My Studio Part II

Now that I've told you about how I run my "traveling studio", let's talk about how I got started.

I have taken piano lessons since I was in seecond grade (roughly 17 years ago; I know, I'm young yet, right?!). I took lessons hit-and-miss through high school, and then seriously took them in college. I studied under a small Korean woman with an amazing aptitude for performing and teaching.

When I went to college, I literally thought, "Well, there's not much more to learn, right?" WRONG! Everything is on such a deeper, in-depth level in college. I learned alot. It was hard. I practiced more than I ever had in my life. I minored in music, and majored in Elementary Education.

To culminate my music minor, I gave a recital. I played Brahms and Rachmaninov. I was also scheduled to play Bach and Gottschalk, but life got in the way and I had to back off. The Rachmaninov (Six Moments Musicaux) was the hardest piece of my life. It's a work with six small pieces, and I learned three of them. Difficult, difficult music. Rachmaninov had an extremely large hand span (if I remember right, it was like an octave and a half), and his music often reflected that. Large chords, wide range, the whole nine yards. But very, very fun. I played the 3rd movement at my recital. This movement was very showy, virtuosic, and exciting. And fast. Like, Presto fast. Whew. My hands have never been the same. :)

Once I was finished going to school, I had a small piano studio (4 students). I loved them (and still have them all!). After a few years of having only them, my name started to get around the area that I live, and things exploded. I currently have 15 students, and with two children and lots of driving, that's more than plenty.

I do play occassionally for pleasure. Not as much as I would like, but I'm usually busy playing Old McDonald for my beginners. They are sooo impressed that I know that song! I play quite a bit for the ladies at my church (I'm in ladies' aid), and I play for my family. This year, I'm accompanying for a choir in my area. They are singing Bernstein and Faure. Some easy music, but mostly 100 pages of difficult music. It took a little while to get back in the swing of practicing!

Thanks for stopping! Come by again and we'll talk more piano!

Kayla