“Silence is the language of God and in that expanse of silence is the music I haven’t written yet. The music is there - in the nothingness that is everything.” —JJD
Quoted in “Joan Finds Her Voice”, There’s a Poem in That with Todd Boss.
JOAN JOHNSON DREWES
A lifelong performer, creator and teacher of music, Joan Drewes has been singularly focused on writing choral music since 2019 and has won a number of prestigious juried competitions. When composing for voice, Joan draws inspiration from the texts she incorporates. “I am drawn to topics that explore profound joys, deep sorrows, grief and love, as well as themes that speak to our connectedness to nature and to each other.” she says. She credits her daily meditation practice with her development as a composer, believing that during the meditative journey into the sacred space of the heart, we learn to truly listen to the silence, and in that listening we begin to hear what is intended for us.
Joan was born into a musical family in Iowa and began composing and arranging music in high school. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music (Boston), where she majored in composition and voice performance. As an undergrad, she presented two concerts of original music with her jazz quintet at the Berklee Performance Center. After graduation, Joan performed as a vocalist, composer and arranger with jazz groups throughout Europe. She taught private voice and music theory and worked as a studio musician. The Wings Of Spring album, released in 1980, featured her vocal talents and compositions. She moved to New York in 1980 and joined the creative music program at Washington Square Church in 1982, writing pieces for the concert series. She studied music therapy at NYU and was an Assistant to the Professor for Creative Play in the Arts. In 1989, Joan collaborated with the Urban Earth Band on the album Full Moon Dancer, contributing vocals and original compositions. In 1992, she received her Master of Science in Education from Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY). She became passionate about Dalcroze Pedagogy and studied with Robert Abramson at The Juilliard School. Joan went on to teach music and chorus for 20 years on Long Island, while raising two daughters.
Joan’s background in creating and performing jazz compositions is reflected in her choral pieces. “I am inspired by the use of harmonic clusters that resolve unpredictably,” she says. “ My mind-set is one of staying open to inspiration and creative energy. I get ideas for pieces and then say, ‘Well, now you can figure out how you’re going to do that!’”
She served on the eVoco Board of Directors and is a member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Joan cherishes the opportunity to share her talents and is grateful for the recognition she has received.
“Joan’s music is a delight to sing and a joy to conduct! Her musical language is sophisticated yet accessible, she treats her texts with great care, and her approach to the voice is effortlessly idiomatic.”
—David Fryling, D.M.A.
CONDENSED BIO
A lifelong performer, creator and teacher of music, Joan Drewes has been singularly focused on writing choral music since 2019 and has won a number of prestigious juried competitions. When composing for voice, Joan draws inspiration from the texts she incorporates. “I am drawn to topics that explore profound joys, deep sorrows, grief and love, as well as themes that speak to our connectedness to nature and to each other.” she says. She credits her daily meditation practice with her development as a composer, believing that during the meditative journey into the sacred space of the heart, we learn to truly listen to the silence, and in that listening we begin to hear what is intended for us.
Joan’s background in creating and performing jazz compositions is reflected in her choral pieces. “I am inspired by the use of harmonic clusters that resolve unpredictably,” she says. “ My mind-set is one of staying open to inspiration and creative energy. I get ideas for pieces and then say, ‘Well, now you can figure out how you’re going to do that!’”
“Joan’s music is a delight to sing and a joy to conduct! Her musical language is sophisticated yet accessible, she treats her texts with great care, and her approach to the voice is effortlessly idiomatic.”