About

My name is Katherine Cornell and I started up my piano studio, Prelude Music, in the summer of 2024. I have been playing piano for 18 years and currently have a Bachelor’s of Music in Piano Performance. Through my experience taking lessons and studying in college, I have gained a solid understanding of music theory and composition, as well as the history and techniques of classical music. The majority of my training has been focused on classical playing, but I also have experience in playing pop-style music, as well as a little bit of jazz. It is my goal over the next couple of years to become more experienced in other kinds of piano!

How did I get started teaching piano?

I started playing piano when I was five years old. Funnily enough, my piano journey was kickstarted by my desire to play the violin! However, my school at the time had no openings for violin lessons, so my mom gave me the choice between waiting or taking piano lessons. To my five-year-old self, a year seemed like too long a time to wait, and I was excited to start playing music no matter what. So I began piano lessons and stuck with them throughout my childhood. I did eventually pick up the viola, which I absolutely adore, but my focus has always been piano.

When I was in middle school and early high school, just starting to think about what I should pursue in college, I had no desire whatsoever to go to music school. I loved playing music and continued taking lessons for my own enjoyment, but I had no desire to teach or play professionally – it wasn’t even my primary hobby! But God knew me better than I knew myself and He had other plans.

As a sophomore in high school, I took, of all things, a personal finance class. For this class we had to write letters to three different people we knew who were in fields we were interested in pursuing to ask about how they got started in their career. I was determined to be a writer of some kind, so I wrote one letter to a writer I knew. That left me with two letters to write and no other ideas for who to write them to. Mostly out of necessity, I chose to write one to my viola teacher.

She got back to me with all kinds of advice, and offered me the opportunity to teach piano to her two daughters. It seemed like an interesting opportunity, so I took it and immediately fell in love with teaching. I decided I wanted to pursue a music degree to grow in my own piano skills, as well as my general understanding of music, before starting my own piano studio. And, having now done that, I certainly feel more equipped.

I got my B.M. in Piano Performance from Liberty University. Through this degree, I gained a broader knowledge of the history and structure of music, as well as skills in pedagogy, notation, theory, and, of course, piano. I graduated in 2024, and am now so excited to begin teaching again, applying what I have learned and sharing the joy music brings with those around me. I have a particular passion for teaching adults and it is an aspiration of mine to research adult learning and one day publish an adult piano method book which will cater specifically to the ways in which adults learn! It is my belief that no one is ever too old to learn a new skill, and that there is never a time when you have “missed” your opportunity to enjoy something you love.