Aaron Johnston

I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was raised in a musical family where both my sisters studied the piano and also took lessons on a second instrument. I began my own piano studies at the age of 7 and took lessons a total of 16 years (this includes collegiate and post collegiate studies). While in high school I won a number of awards and scholarships through local piano societies, including two trips to the finals of our state-wide Michigan Music Teachers Association Student Day Competition. I also attended the Interlochen Arts Camp All-State program for 4 summers as a secondary student.

In 1998 I was accepted as a piano performance major at Michigan State University (MSU) on a Merit Scholarship. During late high school and college I played several solo piano recitals. I decided to change my major during my second year of undergraduate study and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in instrumental education from MSU. In 2011 completed a master’s degree in music education from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. I have taught instrumental music in public, private, and charter schools since 2003. I am currently the head orchestra director at Cypress Creek High School in Houston, Texas.

On a personal note, I am a husband and father of three children, all of whom play a musical instrument. I began teaching private piano lessons during high school and haven’t stopped teaching since! I love working with, teaching, and mentoring young people and dedicate a lot of my spare time towards this end both through music and through the church. My worldview is profoundly shaped by my Christian faith and belief that the Bible is God’s inspired word for mankind. Soli Deo Gloria!