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Sandra Y. Johnson

About Me

andra Y. Johnson has been singing most of her life, whether professionally, in an organized choir, in the privacy of her home, or with friends. Sandra joined the Women’s Fellowship Choir at her church in 1985. In 1986 she also joined the Blacks in Government Gospel Choir, Department of Labor Chapter, where she was the coordinator of the choir’s activities for fourteen years. She started taking private voice lessons in 1990 and as a result, she started singing solos. Sandra has sung at Department of Labor official functions, area churches, homeless shelters, rehabilitation centers, and evangelistic outreach services. Since 1995, she has been an active member of the Washington Performing Arts Society’s Men and Women of the Gospel Choir that performs annually at the Kennedy Center. In 2005 and 2007 she was selected as one of the soloists to perform with WPAS at the Kennedy Center. Sandra still sings the first Sunday of each month at the Gospel Rescue Mission in Washington, D.C.

In 2001, Sandra became interested in singing jazz, and became a student for 3 1/2 years of the Elliston Jazz Studies Workshop under the direction of Ronnie Wells and Ron Elliston. She also studied privately for a year and a half with the late Calvin J. Jones, University of the District of Columbia's Coordinator of Jazz Studies. She has appeared several times at The Islander Restaurant, Westminster Presbyterian Church Jazz Series, The Old Post Office Pavilion, and Twin’s Jazz Lounge on U Street. Since 2002, she has performed annually at the Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship (FMJS) Fund’s East Coast Jazz Festival at the Double Tree Hotel in Rockville. She was also a semi-finalist in the FMJS Jazz Competition in February 2004. Also, in February 2004, Sandra released her debut CD entitled, “Steppin' Out”. Sandra was featured at the U Street Jazz Appreciation Month celebration at The Historic Lincoln Theatre in April 2004. Sandra also performed at the historic Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club in Washington, DC (Georgetown) in July 2004. Sandra has performed in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Summer Concert Series, performing around the DC Metro Area, as well as the 2005 National Urban League Conference and the 2005 Congressional Black Caucus Showcase. Sandra performed at the 2006 Potomac Jazz and Seafood Festival in St. Clements, MD; the Arlington County Fair in August 2006, and performs from time to time at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in SW. She has performed with well-known DC area jazz musicians Vincent Smith, Wes Biles, DeAndrey Howard, Dohn Nunley, Jeffrey Neal, Chris Grasso, Allyn Johnson, James King, Nasar Abadey, Buck Hill, Jamal Brown, Lenny Robinson, Ron Compton, Vincent Evans, Wayne Wilentz, Larry Willis, Steve Novosel, and the late Calvin Jones. Sandra Y. Johnson was the 2nd Place Winner of the 2007 and the 2006 Billie Holiday Vocal Competition held in Baltimore, MD.

Sandra is a native Washingtonian and has earned a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management in 2001 and a Master's Degree in Arts Management from American University in May 2007. She has a Bachelor of Public Administration from the University of the District of Columbia. In January 2004, Sandra retired from the U. S. Department of Labor as a Manpower Development Specialist after 37 years of service. During the Fall 2005 semester, Sandra served as a Development Intern in the Development Office of Strathmore Music Center; and in the Fall 2006 served as a Special Events Intern at Wolf Trap Foundation. Her goal is to plan and produce music events and other special events, while furthering her own music career as a jazz/gospel vocalist. Sandra performs every Friday night at Laporta's Restaurant in Alexandria, VA. She can be reached at: (202) 332-8333 or via e-mail at [email protected].