Jeryl Johnston

Jeryl Johnston serves as a Part-Time Lecturer in Jazz Orchestration and Arranging at the Conservatory of Music within Brooklyn College's School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts. An active composer and performer, she brings extensive professional experience in Afro-Cuban and jazz traditions to her academic role.

Her academic credentials include:

• Master of Music in Composition from Brooklyn College
• Bachelor of Music with dual majors in Piano Performance and Music Theory from the University of Oregon School of Music

Johnston's research centers on women's contributions to Afro-Cuban music and West African timeline structures, with a forthcoming publication analyzing variation techniques in West African lead drumming. Her pedagogy actively engages students in critical examinations of bias in music and rhythmic complexity, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to music education.

Her scholarly recognition includes:

• Graduate Council Fellow at SUNY Stony Brook

As an educator, Johnston previously served as head music teacher for the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance while maintaining a private studio for piano, theory, and composition instruction. At Brooklyn College, she develops curriculum in jazz orchestration that challenges conventional perspectives.

She directs the Afro-Cuban third-stream ensemble Yanine, whose debut album "What She Said" is commercially available, and maintains active performance collaborations including engagements with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Orquesta Son Mayor at major cultural venues.