Meet Brady Johnson: From high school senior to award-winning composer
Through private lessons with Interlochen Online, Johnson found professional momentum and the skills he needed to skip an entire year of college.
Brady Johnson (IO 23-present) is a composer and film scoring student who has been studying privately with Interlochen Online instructor Kelsey Rogers, alongside his full-time university track, for over two years.
Brady Johnson didn't wait for college to launch his music career, and that choice changed everything.
Now a sophomore at Murray State University, Johnson is already making waves in the professional music world. His original trombone octet just won the 2025 International Trombone Society Composition Contest, his concert music is being sold at festivals across North America, and he's earning income through his publisher, C Sharpe Editions.
But just two years ago, he was a high school senior with big dreams and no clear path forward.
"I was heading into my senior year of high school, still relatively new to the field of film scoring, and hoping to do something different outside of my school's curriculum," Johnson recalls. "I wanted to see where it would be best for me to study."
A simple search led him to Interlochen Online, where he found promising ratings and decided to take a chance. The decision to start private composition lessons with instructor Kelsey Rogers would prove transformative.
Learning to think like a professional
Rather than waiting for college to develop his skills, Johnson dove in immediately. Over the past five semesters of working with Rogers, he's built a strong foundation in orchestration, composition, and musical immersion for visual media. These skills gave him a significant head start when he entered university.
"Because of my lessons in music theory, post-tonal analysis, and jazz analysis, I was able to knock off a full year of college," he says.
Beyond the technical training, Johnson has also learned how to present himself and network like he’s already at the top of his game.
"She's taught me how to be a professional," Johnson says of Rogers. "She always helps me to find ways to improve my music, and that work ethic has helped me to achieve the accomplishments I have so far."
The process is rigorous but rewarding.
"Sometimes I send her a piece that I think is the best thing I've ever worked on. She'll encourage me, but also find three or four things to make it better. So my pieces just keep getting better and maturing. There's always something to improve. It's a great mentality to have."
Rogers' approach extends beyond the classroom.
"She doesn't hand me opportunities on a silver platter," Johnson explains, noting that he’s already set up with several internships. "Instead, she connects me with the right resources and helps me find those opportunities on my own with the tools that she's given me."
Even while juggling 20-credit semesters when he first started at Murray State, Johnson was able to fit his private lessons into his schedule.
"It was definitely a grind," he admits. "But it was still very much possible to work my private lessons in, and I've just had exponential progress since then."
The advantage of starting early
The combination of rigorous mentorship and consistent practice has already yielded remarkable results. Winning the International Trombone Society competition gave Johnson recognition and something even more valuable: a new professional network.
"That accomplishment gave me the opportunity to travel outside the country to a Canadian venue where I made a lot of great connections," he says.
His work is now being sold by a vendor that distributes music at professional trombone festivals, drawing attention to his name among industry professionals who've expressed interest in collaborating. The early training has also broadened Johnson's career vision beyond his original focus on film scoring.
"If you were to ask me two years ago what I wanted to do as a career, I probably would've said that I only wanted to write music for film. It's still my primary drive, but now, because of the skills that Mrs. Rogers has taught me, I'm also interested in mixing, recording, and producing for other kinds of clients."
Looking back, Johnson sees the value of beginning his professional development before college.
"For me, the best thing has been getting that early development and not having to wait until my college years to finally start getting the ball rolling," he reflects. "I was really fortunate to be able to start lessons my senior year of high school. It completely changed me as a musician and as a person, and helped to mature and refine my craft from an earlier age."
His advice to aspiring musicians?
"It just goes to show that you don't have to wait until college to start being really good at your craft."
Interlochen Online is a year-round source of expert online arts education, offering opportunities for children, teens, and adults to develop and nurture their artistic abilities. Whether through four-week courses, certificate programs, or private lessons, you can experience Interlochen’s world-renowned training in an online environment that fosters creativity, confidence, and collaboration.
