Sharon Jensen (from June 2006)

Dr. Sharon Jensen was destined to be a music teacher. Her mother was a pianist, her father an organist, and both were teachers. Sharon grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, and began taking piano lessons at 6 with her mom as her teacher. She started teaching piano lessons when she was in 9^th grade and quickly decided that teaching music would be her chosen profession. She holds a BA in music from Calvin College, an M.M. from the University of Texas, and a D.M.A. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, both in Piano Performance. She spent two years in Vienna, Austria, studying and enjoying all that Vienna has to offer musically. It was one of the highlights of her education. She has also won many competitions and awards.

While teaching at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, she met and married Paul Jensen and they have 3 children, Matthew, Rachel and Ben. In 1996, the Jensens moved to Dubuque so Paul could join his brother’s law practice. Emmaus found out about Sharon and invited her to join the faculty on a part-time basis.

As if teaching at EBC weren’t enough, Sharon also teaches private lessons, performs in recitals, sings with the Dubuque Chorale and is in demand as an accompanist. She enjoys gardening and landscaping, and the Jensens, as a family, love to go biking and backpacking. They are active in the ministries of Third Presbyterian Church. Sharon and her daughter, Rachel, went on a short-term missions trip to Mexico in 2005 and enjoyed it so much they are planning another trip in 2007.