John "Adidam" Littlejohn

"John Littlejohn is BY FAR the best violinist on this football field!" - Coach Marquart, John's 9th grade football coach.

"You know...John is getting pretty good with that scritch-scratch [violin playing]." - Mary Niel, John's best friend's grandmother and amateur music critic.

This is a story of God’s plan and John’s ignorance. John Littlejohn (yes, that is his real name) did not know what he was doing when he signed up for 6th grade orchestra at an inner-city middle school in Lansing, Michigan. He thought he was signing up for the jazz band and was sorely disappointed when he arrived to a room filled with stringed instruments. In an attempt to make the best of the situation, he asked to play the only instrument he recognized: the double bass. There was only one and it was taken. He then selected the cello, which kind of looked like a baby double bass, but it was already spoken for. He did not know what a viola was. That day began his lifelong love affair with the violin.

Shortly thereafter, John moved to Midland, MI where he scritch-scratched his way through high school and somehow ended up fiddling into the University of Michigan School of Music. There he met a team of expert music doctors, a.k.a. professors, who promptly diagnosed him with “technical deficiency disease” and “out-of-tune-itis” (by the way, both are real diseases). Through the patient guidance of Stephen Shipps & Andrew Jennings (who worked on the “scritch”), and Yizhak Schotten & Anthony Elliot (who worked on the “scratch”), John was able to bring his deficiencies to somewhat bearable levels…garnering the glowing review from Mary Niel (as seen above). After graduation (BM, 2000), he was accepted into the Peabody Conservatory under the tutelage of master violinist and teacher, Herbert Greenberg. There he completed a master’s degree, a GPD, (“Graduate Performance Diploma,” aka “Graduation Postponement Degree”) and managed to pick up a few honors, awards, orchestra positions, hip-hop cd's, and solo tours along the way.

During his second semester at the University of Michigan he met a cool violist named Anthony Cheung in the cafeteria and they became instant friends. Later that day he saw his new buddy carrying a cello and waved frantically, but received a confused look in return. “Hmm…Anthony is kind of shady,” he thought. He quickly learned that Anthony was not “shady,” but “magic,” and had the ability to double himself. That’s when he met Alex and they also became instant friends. Years later Infinitus was formed and they’ve since been happily scritch-scratching together. He now lives in the Vancouver area with his beautiful wife, Paula, and their three kids.

John is listening to: Israel Houghton ("The Power Of One"), B. Reith ("Now is Not Forever"), and Chick Corea ("Spain").

Little-known fact: I'm very particular about the way I cut and eat my pancakes. And I LOVE to eat pancakes. I know it's weird...lol

Pet-peeve: One of my least favorite things in the world is mustard water. YUCK! You know, when you go to put mustard on your hot dog and that mustard water comes out first, making the bun all soggy & nasty. No thank you! (Although I'd probably still eat it...LOL)