Ms. Johansen-Werner has experience teaching composition to students from age seven through college. In teaching composition, Bonnie seeks to arm students with tools to unleash their own creativity, and to develop concepts to expand their musical horizons and their own creative ideas.
Teaching composition students involves encouraging musicians to expand their creativity through listening and writing in various styles. Numerous students from this studio, from ages 7 through college, have won first- or second-place honors at the Iowa Composers Forum Student Composition Competition. Winning pieces include Reign (2029, Kaelan Minett, middle school division), Fanfare for the Modern Soldier (2015, Thomas Kodron, college division), and Mysterious Night (2011, Tess
Spesia, elementary division). Also, First Sonatina (2010, Meg Spesia, middle school division), and Dances Old and New (2009, Danielle Orihuela, high school division).
In addition to her graduate degree in composition from Concordia University, Ms. Johansen-Werner’s composition background includes studies with Alice Parker at Singing Brook Farm in Hawley, Massachusetts, and participation in the Song Writers Workshop sponsored by the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church with Marty Haugen as clinician. In addition to her published works, she has numerous pieces that have been performed by choirs and instrumentalists in the midwest.