We just had the JMC Graduation Concert and Award Ceremony on Sunday, April the 7th, 2013. Congrats to all our students for a wonderful celebration!
JMC Graduation Award Ceremony and Concert
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Category Archives: Company News
Elliot plays the Washington Capitals game
Great video of Elliot in the Morning playing with our very own Bruce Anderson. Big shout out to JKM at the end. Thanks Elliot!
You can see the video here.
Jordan Kitt’s Bruce Anderson featured on Elliot in the Morning!
Elliot stopped by our Rockville store to take a piano lesson in with our education coordinator, Bruce Anderson. Bruce is also the official organist/keyboardist at the Verizon Center in DC – home of the Washington Capitals Hockey Team. Besides the organ, there is a Yamaha keyboard there that he plays for Caps games.
Watch the video here.
Free Concert Alert! – Songfully Yours, April 14th 2013
From the great letter scenes of grand opera to intimate art song epistles, letters have long been thematic staples of vocal music. Songfully Yours features musical letters well-known and not-so well known by Mozart, Verti, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Offenbach, Leoncavallo, Rachmaninoff, Herbert, Caballero, Britten, Moore, Picker, Yeston, Bock and Harnick, and Elton John.
Featuring Deborah Sternberg, Soprano – Karen Mercedes, Contralto – Diana Vera, Soprano – Rachel Sarrano Winograd, Pianist.
Come and join us, free of charge! Sunday, April 14th, 2013 at 3pm.
Jordan Kitts Recital Hall – 8500 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22031
Announcing Julia Turnbull to the JKM Teaching Staff
Julia believes that a student’s music education should explore rhythm, melody, and harmony incorporating songs and basic theory with piano. Julia is a professional soprano with a desire to share her training with students who are passionate about music. She teaches beginner and intermediate students of all ages in piano. She also instructs beginning to advanced students in voice. Julia is certified by the state of Virginia to teach music education for grades K-12.
Education:
Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Converse College
Bachelor of Music in Music Education from James Madison University
Holds Teacher Licensure for Virginia
JKM welcomes back Ai Yuki Sato to the Music School!
Ai is a very capable pianist, teacher, and accompanist with many years of experience teaching all levels of piano from young beginners to community college students. She endeavors to bring her students to a high level of proficiency while keeping lessons fun and upbeat.
She especially enjoys teaching children. Her lessons incorporate piano repertoire, ear- training and theory. She also particularly enjoys teaching duets and music for two pianos. She is familiar with multiple teaching methods.
Education: Ai holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, a Master of Music in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, from Indiana University, IN.
Students perform in recitals, Spring Festival, Sonatina Festival and competitions.
Ai is available to begin lessons on March 10.
JKM Pianos Abound on Inauguration Day
List of some of our pianos used on Inauguration Day, who played them, and where they were used:
- Yamaha DS4 – played by Ben Folds at the National Day of Service on the National Mall
- Yamaha DC3 – played by John Legend at the National Portrait Gallery for Generation Now Party
- Yamaha DC3 – played by John Legend and Cyndi Lauper at the Italian Embassy for the DNC Committee Brunch
- Yamaha DGB1K E3 Classic – played by Stevie Wonder at the National Building Museum for the Inaugural Candlelight Celebration
- Yamaha DGB1K E3 Classic – played by Katy Perry’s Band at the Convention Center
- Yamaha DC3 – played by Jamie Foxx at the Convention Center
- Yamaha DS6 – played by Alicia Keys at the Commander-in-Chief Ball at the Convention Center
Elton John, Jordan Kitt’s Music and Yamaha’s 125th Anniversary
Jordan Kitt’s was just honored with front row seats at Yamaha’s 125th Anniversary Celebration at Disneyland’s Hyperion Theater in Anaheim, CA. This concert featured performances by, among others, Michael McDonald, Toto, Sarah McLachlan and the Rocket Man himself, seen here with two familiar faces in the background (Jordan Kitt’s President Chris Syllaba center left & CFO Ray Fugere far right). Sir Elton performed on one of his custom Yamaha midi-grands, with his performance being transmitted live, note by note, through numerous Yamaha Disklavier grands in 19 different countries simultaneously! Combined with the 70-piece back-up orchestra transmitted via live video/audio feed, it was the world’s first such performance beamed live around the planet.
Jordan Kitts Music Awards Grants to Four MSMTA Teachers
On Saturday evening, January 12 , 2013, at the MSMTA Conference held at the University of Maryland Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Jordan Kitts Music awarded four MSMTA teachers with the William J. McCormick, Jr. Grants in the amount of $400. The 2013 winners are: Susan Roberts, Linda Kazmarek, Carole Gauthier, and Bok Hwa Kim.
Martha Blakely, NCTM, Artist-in-Residence and Manager of the Jordan Kitts Music School Beltsville, and also a past MSMTA Vice-President, presented the four awards at the MSMTA Gala Concert.
William J. McCormick, Jr. began the teacher grant award program more than 23 years ago. Mr. McCormick believed that not only was education an important part of the business of piano sales, but also working with and helping local area teachers. Following in the tradition of William J. McCormick, Jr., co-owners of Jordan Kitts Music, Chris Syllaba and Ray Fugere are continuing the tradition of awarding teacher grants on a yearly basis.
Jordan Kitt’s in the Washington Post
Our Music school was recognized by the Washington Post for celebrating a century of musical arts education!
Except below:
Melissa McMahon of Silver Springs is teaching Sofia Garcia, 9, how to count. Sofia’s hot pink Chuck Taylors swing back and forth as she follows along in the workbook. The baby grand Yamaha piano is quiet for a few minutes while McMahon teaches Sofia about the proper piano finger form. Sofia used only one hand to stroke the keys; the other was in her lap, as if it was weighed down by her metal gray bracelet.
“I want them to establish good technique, that starts with curving your fingers,” McMahon said. “If you form the right habits in the first place, then you won’t have to worry about breaking bad habits further down the line.”
Music teachers such as McMahon have become a valuable part of Jordan Kitt’s Music as the company celebrates its centennial with a greater attention on music education. Founded in 1912 as Jordan Piano Company by Arthur Jordan and Homer L. Kitt, the two businessmen established a chain of piano stores that rented and sold pianos to organizations such as the White House, the Kennedy Center, and the National Symphony Orchestra.
“Education is something that has always been involved in the company”, said Chris Syllaba, president and chief executive of Jordan Kitt’s Music. “We like teaching kids music. It’s obviously important to us that education reaches the children.”