An Interview with John Carollo
Born in Turin, Italy, in 1954, John A. Carollo was adopted by second-generation Italians and raised in Pennsylvania. A lifelong musician, he sang in a Catholic choir and began composing for piano in 1986. After earning a master’s degree in psychology from SDSU, he worked as a mental-health counsellor in Honolulu before devoting himself to music full-time.
Founder of Musica Baudino, he has released acclaimed recordings including Ampersand (2006), Starry Night (2011), The Transfiguration of Giovanni Baudino (2017), Music from the Ethereal Side of Paradise (2018), and Symphony No. 3 (2019). His work unites lyricism, depth, and emotional clarity.
He is an ASCAP member and a lifetime member of the Society of Composers in America.
For a full list of compositions, please visit www.johncarollocomposer.com.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The title actually originated in a letter I wrote to the artist Maxon Crumb. At the time, I signed it ‘The Unknown Composer’ as a bit of a literal, slightly cynical observation: I was composing entirely in secret, and no one knew who I was! However, as the years passed, the word ‘unknown’ took on a more profound weight. It shifted from describing a lack of an audience to defining a state of identity. It became about the surrender required to create and the continuous, beautiful process of becoming—realizing that being ‘unknown’ is where the most honest transformation happens.
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
Holding The Unknown Composer for the first time felt like holding the physical weight of a life’s map made tangible. The cover isn’t just a design to me; it’s the gateway to the Basilica; the entrance to a sacred space I’ve been building in private for decades. In that moment, the ‘unknown’ shifted. It stopped being a hidden vulnerability and became a permanent monument. It was the physical evidence that the silence had finally been given a form.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
For a long time, the details of my early life were a quiet mystery. But everything changed when I watched a 60 Minutes segment titled The Vatican’s Orphans. Seeing those stories was a profound shock to the system; I knew that I, too, had once been labeled an orphan in that same world. It was the moment the ‘unknown’ became a demand for answers. I realized I couldn’t just live the rest of my life, I needed to go back and understand the beginning. That segment was the spark that forced me to turn my history into a narrative.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
While I am now a full-time composer, my path included a long career as a mental health professional in Honolulu. That background in psychology deeply informs my understanding of the human condition, but the book reveals something my readers might not realize: For me, creative output was never just a hobby, it was a primary survival mechanism. The central question of my life, and this memoir, is: How do you form an identity when your origins have been erased? Music was the language I used to rebuild what had been lost.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
The most rewarding part of this journey has been the collaborative experience with the staff at Atmosphere Press. After years of composing in private, their support made me feel truly validated as a storyteller. But even more meaningful is the realization that I can finally share my story with others who are suffering in silence. My hope is that by bringing my own ‘unknown’ history into the light, I can offer a sense of companionship and clarity to those still searching for their own voices.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
The soundtrack to this book is actually built into its very structure. The ‘songs’ are the movements of my life, the specific parts and poems that title each chapter. From the early silence of my childhood to the ‘Transfiguration’ of my later years, the music isn’t background noise; it is the narrative itself. If you were to listen to the soundtrack, you would be hearing my ‘diary in sound,’ with each composition acting as a milestone on the map from Turin to the present.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
I hope readers realize that an ‘erased’ beginning is not the end of a story. We often think of our identity as something given to us at birth, but I want readers to see that identity is something we can compose for ourselves. If someone is living in a ‘silence’ of their own, whether through loss, mystery, or feeling unseen, I hope my journey shows them that creative expression can be the bridge that leads them back to their own truth.
My perfect reader is a ‘searcher.’ It is someone who looks at the world with a bit of wonder and perhaps a bit of ache, seeking to understand the deeper layers of their own life. They are the artists who create in private, the individuals questioning their roots, and anyone who believes that even in the most profound silence, there is a melody waiting to be heard.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I am currently in the final editing stages of my Symphony No. 6, a work that feels like a culmination of the ‘clarity’ I describe in the memoir. Alongside the music, I am continually writing poetry. For me, the two forms are inseparable; the poetry often provides the emotional blueprint for the symphonic structures. My creative process never truly rests because the journey of ‘becoming,’ as mentioned in my book, is a lifelong endeavor.
How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?
Working with the staff at Atmosphere Press was a transformative experience. For decades, my work as a composer was a private endeavor, but the team at Atmosphere treated my story with a level of professionalism and kindness that made the transition to ‘author’ feel seamless. They provided the structural support I needed while respecting my unique voice, turning the daunting process of publishing into a collaborative success. I would tell other writers that your story deserves a home. Don’t be afraid to step out of the silence. Finding a publisher that values honesty and professionalism is key—look for a team that treats your manuscript not just as a product, but as a piece of your identity. Trust the process, but more importantly, trust that there is an audience waiting for the truth only you can tell.
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