EXPERIENCE AS A TEACHER OF PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND VOICE
Ms Johansen-Werner has extensive background in teaching private piano and voice. She taught her first piano lessons when she was still in high school in Barrington, Illinois. Her piano training continued at Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois) where she earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree, emphasis in piano performance. At Augustana she studied with Brynolf Lundholm (MM Eastman School of Music) and Dr. Ronald Moore (DMA, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois). 
1973 Bonnie, Brynolf Lundholm. Augustana College
After college Bonnie began a private piano studio in the Quad-Cities (Illinois), taking her students to National Federation of Music Club competitions and National Guild of Piano Teachers. Her teaching focus was on developing well-rounded musicians who learned technique, sight-reading, and performance skills.
At Upper Iowa University, from 1990 to 2003, Ms. Johansen-Werner taught private piano and voice as well as a broad spectrum of classroom courses including music history and literature, in addition to her duties as choral director.
Linda Shea in piano lesson
In 2003 Ms. Johansen-Werner established a music studio in Joliet, Illinois teaching piano, voice, and composition. Lessons in piano incorporate performance, technique, and theory. Students work on both ear training and note reading in addition to studying piano literature from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras. 
Katie Witsberger working on hand shape
All students have the opportunity to perform in the Achievement in Music (AIM) Exams of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association and/or auditions of the National Guild of Piano Teachers. 
Beth Spesia discussing her Guild results with Ms. Johansen-Werner
In addition, there are two studio recitals each year and additional opportunities for interested students to participate in events sponsored by the Joliet Area Teachers of Music. Students are invited into the world of classical music, learning about the lives of famous composers and experiencing their music. Studies in theory lead students into the world of improvisation. Technique is approached through supplemental teaching pages that help students gain the skills they need to maintain healthy playing for their entire lives. 
Lynn and Antonio Gonzalez perform a duet in recital
Professional development improves Ms. Johansen-Werner as a performer and a teacher. She currently studies piano with Teresa Dybvig to hone her playing technique. Ms Dybvig is trained in the Taubman Technique and her teaching is dedicated to the "integration of heart, mind, body, music, and instrument in teaching, learning, and performance on the piano." Teresa travels to Chicago on a regular basis where Bonnie studies with her. Ms. Johansen-Werner is currently working to improve her performance technique to develop a healthy, painfree artistry. 
Bonnie working on hand shape in a lesson with Teresa Dybvig
All of Ms. Johansen-Werner's piano students have opportunities to freely improvise as part of their lessons. Some students select to invest more time in composition. Students as young as 5 and 6 years old have written compositions. Students are free to explore their musical ideas in composition and guided to develop form and style in their writing. Students who compose are required to notate their own compositions with guidance.
Older elementary and junior high students have entered competitions with their completed compositions. Danielle Orihuela accepted first-place in the Junior High Division of the 2007 Iowa Composer's Forum Composition Competition. Her winning piece is titled "Flute Sonata." The previous year (2006) Danielle placed third.
Iowa Composers Forum President Ralph Kendrick, 1st place winner Danielle Orihuela, with teacher Bonnie Johansen-Werner
In 2005 student Nate Dahlberg placed first in the Elementary Division of the same competition with his composition "My Little Dog Clementine." Nate also won first place in 2004, entering a piano composition titled "Grasshoppers."
Always a singer, Ms. Johansen-Werner significantly improved her vocal skills and voice teaching techniques through vocal pedagogy study with Karen Brunssen while pursuing her masters degree at Concordia University. Ms. Johansen-Werner teaches voice at Joliet Junior College as well as accepting vocal students in her private studio. Phil Spencer, Director of Choral and Vocal Music at JJC, comments that Bonnie "encourages greater self-perception and analysis" by the student. She "encourage[s] the student in a friendly way to be 'picky' about details. Bonnie effectively balance[s] the instruction time among technique and interpretation. She brings an energy to her teaching and stays engaged. Bonnie also demonstrate[s] resourcefulness in offering a variety of methods for addressing ... difficult passage[s] in the music."
In addition to the above schedule, Ms. Johansen-Werner teaches music theory at the University of St. Francis [USF] in Joliet. At USF she teaches courses in the standard two-year music theory sequence, covering skills in voice leading, harmonic progressions, polyphony, form, chromatic harmony and 19th and 20th century techniques. Additional teaching responsibilities at USF include classes in sight-singing and ear training.