Sisters Chapel is a central component of campus life and identity at Spelman College. The space is used for a wide array of functions, and Dr. Joyce Johnson has played an integral role in maintaining the Chapel’s distinguished esteem and image. While many students know her as the woman who plays the organ, Johnson serves as an icon and role model for generations of Atlanta University Center (AUC) students.
“I began working at Spelman at a young age; most people think that I’ve been here since the founding of Spelman,” Johnson said. “I’ve worked here as long as I have because there’s truly no other institution like Spelman.”
Born and raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Johnson developed an affinity for music at a young age. Her mother taught piano to other children, but never sat down to teach her own. After indirectly learning from her mother, Johnson began playing the piano in a variety of churches, and the child prodigy gave her first recital at the age of 11.
“Once I learned to play the piano, you could not get me away from it,” Johnson said. “As a child, I never wanted to play with other children. I never went to football or basketball games in high school; all I did was music.”
Johnson attended Fisk University for her undergraduate education, where piano was the only instrument she studied. After graduating from Fisk, she was prepared to teach at public schools, but she was encouraged by a professor to instead obtain a teaching position at Spelman College in 1953.
However, Johnson’s organ journey did not commence until she attended Northwestern University to receive her master’s degree in music shortly thereafter. For four years, she taught during the academic school year, and spent her summers in graduate school. After receiving her master’s, Johnson eventually became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate degree in piano from Northwestern, where she was required to perform countless recitals, write dissertations and learn languages such as German and French.
She was given the opportunity to play the organ at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial, held in Sisters Chapel after his assassination. While King’s death was a devastating tragedy, Johnson said it was a distinct honor to take part in such a notable occasion.
For 48 hours, Johnson continuously played quiet music for those coming in and out to view King’s body. Although an abundance of emotions filled the chapel, she did not leave once in the two-day window, demonstrating her dedication to her craft.
“I remember as a child, my family gathered us up and we waited in that long line outside of Sisters Chapel to pay our respects, and she was up there playing soft music for hours,” said Spelman professor Dr. Cynthia Spence.
Widely cherished across the AUC, Johnson strives to love her students unconditionally. She possesses a special appreciation for students who are able to embrace their true selves and persistently exhibit genuineness.
“I love my students, and I’ll always be honest with them,” Johnson said. “I think integrity is the most important trait a person can have. To know one’s self and to be consistent in presenting your authentic self. To be transparent to all that you come in contact with.”
In addition to serving as a professor and the chair of the music department at Spelman, Johnson has taught students at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Morris Brown College. Even though she is no longer in the classroom, Johnson still teaches mandatory basic piano courses for music majors and consistently plays at events on campus as a result of her deep fondness of the institutions.
“She is Spelman,” said Spence. “There are people who are part of the fabric who make Spelman, and we need to recognize her for that. Spelman has its own culture, and she’s a part of that fabric that weaves us together as an institution. She is highly skilled, she is a musical genius and she truly loves this institution.”
Not only has Johnson made an impact regionally, but internationally, as well. She has played with local reputable orchestras such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, but has also performed at numerous functions in Brazil, the Caribbean islands and France. People around the globe recognize Johnson’s multifaceted nature, and strong desire to keep her legacy alive.
“I want people to remember me as the lady with a great passion, who always wanted to share it for the enrichment of others,” Johnson said. “The lady who always had a sense of purpose, and a sense of focus of fulfilling her mission as a professor, musician, collaborator and scholar. A lady who loved Spelman very much, and always wanted the best for Spelman through her tenure at the institution.”
Credit: The Maroon Tiger
Credit: The Maroon Tiger
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