Ben Johansen

I am curious. Dismantling and constructing interesting mechanisms is something I grew up doing, and continue to do, because I enjoy the journey of discovering how things work and how they are made. My intense drive to understand, experience, and absorb all that I can greatly shows in my work. I love to learn, I love to teach, and I love to create.

I completed my Bachelor’s in Music Education (with a saxophone emphasis) and Master’s in Music Composition at Baylor University. I am currently at the University of North Texas (UNT) working on a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Composition Specializing in Computer Media and minoring in Installation Art.

This semester at UNT, I am a staff member of the Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia (CEMI) and a Teaching Assistant for Intermedia Performance Art class.  Additionally, I am teaching Electronic Studio at Baylor University as an adjunct professor. I have also been asked to mentor a student in the Frisco Independent Study and Mentorship (ISM) program, a new and rewarding experience for me. Teaching and inspiring others about music, electronics, and art are among my most significant ambitions.

In my music, I approach a medium very methodically in order to discover how it is made and how it works. Then, I approach writing for that medium passionately in order to fill the medium with life and communicate through it. Interactive electronic music and music for acoustic instruments are of equal curiosity to me, and visual aesthetics are very important to me. My interests lie mostly in theatrical and spatial issues, improvisation, and installation art. Giving a listener an enjoyable journey of discovering new sounds and experiencing new things are integral parts of my life as a composer.