Young trumpeter on the rise, Arnetta Johnson is an aspiring musician from Camden, New Jersey. At the age of 13 Arnetta began playing trumpet under the instruction of Nasir Dickerson. While in her first year of playing she joined a group called the Little Jazz Giants led by Hassan Sabree. This group consisted of middle school students planning to pursue music as a career. During her time in the group she performed at various jazz festivals such as the Cape May Jazz Festival and the Tony Williams Jazz Festival. Doing so allowed Arnetta to gain a deeper understanding behind the discipline and importance of music. She then continued her journey at the Camden Creative and Performing Arts High School. Arnetta was in the marching band, concert band, small jazz ensemble, and the big band all under the direction of Jamal Dickerson, as well as other ensembles inside and outside of the program. Throughout high school Arnetta has received many accolades and awards. She has received national medals from the NAACP ACT-SO competition, over 20 best soloist awards from various high school jazz festivals, Monterey Next Generation Jazz Fest best overall soloist, featured stories in the Philadelphia Courier post, and many others. Arnetta went on to graduate 3rd in her class with three full scholarships.
Arnetta Johnson attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where she studied with many amazing musicians on the scene. She is currently being mentored by Grammy award winning artist Jill Scott and the dynamic saxophonist Tia Fuller. Under their mentorship she has had the opportunity to perform on BET’s Black Girls Rock with Janelle Monae, A guest on the Steve Harvey Show, and receive a Rising Star Award from Jill Scott’s Blues Babe foundation on BET’s UNCF an Evening of Stars. Throughout her career so far she has been touring and performing with Terri Lyne Carrington, Ralph Peterson, Buster Williams, Tia Fuller, Mimi Jones, Victor Lewis, Esperanza Spalding, Shamie Royston, performed with Beyonce Knowles-Carter at Super Bowl 50, Aaron Spears, Geri Allen, Warren Wolf, Eric Roberson, Christian McBride and many more.
She is currently the bandleader of her group entitled Arnetta Johnson and S.U.N.NY (Sounds Uplifting Nobility through Notes and Youth). Arnetta’s goal is to let people be uplifted and allow them to “Live” in the moment through music.
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