Written By: Olivia Anselment
Professor Melody Johnson has a special talent. I’m not only talking about her amazing skills in directing the Amata Women’s Choir—she also possesses a unique ability known as “Perfect Pitch.”
What is perfect pitch, you might ask?
“When you can hear a pitch, recognize it, and identify it by name. It means that when I hear a note and someone asks, ‘What note is that?’ I can say it’s a C or a G, or whatever it may be,” Professor Melody Johnson explains.
Now halfway through her first semester as the new director of the Amata Women’s Choir, following the retirement of former director Stephanie Trump, Professor Johnson has a long history with Northwestern music that made her the ideal candidate for the position.
“My journey with Northwestern began as a student in 1995. I was here for five years and earned my bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Performance—that’s where it all started.”
Initially, Johnson was teaching Voice, Vocal Diction for Singers, and Solo Vocal Literature, along with giving private voice lessons at Northwestern. But soon she got the call to take on a new role as the Women’s Choir director.
“I started off teaching minors and electives, and now I’m teaching majors and directing the women’s choir.”
Perfect pitch is an incredibly useful skill for a choral director. Pulling starting notes out of thin air has its challenges, though, as Professor Johnson explains.
“I’m constantly analyzing sounds I hear in any setting. Whether it’s the radio, someone singing down the hall, or an instrument playing, I’m usually thinking about what key it’s in, and sometimes I really have to focus on turning it off. For example, when singing in a choir, singing at church, listening to a church service, or even at a concert, if people’s pitch starts sagging, it really bugs me. But then I have to mentally tell myself, ‘It’s okay, just calm down, stop analyzing, and enjoy the moment.’ And I am usually able to do that.”
“With great power comes great responsibility,” some would say, and Professor Johnson embodies that every day with her students. It’s like her musical superpower!
“It’s sort of like a blessing and a curse. At times, it’s extremely helpful. I can practice in my car or on an airplane, looking at my music, and I can hear it in my head without needing to plunk a note on the piano. It’s very helpful for that. But then, it can be tricky when someone might be off. As a teacher, one of my goals is to help people improve their listening and hearing skills.”
