Jennifer Johnstone
Biography
Jennifer Johnstone holds a Ph.D. in musicology-ethnomusicology (2012) and an M.A. in ethnomusicology (2007) from Kent State University. She performed in the School of Music’s African, Chinese, and Thai ensembles for several years. Dr. Johnstone also holds an M.M. (2001) and a B.M. (Summa Cum Laude, 1999) in piano performance from Youngstown State University. She won several awards while at YSU, including an Ohio Board of Regents Fellowship. She was also a winner of the Dana School of Music Young Artist Competition and performed frequently as an active member of the New Music Society, Composers Ensemble, and Youngstown New Music Guild.
Before coming back to Kent, Dr. Johnstone was an Assistant Professor at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland (2010-2013), where she earned a Teaching Excellence Award in 2012. She taught many courses, including popular music history and music and gender, and was active as a pianist with the AACC Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Opera AACC. Previous teaching appointments include music theory, keyboard, and aural skills at Youngstown State University (2001-2008), and various courses – in person and online – for Kent State University at Trumbull (2004-2014). Dr. Johnstone currently teaches a variety of courses at the Kent campus, including music history and world music, and has both created and taught distance learning courses for several years.
Dr. Johnstone’s research interests include cognitive semiotics, cultural identity, Welsh choral traditions, and U.S. immigrant history. She remains active in presenting her work at national and international conferences, and has published in a variety of peer-reviewed publications, including The Journal of the Polynesian Society and The Journal of Band Research.