teach on the Music Production suite of courses:
- Music Production BA(Hons)
- Independent Music Production BA(Hons)
- Music Production & Creative Business BA(Hons)
- Digital Music BA(Hons)
- I am the module leader for 1MP107 Making Music in the first year, 2MP010 Producing Music in the second year, and 2MP013 Song & Artist Development in the second year.
- I am a Major Project supervisor in the third year.
- I am Year Tutor for all second year students.
- I also teach topics on many other modules where my expertise is required:
- Studio skills and technology
- Songwriting and music composition
- Advanced recording and mixing techniques
- Radio production
- Sound design for film and television
- Film Music
- Marketing, PR and promotion
- Music production in social contexts
- Music Publishing
- DIY music production
I am studying for a PhD. My research focusses on a musician’s view of their own self and how it is mediated by the collaborative, social and technological processes of music production. I am currently co-authoring a book with Dr Robert Wilsmore for Routledge focusing on collaboration in music production.
- Regular output of commercial music productions
- Regular performances across UK and Europe (80 to 100 a year)
- I sit on the Musician’s Union (MU) Live Performance Section committee
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
