Mary Johnson
"It is my belief that every person can sing, and that vocal music should be part of everyone's daily lives.
Not only does music have countless academic benefits (increased reading, writing, reasoning, and math scores), but participation in musical ensembles has been shown to help individuals develop a deeper and healthier sense of self. Music involvement increases confidence, reduces anxiety, builds empathy skills, enhances creative thinking, increases coordination, and encourages cooperation.
It is my goal to ensure the members of the ROCC develop the aforementioned skills and to also ensure appropriate and healthy vocal practices, an understanding of musical concepts and how to employ them, and are engaged in a supportive and collaborative environment, resulting in a life-long love and an appreciation for vocal music.
Furthermore, it is my hope that the passion and commitment of the members of the ROCC, as seen through our community events and outreach, will inspire other community members to seek out opportunities where they, themselves can become involved in vocal music as well."
About Mary
Mary comes to ROCC as a lifelong musician and music educator. She began singing and playing piano at a young age, adding percussion during her adolescence.
She received her B.A. in Music Education (voice) from Wayne State University in 2011 and her M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Marygrove College in 2019. She currently holds State of Michigan Education Certificates for both K–12 Music Education (JQ) and K–12 School Administration (ES).
Throughout her teaching career, Mary has taught high school choir, middle school choir, and elementary school music. She has been working for Royal Oak Schools since 2014 as an elementary music teacher, teaching both general and adaptive music classes for students in grades DK–5. In 2021 she became the Royal Oak Schools Music Coordinator—serving as the organizational, curricular, and fiscal leader for the entire district’s music department.