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Who is Kim?
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Perhaps
the most important aspect to our home, is our faith.
We are
Bible believing Christians and like J.S. Bach, want all of our
talents
and abilities to bring honor and glory to God.
Although
I am a piano teacher, I am a perpetual music student myself!
I have
often remarked that I am drawn to the piano because of how infinite
the mastery
of it seems. I will never live long enough to brush off my hands,
wipe my
brow and sit back with my feet up, saying: "There, that's finished!"
I have
a list the length of my arm at least, of pieces I still want to learn.
I hope
to be playing and teaching well into my 90's, God willing!
My Grandmother,
("Grammy Fleck"), inspired me to play. She played for her
church
for nearly 50 years before retiring in her late 70's! There is something
in an older
person's playing that just cannot be imitated. They have a whole
life's
worth of
living pouring out through their souls and right into their music.
That is
one reason,
I suppose, I can look forward to growing older...I will at least get
to play
with more and more of the depth I so admire. "Grammy Fleck" loved
to
have me
play for her and was a great source of encouragement to me.
I started
piano lessons at the age of 6 1/2 years. My father was in the
military
and we
lived in base housing. People were always moving in and moving out.
To my delight,a
piano teacher moved in right next door! I begged to take
lessons.
Though I had to give up taking "baton" lessons, that was fine with me.
My mother,
a trumpet player herself, poured over the classified ads,
looking
for a used upright. She found one for $25! It came to live
in my bedroom
(along
with a couple of mice!) as that was the only room with enough space
to put
a piano.
Over the
next 6 years, because military life brings so many changes of address,
I had 4
different teachers and at least as many method books. Though
I loved
the piano, I now realize how much more I could have accomplished
had I worked
much harder. I stopped lessons altogether after one move failed
to yield
a local piano teacher. I graduated from high school,and went off
to
college
to study some other subject. It wasn't until I was 26, with
two
small daughters,
that I began to play seriously.
I
studied with Janet Reeves, a professor at the University of Southern Maine,
and head
of jazz piano studies there at the time. Now, though she resides
and teaches
in New York state, she remains the principal pianist for the
Portland
(Maine) Symphony Orchestra. At first, I cleaned her house
in exchange
for my lessons. Soon, I was applying and auditioning to be
a student
in the music department. At last, so many gaps in my musical education
were filling
in! My education included eight semesters of piano lessons,
five semesters
of music history, four semesters of theory, two semesters of
form and
analysis, composition, and four semesters of ear training and sight singing.
I spread
my education over a span of 5 years and graduated Summa Cum Laude
with a
Bachelors of Arts degree in Music.
Upon graduation,
I taught in the public school system as a long-term substitute teacher.
I did enjoy
this experience, but discovered that I really did prefer to teach in a
private
studio,
as I had originally planned to do. I began my studio in earnest and
soon had
between 30 and 40 piano students. On average, I have 40 students
per week
coming to lessons. I teach a variety of levels and ages. I
have had students
ranging
in age from 3 years old to retirement age--from beginners to advanced players!
Besides
playing with and for my students, I have a weekly commitment
to my church
as the keyboardist on the worship team. This worship team
consists
of a drummer, keyboard player, harmonica player,
a
guitarist (my husband), a bass player and 5 - 7 singers.
We play
contemporary Christian music and hymns. Other playing experience
includes
missions trips, accompanying singers,participating in concerts,
playing
occasionally for a wedding or memorial service,local musical acts,
recording
studio session work at www.bakedbeansrecording.com
,
and digital
orchestral arranging and sequencing.
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My desire
is to help students not only learn to read notes and rhythms well, but
to also
learn to communicate with their listeners through their music.
I want
to instill in them love for the music itself. Playing piano
is a thrilling
venture
that never ends. Along with tactile and auditory stimulation,
a student's
whole being must be involved...body, mind and spirit. No two students
will interpret
a piece the same...how wonderfully unique each student is and
how much
they have to offer to their listeners that only they can give!