Music Can Change The World

2010 Winter Recital at Brendle Recital Hall!!

Mr. Keith — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:49:13 +0000

Pictures of this year’s amazing group of student performers. The evening was magical and a wonderful celebration of the holiday season. More pictures to come. This section is under construction.

Keith Cumbie – Biography

Mr. Keith — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:16:17 +0000

Keith Cumbie began playing the piano at age 5 when he discovered in his Granny’s piano bench a book entitled “How to Play the Piano in Ten Easy Lessons”. He taught himself to read music but the fundamentals of theory and technique came much later in 1975 when he studied with Evangeline Metts President of Metts Music Studio. Mrs. Metts was a premier leader in group piano studies and when her studio closed in 1980 she had over 176 students at the studio. It was at Metts Music that Keith had studies with Dr. Robert Carter, Mark Violette and the celebrated and eminent composer Kenneth Frazelle who was fresh out of Juilliard at the time and teaching piano. Violette and Frazelle had been prior students of Clifton Matthews at the North Carolina School of the Arts. This familiarity led to Keith begin studies with Matthews in 1979 and attending the Tibor Varga Music Festival in Sion, Switzerland with a group of Matthews’s students. Chris Giles, Head of the Music Department at Wake Forest University, also worked with Mr. Cumbie and he attended WFU in the summer of ‘80 and spring of ’81. During the 2008-2009 school year he was privileged to study with world renowned pianist Barbara Lister-Sink at Salem College. He hopes to finish his studies in the near future with this remarkable genius.

“Mr. Keith” as he is known to his students began as a teaching as a substitute at Metts Music Studios while still in High School. Evangeline Metts refers to him as “a born teacher”. He continued teaching sporadically through the years and served as church musician for quite some time. In 2000 he opened his own piano studio in Florida, was very successful and moved to his hometown, Winston-Salem in 2007. NCSA Composition Professor and renowned composer Ken Frazelle has called him “the pied piper of children.” A title Mr. Keith holds in high esteem since teaching is the joy of his life!

Keith Cumbie resides in and teaches in the West Salem neighborhood where, in addition to his private teaching, he directs a program offering Group Keyboard Lessons on a sliding scale. His mission at this program called Music Can Change the World is that no child should want music lessons and not receive them due to economic hardship. He has composed for a play which was presented and received warmly at NC State Festival, performed at La Terraza de Marti in Key West Florida and attended Master Classes with Guido Agosti among other prominent pianists.

Daphne Nichols – Biography

Mr. Keith — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:14:30 +0000

Daphne Nichols began her piano studies as part of a musical family in her hometown of Machiasport, Maine. At the age of 11, she performed with the Arcady Festival Orchestra on Maine Public Radio. She was the winner of the 2002 Ocy Downs Maine State Piano Prize and has performed on National Public Radio’s From The Top. Ms. Nichols has played in master classes for Nelita True, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Marian Hahn, Gabriel Chodos, Jane Coop, and William Grant Nabore.

In 2005, Ms. Nichols graduated from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where she studied with Jonathan Bass in the New England Conservatory’s Preparatory Division. She attended Northwestern University’s School of Music and in 2009 completed her Bachelor of Music under the tutelage of Barbara Lister-Sink at Salem College. Ms. Nichols was the 2007 recipient of the Jean and Harvey Picker Senior Prize in the Maine Bay Chamber Concerts’ Young Stars Competition. In the same year, she won first prize at the Anne Gannett Scholarship Competition for undergraduate music majors in Maine. In 2009, she was one of two piano finalists for the North Carolina Symphony Concerto Competition.

Ms. Nichols currently lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She has performed for the West Side Civic Theater, Salem College Pierrettes, churches in Trinity and Winston-Salem, and as an accompanist for college and conservatory students. She teaches at Music Can Change the World, a piano studio with scholarships for low-income children.

Winter Recital At Wake Forest’s Brendle Recital Hall!

Mr. Keith — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:31:50 +0000

Photographs of just a few students performing quite professionally December 15th, 2008. Look here for recordings of this event soon!!!

Piano Packages

Mr. Keith — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:58:28 +0000

We offer different types of lessons to fit the needs of the individual student. Group lessons range from $16-$52 per month. Private lessons are available at $22.50 per half hour. We have a limited number of scholarships available for private study. The reduced cost is $17 per half hour lesson. The Combo Package gives group piano students individual half-hour private instuction once per month for an additional $22.50 monthly.

About Music Can Change the World.

Mr. Keith — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:37:28 +0000

Music Can Change the World is an innovative program initiated by music educator Keith Cumbie. We are proud to be able to offer an affordable, quality music education to students. Our program is well constructed and uses holistic, multi-media instruction. Our teachers are qualified professionals and experienced in individual as well as group piano instruction. We utilize positive progressive techniques to develop musical artistry in students of all ages. We even offer supervised practice time in the studio for those students who have not yet acquired instruments. This is an astounding feature for ANY piano studio! Our sliding scale rates range from $4-$13 per class hour. This is an unprecedented effort in our region to encourage and broaden the musical development of our greatest treasure…our young people.

Mission Statement

Mr. Keith — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:07:21 +0000

Music Can Change the World is a program dedicated to providing quality piano lessons utilizing sliding scale rates. We seek to cultivate an enthusiasm for music by engaging students in solo and ensemble holistic instruction and performance; thus building musicality,cultural heritage, self discipline, confidence and self esteem through musical achievement.

About Sliding Scale Rates

Mr. Keith — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:02:00 +0000

Sliding scale rates are based upon financial need. To apply you must provide us with information regarding total household income (annual, monthly, or weekly). We must also be provided with information regarding the number of occupants or dependents in your household. Our guidelines require this information in order to accurately and fairly determine need. Special circumstances will be considered. Only the Program Director will have access to this information. He alone will have knowledge of the families’ financial status and the students financial category. This is done to protect your privacy and your child’s privacy. We ask that your financial status remain private. No discussion of Financial Aid is to be exchanged between parents or children. To do so may put your continuation in the program at risk. We ask that you please respect our position in this matter. Sliding scale rates fall into five tiers,$4, $5, $8, $10, and $12 per class hour. Full Scholarships are available depending upon need, ability and circumstances.

Scholarship Application

Mr. Keith — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:46:10 +0000

We offer Scholarships to students who demonstrate aptitude, desire, need and who meet the approval of the Director. We provide these scholarships to ensure that students are able to pursue an education though they may lack financial resources. We recognize our obligation to our community and its youth. Applicants must provide information regarding total household income and the number of family members in that household. Scholarship students are expected to attend classes regularly perform and achieve at an acceptable level. Students who miss class frequently or do not demonstrate productivity will be placed on probation. Students will be evaluated on a quarterly level. Students in jeopardy will be informed in writing mid-semester and be given the opportunity to redeem themselves. Any student dropped from the Full scholarship program may reapply for the following school year. The student may immediately apply for sliding scale rates. The Director reserves the discretion to dismiss any student at any time from the Scholarship program. Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis. Due to the limited availability of Full Scholarships candidates will be evaluated in the order in which their applications are received. Early application is advised.

2011-2012 School Year

Mr. Keith — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:11:34 +0000

To apply for the 2011-2012 School Year.

Application.