Musician
Percussionist Erika Johnson brings her unique musical versatility and voice everywhere, from cabarets to orchestral pits and stages.
Recently, Erika was the drummer for the Pulitzer-prize winning, pre-Broadway run of A Strange Loop at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Erika was also seen as the drummer and on-stage band member in Signature Theatre's highly acclaimed, Girlfriend, where she was described as a "marvel" (DC Metro Arts).
A frequent performer of new music, Erika enjoyed introducing the West Coast to John Luther Adams' Drums of Winter, sharing the bill with percussionist Glenn Kotche as part of the inaugural season for Stanford Live in the Bing Concert Hall. Her virtuosic playing is highlighted on Tribute to Andrew Imbrie, a recording commemorating the composer's 80th birthday.
A life-long Beatles fan, Erika is excited about her newest venture taking on the role of "Ringo" with the Magical Mystery Girls, an all-women Beatles tribute band.
Educator
My goal as a teacher is to instill a love of music. I believe in using my students’ interests to keep them engaged and excited about learning music. Learning music should be fun and shouldn’t matter if the student aims to be a professional or a casual player. Most importantly, I want to transfer my love of music to others, get them excited about learning new things and experience the unique community music creates. It is never too late or early to learn something new!