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, where she performed frequently as a member of the 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 courses in Western Art and popular music history, 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 Western music history, rock history, and global music analysis.
Dr. Johnstone’s research interests include cognitive semiotics and cultural identity. She remains active in presenting her work at national and international conferences and has published in a variety of peer-reviewed publications, including MusiCultures and The Journal of Band Research. She’s also active as a singer/songwriter/synth player in the band Harmony Star.