Welcome! My name is Kasey Stokes, I’m a music educator, arts and music administrator, marketer and music therapy graduate student based in New York City.

Born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in Boone, North Carolina, I began my piano studies at the age of four under Suzuki master-teacher, Mary Craig Powell and continued instruction with Appalachian State University faculty, Dr. Christina Hayes, Dr. Bair Shagdaron and Dr. Rodney Reynerson. Between my high school years, I spent the summers attending music-intensive programs including Cannon Music Camp, MYCO Chamber Music, and Indiana University Piano Academy.

I graduated from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) with a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance in May of 2021, studying under the tutelage of Dr. Dror Biran. During my undergraduate studies, I was selected to attend the Amalfi Coast Music Festival (2019) and Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (2018). In addition to my performance competition achievements, I participated in master classes led by renowned artists such as Logan Skelton, Inna Faliks, Marina Lomazov, Christopher Harding and Michael Lewin, among others.

My teaching journey began at the age of twelve - starting with beginners and progressing to students at the early advanced level. Coming from generations of music educators, I have been fortunate to witness a diverse range of music pedagogy approaches from a front-row seat. My passion for piano and music has allowed me to express things that words cannot. I strive to help the next generation of musicians discover and ignite their own musical spark.

Months before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Cincinnati’s Church of Our Saviour/ La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador partnered with CCM to bring accessible, cost-free music education to under-served students. I was fortunately chosen to lead the program as a piano instructor. Even with language barriers, together, the students and I learned to adapt accordingly in lessons with various visual elements and hand gestures. The program returned in online format the following fall, where I developed weekly piano tutorials in English and Spanish*. The program, Lives United/Vidas Unidas (LU/VU), continues to expand and I am grateful to be a part of it from a distance as an active board member.

In my undergrad, I served as the CCM Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) collegiate chapter Co-President for two years. I was an active participant at annual MTNA, OMTA and collegiate symposium conferences. Since graduating, I’ve continued to further my professional development and attend more conferences, such as NCKP: The Piano Conference, workshops and master classes given by leading pedagogues from around the world.

Currently, I am a Music Therapist in training, studying my masters at Molloy University in Long Island, NY. I continue to maintain my own private piano studio in NYC both in-person and online. For lesson inquires, please refer to my piano lessons page.

I am incredibly passionate about music and the arts and hope to share it with others throughout my professional career.

Outside of music, I enjoy photography, going on walks in NYC parks and exploring new restaurants!

*Spanish audio translations were provided by various members from the Church of Our Saviour congregation!

Photo by Sequoyah Images