Today we’d like to introduce you to Kylar.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been playing piano for over 15 years, and all throughout junior high and high school I knew I wanted to do something in music. By the time I graduated high school, I was sure that I was going to teach choir in a high school.
After one semester of music education, though, it just didn’t feel right. I switched to piano performance halfway through my freshman year and never looked back. In February of 2022 I decided to officially open Moltzan Music Studio. I had been teaching for a few years, but after a music entrepreneurship class, I called my mom and told her that I wanted to “do this for real.” My parents helped me start my business and have been my biggest supporters since – from graphic design to accounting and investing in my business. Since then, my studio has grown to about 40 students year round with two (soon to be four!) annual recitals. My students and their families are amazing humans and almost everyday I think about how lucky I am to be working my dream job, even during university.
Pursuing piano performance allowed me to dive wholeheartedly into teaching, performing, and composing. I’m incredibly grateful for my family, my husband, and my professors who all pushed me to find my passion and believed in me every step of the way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle for me is balancing my teaching load with my school load. I am currently working on a masters degree in piano performance and working as a graduate teaching assistant in piano. I tend to overfill my schedule with classes, teaching, and accompaniment work; but I manage to make it all work!
Otherwise, I’ve been pretty lucky and have had a smooth road and a lot of help and support along the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in teaching students ages 4-18. I love working with kids from the very beginning of their music education and on. I have a variety of ages, personalities, and abilities in my studio that keep me on my toes and make my job so much fun!
I am most proud of my work in implementing the Universal Design for Learning in lessons with my students. Because piano lessons are one-on-one, I am in a unique position to tailor every lesson to each student. UDL essentially means that my teaching methods flex and change to best serve each student.
For example, some students do really well with learning by reading. They excel when they have detailed notes to review and sheet music to read. Other students learn better by doing – such as learning a piece by rote or composing a piece themselves. In its most basic form, my teaching method aims to engage students as much as possible in their own learning. I like to use toys such as pop-its, Play-Do, and Legos to teach concepts that might otherwise be more difficult for younger students to grasp. Gamification is a great way to get the students interested in what their learning because they don’t even realize they’re learning! I’m eager to master UDL implementation as I start working on my thesis.
In a similar vein, I have all of my students use a practice journal I designed so they can take ownership of their own progress. Journaling on their music practice helps them improve their practice, performance, and reflection. I see so much growth in my students as musicians, students, and humans when they own their education.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I don’t think my personality has changed much since childhood! I’ve always been outgoing and willing to try new things. When I was a kid I wanted to be an author, so I wrote lots of stories. Artistic creation – whether literary, musical, or otherwise – has always been my strongest interest and strength. My siblings and I had great imaginations.
I’ve always been a bit of an academic. As a kid I read voraciously, did well in school, and was interested in learning new things all the time – all things that continue to be true.
I think my younger self would be really proud to see all of the big dreams I’ve chased since then.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://moltzanmusicstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moltzanmusicstudio?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoltzanMusicStudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Moltzanmusicstudio/featured
