By Taylor Bakken, American Composers Forum Alongside having some of the most virtuosic musicians in St. Paul’s music scene, Cherry Spoon Collective has been lucky to utilize the help of some incredibly talented students from the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. One of these students is Jacqueline Johnston, a sophomore at St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, who has been instrumental in creating the logo and images associated with Cherry Spoon Collective. We sat down with Jacqueline to find out more about her musical background and approach to arts.

Jacqueline: Instrumental teachers at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts give a great plethora of opportunities to students, involving working in the arts community or, the “real world.”  Mr. Chris Thompson and Mr. Nick Gaudette are two of our teachers, and, upon joining Cherry Spoon, seemed really eager to share their project as much as they could with students and make into yet another learning experience.

What instrument do you play and how long have you been playing? Do you write music as well?Jacqueline: I play the tuba! I’ve been playing the tuba for six years now, and love it immensely. I was introduced to classical composition only last year but enjoy writing very much as well—sometimes even more than performing.

Where/who do you go for/to inspiration? Jacqueline: I don’t know that I have to look anywhere to be inspired, because everywhere, everything, everyone can be inspiring if one has the right mindset! And inspiration has to come at the right time, which is sometimes strange at times. I really enjoy Minnesota museums like The Walker and Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as well as online platforms that seem like endless inspiration (tumblr, Cargo Collective). Looking for inspiration for music composition, I love old, foreign music. The idea of creating something new from old is beautiful. I am very observant of non-music inspiration throughout any given day as well. Daily life has so many weird and also comforting noises that people seem to not notice.

Do you create art aside from music in your free time? Jacqueline: Yes! Multimedia/multidisciplinary is the way to go. It’s so important, especially now, to be versatile. People learn and grow when branching out.

What are you excited about seeing play out within the Cherry Spoon Collective project? Jacqueline: The Cherry Spoon Collective will definitely become a new innovative force in the Minnesotan music scene, because they’re so unique! I have a great feeling they will be pioneers of many sorts.

What is your favorite thing about St. Paul? Jacqueline: I should be a proper arts lover and say I love all the venues St. Paul has to offer. But mostly I love the way nature and industrialization meets in St. Paul. The architecture: wow! New buildings, old buildings, the trees and bridges, and the neighboring river make for an awesome atmosphere.