In the early 1930s he spent several summers at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, where he studied composition with Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Frederick Jacobi.
He taught at Hamline University from 1934 to 1942 and Mount Holyoke College from 1942 to 1946, during which time he briefly served in the U.S. Army during the World War II era.
[clarification needed] While teaching at Mount Holyoke College, Verall also worked as a music editor for G. Schirmer.
Several of Verrall's students have gone on to have successful careers, including William Bolcom, Alan Stout, and Gloria Wilson Swisher.
[3] The John Verrall Papers are held by the Special Collections department of the University of Washington Libraries.