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Saturday, September 20, 2008
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A school that passes on the sound of music
Senior Reporter Teresa Kingsley's passion for music began at a young age and led her to a career where she could pass on an appreciation of music to others.
Now after decades of teaching students in public schools and others through private lessons, Kingsley has found a new way to reach people - her own music business.
The Kingsley Music School opened this summer on the third floor of the Washington Educational Services Building on Oak Street in Brainerd.
Kingsley started thinking about the idea of her own music school a couple of years ago. There were staff cutbacks at schools and Kingsley thought of taking a leave from the Brainerd School District to try something new.
But she wasn't sure where she could start her business. The Franklin Arts Center seemed a good fit but the timing didn't work. Then Kingsley remembered the room on the top floor of the former Washington school - spacious with plenty of natural light and a hardwood stage in a large nook at the front of the room. She said Steve Razidlo, Brainerd School District superintendent, was instrumental in helping her secure the space.
The room is filled with musical items Kingsley collected in 20 years of public school teaching.
Kingsley Music School offers piano classes, guitar classes, voice classes, preschool music classes, adult piano and guitar classes, along with private lessons. Kingsley said her target audience includes preschoolers, homeschoolers, students, adults and retirees, who may have always wanted to learn to play piano for instance. Now they have the time to try it.
Kingsley's mother taught accordion and guitar lessons in their home. Her older sister played and Kingsley wanted to follow in those footsteps. The path included a lot of practice, a few tears and plenty of family encouragement. But Kingsley found her true love when she picked up the guitar. With a fall back option of studying accounting, Kingsley decided to give music teaching a try. She went to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, studied classical guitar and started playing the piano for the first time. She was able to catch up with students who had been playing the piano since they were young children.
She taught music to elementary school children in Nisswa, at Brainerd's Lincoln and Harrison schools and in Motley and Ashland, Wis. She started keyboard and guitar clubs in Nisswa, which offered children an option to try an instrument. Kingsley's master thesis, involving her own studies of different groups of students and focusing on those who did not have previous music lessons, found the music students did significantly better on tests of math, reading and writing skills.
The music school has eight keyboards in a piano area and a number of guitars on the stage, where Kingsley hopes to have mini-recitals. Many lesson options are geared to appeal to beginners like group piano and guitar lessons aimed at specific class levels or adults to complement the private or semi-private lessons.
Kingsley charges $20 for a private half-hour lesson or $10 for group lessons of eight where the class time is 50 minutes. Julie Schreifels is an instructor at the music school. Kingsley hopes other music teachers also may be interested in using the school for lessons. The music school is open between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Kingsley has been working with Bridge of Harmony.
Third-floor neighbors include the Lakes Area Yoga Association and Awesome Abs, Phoenix Achievement Center and Crow Wing County Collaborative.
Julie Hawck, Brainerd, stopped in the music school last week delivering her 14-year-old granddaughter's guitar before the teenager's lesson.
"I'm glad they have the studio here," Hawck said. "I hope it will be a success. It's really a nice studio. Music is a good release for stress. It's fun."
For Kingsley, the creation of a music school is a way to pass on an appreciation for music and what it can offer everyday life.
"For me music is everything," Kingsley said. "It made me who I am in that it was my safe escape. When life was tough music is always where I went. And I want to give that to other kids, other people. This is a gift that is in our world. It's in every culture around the world. It's core to us as humans. So I wanted to share that."
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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