Today we’d like to introduce you to John Presnell.

Hi John, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
One person can make all the difference, and I’ve been blessed with an incredible mother.

Born in Cuba, she was raised on the Golden Age of Hollywood, and had a vision that one day her children would be a part of that world. It’s often said that America’s greatest export is entertainment, supplying dreams to all. At eighteen she moved to the US, and later, to England, where I was born.

Despite the hardships of being a single parent, she always put her children first, and spared no expense in giving us music and acting lessons, as well as karate and gymnastics class. We were taught to appreciate culture. When I look back on my childhood, I’m grateful for the foundation my mother laid down. It was a very productive, very loving household.

When high-school rolled around, we moved to New York City, where I attended Performing Arts, best known from the film and television show Fame. Going there was a revelation; there were kids with phenomenal talent, and I had to work hard to keep up! My major was tenor-saxophone but I soon learned how to play guitar and bass, too.

My closest friend there was a painter whose father, a highly-respected acting teacher, taught Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Christopher Reeve, Robin Williams, Val Kilmer, Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Adam Driver…really, the list goes on and on. Anyway, one day his father explained to me that I had the temperament of an actor, and that if I was interested, he could arrange for me to take classes outside high-school. I agreed to it, and for the next several years studied acting. From that point on I pretty much stopped playing music.

A few years into my training, my mother told me she saw a segment on tv about auditions being held for a major motion-picture about the Benny Goodman Quartet, and that I should try out.

This would be my very first audition.

When I arrived, there were about a thousand people waiting to be seen. Incredible. And yet, I was overcome by the feeling that I was going to be the person chosen.

And I was.

A month later, I was flown out to Hollywood to screen-test for the part of Goodman’s drummer, the legendary Gene Krupa. My mother’s dream came true.

Ultimately, the film never got made, but when I returned to New York, every major acting agency wanted to work with me. Shortly after, I made my television debut in an ABC Afterschool Special, starring Kimberly Williams and Geoffrey Owens.

This went on for years, and I was seen for all the big projects I was right for. Of course, I was very lucky.

However, I wasn’t very happy.

You really have to love acting and be willing to make the best out of the bad material that comes your way early in the game, so that hopefully one day you can get to the good stuff.

But I didn’t feel that way. I realized that I wasn’t a vessel for the ideas of others but rather a person who has his own ideas about things. In other words, I realized I was a writer. And just as importantly, I missed playing music. So, naturally, I combined both things and became a songwriter.

I learned a big lesson: There’s incredible difficulty in doing anything in life, so, do what you love; the obstacles will be tolerable that way.

I needed to go through all that to get to where I am today.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it hasn’t been easy, nor should it have been. Think of the pressure needed to create a diamond; think of the time it takes. But know that the journey from amateur to professional is an incredibly rewarding one.

To continue from where I left off, after leaving acting I was back to zero. All I had was the desire to write songs. But just because you have something to say doesn’t means you know how to say it. It took me a long time to learn the craft of songwriting, and even longer to find my artistic identity. Add to that, learning how to sing, how to form a band, how to perform live, how to promote a show, etcetera, etcetera, and you see there’s a lot involved. All the while, I was holding down a job, trying to pay the bills and putting whatever money was left into my music. I was perpetually broke.

Early on, I was able to attract a large, mostly female audience, and to my surprise received a call from Sony Music, wanting to meet. When I arrived to their offices I was stunned to find my headshot there. The talent-scout said, “word around town is that you’re good-looking, but I want to see if you’re any good.”

I wasn’t.

Thankfully.

If I had broken into the music-industry then, I could’ve been a flash in the pan, because I had nothing to offer! As John Lennon sang, “a pretty face may last a year or two but pretty soon they’ll see what you can do.”

I had a lot of disappointing encounters like that along the way but was never deterred. Besides, I was having a blast becoming the artist I wanted to be. Being under the radar allows you the room to experiment and to fail – all vital to one’s growth as an artist.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer-songwriter based in New York City.

How do you think about luck?
Luck is one of those things you often hear successful people claim helped them get to where they are, as if hard work had nothing to do with it. I suppose they’re being modest. There’s a saying, “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” Hard work and luck go hand in hand. The more you head towards your goal, the more it heads towards you, and so-called luck is just a manifestation of it.

As for my luck, I’ve had both amazing and terrible luck, hahaha! But I have a feeling that some of my bad luck is just good luck in disguise. Do you know what I mean? What seems to be a bad break turns out to be, in the long run, a blessing. And, of course, it works the other way around – luck can backfire!

Keep working on your craft; maintain your focus; keep a positive attitude; have faith your time will come. Overcoming obstacles is the essence of happiness. And happy people are lucky people.

Contact Info:

• Website: johnpresnell.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnpresnellmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnpresnellmusic/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@johnpresnell?si=q8jUMJhN0NZVHwcb