Growing up, Bonnie Littlejohn loved to sit and watch as her mother played the piano, often singing along to the beautiful melodies she created. Wanting to play just like her mother, Littlejohn would press on the piano keys and try to create her own notes.
For Littlejohn, a senior at the University of Southern Mississippi majoring in music with a concentration in piano, music is a big part of her life, and the piano is much more than wood and strings. Rather, she sees the piano as an integral part of many cultures, referring to it as a “versatile instrument.” She believes it to be a significant part of her home and many other places, through its ability to bring people together.
“It’s just everywhere, and it’s such an important part of making music because it’s just one of those things that everyone knows and sees, and I love the piano for that,” Littlejohn said. “And I think my mom instilled that in me; the piano was this sort of centerpiece in the home where we could make music together.”
Her love of music and passion for the harp, piano and vocals have led her to USM, where she has gained many amazing and unexpected opportunities. Through her contributions to the School of Music and her work within the community, Littlejohn was recently awarded the 2026 Presser Award, which includes a $3,000 stipend for the student.
The award recipient, chosen by music faculty, demonstrates leadership and contributes to their community, as well as displaying high levels of skills within music and academics. Littlejohn earned the honor through her dedication, performances, and leadership, as well as commitment to her community, through her work as a teacher and within the church.
“Bonnie works very hard. She is very dedicated, and I always notice how much time she spends practicing. As a leader, she is both kind and intelligent, leading both in lessons and in the community,” said Sarah Stoddard, a senior music education major at USM and Littlejohn’s roommate.
Littlejohn first started taking piano lessons at the age of seven, with her teacher Sandy Coutoumanos. While her mother inspired her love for the piano, it was a little toy harp in a children’s magazine that sparked her fascination with the harp. Growing up in rural New Albany, Mississippi, there was no one nearby who could teach her to play the instrument.
It wasn’t until years later, at the age of 14, when online lessons made it possible for Littlejohn to begin taking classes through video lessons with Felice Pomerantz, a harpist from the Berkeley School of Music. Now, Littlejohn is skilled in both instruments, as well as vocals, and chose to attend USM to continue her studies.
“I applied to a few different schools, obviously all music. I liked USM the best because they had a harp professor, which nowhere else in the state offered,” said Littlejohn. “It was all kind of lining up, they had a really good choral program, they had a harp professor, which nowhere else had, and they had really great piano faculty, so that combination.”
Having a harp professor was a major factor in her decision to attend USM and has allowed her to not only continue developing her many skills but has also allowed her to gain the opportunity to teach others as well.
Despite the difficulties with finding a teacher in the South that she could learn from, she pushed through and found a way to learn to play the harp. Now she is able to be the teacher that she couldn’t find in the South herself. In February 2025, a family reached out to her because their daughter wanted to learn the harp but couldn’t find a teacher nearby. Having been in this situation herself, Littlejohn decided to step into the role of teacher.
“I was so scared because I was like, ‘what if I’m bad at it,’ but I think it was honestly that push of this student really wanted lessons and they couldn’t find anyone … I got to step up to the plate, and then I ended up really enjoying it,” she said. “I just think the way that my student is so excited about music is really inspiring. So, it kind of makes me remember like why I do this.”
Her time at USM has been spent immersing herself in many aspects of the music program on campus. Including performing in multiple ensembles, such as the Southern Chorale, Southern MissSymphony Orchestra, and most recently her performance in Julia Wolfe’s “Her Story,” a work honoring the fight for women’s suffrage.
For the production, Littlejohn and nine other female vocalists performed with the Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and worked with several professionals, including Wolfe herself. Littlejohn said that it is an experience that is one of her proudest achievements.
When it comes to performing, Littlejohn said that she enjoys hearing the audience’s thoughts on the performance. With how hard she works on her performances, it means so much to her, especially when it comes to parts she worries about most. While she loves the feedback, the lead-up to the performances, having to prepare, including doubt and memorization, is the most challenging part of any performance.
“But the scariest part is preparing to be honest and thinking, ‘If I don’t, what if I can’t,’” Littlejohn said. “But once you’re finally there and you put in the work, it’s kind of like, ‘No, I can do this, I can.’”
After graduating with her Bachelor’s of Arts in May 2026, Littlejohn plans to pursue an online graduate degree in library sciences. Along with continuing her education and work within the church, Littlejohn stated that she plans to continue teaching students who have an interest in music one-on-one.
“I want to be that for someone, because I know how frustrating it can feel to want to learn to do something, and it may be difficult to find someone who can teach you. So obviously I’d love to teach harp. Especially, I’d love to teach piano too,” Littlejohn said. “But there is a real shortage of harpists, especially in the South and in Mississippi. So, it’d be great to continue teaching lessons in areas where there aren’t many harpists, because I know there’s interest for it.”