From instrumentalists to vocalists, all undergraduate students seeking a degree in music have to pass through the doors of John Johnson’s music theory class, a required course for students in the Boyer College of Music and Dance.

The course provides students with a foundation in the language and notation of music — but learning the “grammar of music” is no easy task. Yet using wit and creativity, Johnson turns a subject that may seem highly technical to some into a fascinating undertaking.

“Most students of music theory will tell you readily that maneuvering your way through four semesters can be far from exciting,” said Johnson. “The course involves a great deal of potentially dry, factual information, and it offers little in the way of experimentation or improvising.”

To counter that, Johnson adds a bit of bit of drama and entertainment to every class — a talent he picked up while acting in semi-professional stage productions as a young artist.

By performing show tunes and creating one-liners such as “Tony the tritone can be the termite of tonality,” to help his students understand music, Johnson manages to make an otherwise tedious topic interesting.

His teaching tactics are frequently applauded by former students such as Marple Newtown School District middle school music teacher Mary Anne E. Hirn, who says Johnson’s lessons were a fundamental part of her education.

“Professor Johnson created a classroom environment in which music theory was very understandable, interesting and fun,” said Hirn. “While presenting his curriculum to his students, he also communicated his own powerful passion for music. That passion was electric and drew each student into the topics being studied.”

Raised in a musical family, Johnson’s first ambition was to become a performer. However, at the urging of a colleague, he decided that his love for taking apart complicated pieces of music and putting them back together, along with his careful analysis of a composition to find out what makes it tick, proved to be an excellent aid for students’ listening to and performing music.

A pianist, and accompanist, a vocalist, a musical director, composer, actor, scholar and educator, Johnson believes that his mission as a teacher is to “inspire and truly motivate by model and example” and to help his music students develop the sense of passion, devotion and commitment needed to endure long hours of study and practice ahead in their chosen field of music.”

He joined Temple's faculty more than 40 years ago and wasinstrumentalin introducing jazz and popular music as courses of study at Boyer. Today, the jazz curriculum at Temple is one of the most popular in the country.

The Lindback Award winner attributes his success to his father, a jazz enthusiast, who urged him to become a performer and teacher and to use his strong and varied background in musical styles to help present the subject of music theory to young students.

Johnson’s father also wanted him to help introduce new courses in popular music, jazz and musical theater at the college level.

“Happily, I’ve honored both of his wishes,” said Johnson.