Growing up in a world of music | News, Sports, Jobs – Faribault County Register

A rising Blue Earth Area (BEA) senior recently received a rare honor: an invitation to participate in the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) All-State Program.

How rare is the honor, exactly? 

Well over 1,000 students audition for Minnesota’s seven All-State ensembles each spring, and just 628 vocalists and instrumentalists were accepted into the program this year. The talented bunch represented 265 secondary school music programs throughout Minnesota.

Last spring, BEA tenor Jamie Johnson learned he had been chosen as one of approximately 110 members of the All-State Mixed Choir ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Jessica Nápoles.

All three All-State choirs – the Mixed Choir along with the Soprano-Alto and Tenor-Bass ensembles - convened at St. John’s University on Aug. 1 to engage in some serious music making over the next five days.

The week culminated with a concert held on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 5, at Abbey Church on the St. John’s University campus.

The 2023 All-State Mixed Choir’s repertoire included ‘Domine ad Adjuvandume’ by Giovanni Battista Martini, ‘Music of Stillness’ by Elaine Hagenberg, ‘Abreme la Puerta’ by Cristian Grases, ‘Holding the Light’ by B. E. Boykin, ‘Don’t be Afraid’ by Jennifer McMillan and ‘Sweet Rivers’ by Shawn Kirchner.

Johnson says having the opportunity to sing in such a high-level ensemble was unforgettable.

“Everybody’s so good there,” he remembers.

Johnson explains that the ensemble was able to master skills such as dynamics, rhythm and tempo on day one of rehearsal, leaving more time to dig into other aspects of music-making.

He adds, “We were moving into the emotional side of (singing) faster.” 

However, Johnson says a few ‘unofficial’ rehearsals on the St. John’s campus were actually his favorite part of All-State Camp. He, his roommate, and a few friends got into the habit of visiting a cathedral in the evenings and singing whatever songs came to mind.

“It had really good acoustics,” Johnson says.

Though he participated in All-State as a vocalist, Johnson is also an accomplished instrumentalist. He is a member of the BEA Band and Orchestra Programs as well as the BEA Choir Program.

Given his parentage, it is perhaps no surprise that while Johnson was cultivating his singing voice, he also picked up the cello and trumpet along the way.

Johnson’s mother, Jenna Johnson, is the owner-operator of Blue Earth’s 10 Talents Art Center, and, as her son observes, “I don’t think one opens an art center if you’re not into music.” 

He adds, “Music is very important in our household, and very present.” 

Jamie Johnson grew up listening to classical music, learning piano from his mother, and accompanying members of his family on singing excursions to local nursing homes.

In general, Johnson says that whatever the form of music making, it is the inherent emotion of the music which draws him in.

“The music I like is very emotional, overall,” Johnson explains, adding he feels it is possible to portray feelings in an entirely unique way through making music.

When it comes to classical composers, Johnson is drawn to the Romantic composer Frederic Chopin, and Classical period-genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Given his interests, it may come as no surprise that Johnson hopes to minor in music when he attends college. He also plans to balance out his studies with a major in political science, and later pursue a career in government.

Johnson says a career fair at All State Camp presented him with lots of intriguing options for his post-secondary education – schools with strong music programs like Bemidji State University, Concordia College, St. Olaf College and Luther College.

However, Johnson still has plenty of time to decide where he would like to attend college. He plans to follow in his siblings’ footsteps and complete a two-year mission trip after he graduates from high school in the spring of 2024.

In the meantime, Johnson is looking forward to his senior year at BEA High School, where he says his music classes are often the highlight of his day.

“Music class can give you an opportunity to get less stressed about the technical things, and focus on the emotional things,” he explains, suggesting that choir, band and orchestra classes can feel like a breath of fresh air after a day of worrying about algebra and college accounting.

Johnson adds, “You just have to worry about how to make a piece better, and give it more emotion.”