Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Composer, Arranger, Writer, Performer on Piano and Trumpet

Tom Johnson (BMI) grew up listening to his father perform with the Al Cobine, Jim Edison, and John Von Ohlen/Steve Allee/Chuck Carter Big bands. Tom began studying composition privately while in high school, and by his senior year had three works performed by his high school jazz band and jazz combo. He began studying trumpet in fifth grade with Jim Edison, and then during High School studied with Bill Adam of Indiana University. Tom received his undergraduate degree with honors in psychology in 1983 from Indiana University, where he also studied jazz arranging and composition with Dominic Spera. After graduating from IU, Tom studied composition at the University of Wisconsin with Joel Naumann, taught music and performed professionally, and wrote background music for radio PSAs and a health promotion video. He then returned to graduate work in clinical psychology, receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri in 1993. While working his way up to full professor at Indiana State University (ISU), Tom continued to study music theory, composition (with Daniel Powers), music history, and jazz piano at ISU. In June, 2019 he completed a Certificate in Jazz Arranging and Composition via the Berklee School of Music Online. In May, 2019 he began studying jazz arranging and composition privately with Brent Wallarab, the David N. Baker Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. Tom continues to perform professionally on keyboards and trumpet in jazz, musical theater, and church settings.

Tom has published more than 30 articles and book chapters in psychology and received the Theodore Dreiser Distinguished Research and Creativity Award from ISU in 2005. He has also presented at international conferences on topics in musicology, including medieval neumes found in a 1502 Callepino Dictionary at the ISU library, and various aspects of the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Scene. He and several of his students recently published a chapter on spiritual and transformative experiences in the EDM Scene (Routledge). Despite being in “phased retirement” since January 2023, Tom is still conducting research on effects of listening to sad music and personality styles of jazz musicians. At ISU he taught graduate and undergraduate courses including “History of Psychology”, “Addictions”, “Psychology of Music”, Positive and Negative Effects of Music”, various courses on psychotherapy, and a summer London Study Abroad course “Music and Drug Subcultures in the US and the UK.”

Tom’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by various professional, high school, college, and community bands and choirs in eight states. Tom has written the book, music, and lyrics for two full length musicals, both of which were performed in Terre Haute. In 2012, Tom began writing contemporary chamber works, and has composed for woodwind trio and quintet, brass quintet, piano quintet, piano trio, string quartet, and several other chamber ensembles. “Cats and Mouses” for woodwind quintet was a finalist in the Instrumental category in the 2013 UK Songwriting contest. In October 2014, his “Four Cartoons for Woodwind Quintet” was a finalist for the Van Galen Composition Prize in River Falls Wisconsin. It was later performed in recital on April 2, 2015 by the ISU Faculty Woodwind Quintet. One of Tom’s works for jazz combo, “Stealing Silver”, was performed at the 2022 TUTTI Festival at Denison University in Ohio, and his art song “Once the River Was” was performed at the 2024 TUTTI festival in March. Tom is a member of the Jazz Education Network, the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, the American Composers Forum, and the Dramatists Guild. In August 2022, Tom began classes in the Master of Music Composition program at Butler University in Indianapolis, where he has studied with Michael Schelle, Frank Felice, and Matthew Kennedy. He recorded a CD of his Jazz Compositions with a virtual band during COVID, and in May 2023 began recording a studio CD of more of his works for Jazz Orchestra. The new CD will be available sometime later in 2024.