The compositions of Dr. John Prescott include works for band, orchestra, chorus, solo and chamber works, and multi-media pieces, and have been performed nationally and internationally. His works are published by Contemporary Music Services, The International Trombone Association Press, Tezak Publications, TRN Publications, Warner Brothers, and Wingert-Jones.

Dr. Prescott holds degrees in music theory and composition from Florida State University and from the University of Kansas where he studied composition with John Pozdro and James Barnes. Dr. Prescott has been a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) since 1988, and has been the recipient of an ASCAP Standard Award every year since 1989. He is also a member of the Missouri Music Teachers Association (MMTA), the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA), and the Society of Composers Incorporated (SCI).

John Prescott teaches in the theory and composition area at Southwest Missouri State University and serves as academic advisor for all composition majors. Dr. Prescott has been a faculty member at SMSU since 1986 and served as Head of the Department of Music from 1994 to December, 2004. He is co-developer of the Ozarks Folk Song Database project.