Mrs. Vivian T. Johnston

Growing up in the Rochester area gave me access to many musical events such as Opera Under the Stars at Highland Park and the Brockport Symphony Orchestra. I received a solid foundation from Churchville-Chili Central Schools which allowed me to pursue further studies in music. My twin sister and I learned much from our experiences in chorus, band, marching band, string quartet, Area All State, Chorus/Band performance trips to the ‘65-’66 NY World Fairs.

Over the past years, I have been involved in many educational endeavors for life long learning in the Greater Buffalo/Niagara WNY area .

For forty years, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching students how to play the violin, viola, cello, bass, harp and all of the wind and percussion instruments. Developing the Orchestra and Band with student musicians was both challenging and fun. I retired from the Orchard Park Central School District with many fond memories of staff, students and music.

Studying with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Japan was a memorable experience. His insightful teachings are not only a philosophy of life but a step by step pedagogy of string playing called Talent Education. His methods enabled me to successfully teach children how to play their instruments well and learn skills to deal with life which was most rewarding. Dr. Suzuki was an inspiration to me in my public school and private studio teaching.

Developing a summer String Instrument Camp for Youth at University at Buffalo and SUNY Fredonia was another endeavor that I pursued. Serving as Co-Director and then Director was a wonderful opportunity and experience working with artists, staff and students from 1989-2004.

Other interests that I enjoy are visiting family and friends, reading books, doing photography, videography, taking computer courses and tending to my flower gardening. Traveling with my husband to Scotland is one of my favorite things to do, as well as vacationing with family in far off places.

Since 1989, I have enjoyed the fellowship with sisters who are key women educators from around the world with an organization called Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Professional experiences have included travel to conferences in the USA, Great Britain, Europe, Japan and China and serving on the Steering Committee of the 2012 International Convention held in NYC.

Goals that I continue to pursue include teaching Suzuki violin through the Orchard Park Music School Suzuki Program, encouraging the development of harp ensembles with children and adults of all ages, and playing violin in the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra. It keeps up my playing skills and in touch with other musicians.

In addition, I would love to write a children’s book and continue learning the Swedish language. Another passion is researching about toxin free living and applying it to everyday living for the betterment of our environment and health. Networking with people about this is very enriching and a lot of fun. As CEO of my own internet business, Tune4Success, I enjoy helping people build their own business to pursue their dreams while earning money substantial income and improving their health via healthy products.