Johanna Selleck completed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Degree (in Philosophy and Criminology) in 1983, followed by A.Mus.A., T.Mus.A. and L.Mus.A. Diplomas and a Bachelor of Music Degree at Melbourne University (1992), majoring in both Composition and Performance. In 1997 she completed a Masters Degree in Performance and Composition at the Victorian College of the Arts. She is currently completing a Ph.D. in Composition at Melbourne University, for which she is also writing a thesis on "Music Criticism in Australia, 1880-1914: A Cultural Context".

Johanna currently teaches at Melbourne University and the Victorian College of the Arts. She also works as a music critic for the Herald Sun as well as numerous local and national magazines and journals.