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3/16/2022 0 Comments Dreams Do Come True2022 marks the 40th year of my music teaching career. Throughout these years, I have dreamed of establishing a music teaching school. The pandemic brought some interesting circumstances into my life, and I knew it was time to move forward with my dream. In July of 2020, KDF Music Connections was conceived. After a staggering amount of Zoom and in-person meetings, emails, phone calls, and texts, my husband and I took possession of the suite that would house the new music and art studios. It was a beautiful spring day in April of 2021.  In August, the construction finally began!  There were many delays, but we kept pushing through all of the frustration!  On 2/2/22, the doors of KDF Music Connections were opened!  Now my dream is to help you to realize your dreams. If you want your children to experience
the great benefits that music and art can bring into their lives, give us a call! If you always wanted to learn to play an instrument or paint a picture, it is never too late! KDF Music Connections doors are open. Our knowledgeable and caring teachers are ready to assist you. Now is the time for your dreams to come true!
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12/20/2021 0 Comments The Greatest Gift 1972 - 1973
I was in seventh grade. I had played the flute for two years and was an average musician. There was a brief two-month period of playing the trumpet in which I held the instrument during rehearsals and didn't play a note! Then through some very bizarre circumstances, I began playing the French horn. It was my instrument, and I excelled with it. I knew for a fact that my life would be devoted to music. 1984 – 1985 I was living in New Jersey and teaching instrumental music in private Catholic Schools and realized that group instruction was not my forte. Then through some very bizarre circumstances, I began teaching music privately. It was my passion, and I excelled at it. Even though I have done some other things musically, I have consistently and thoroughly enjoyed teaching thousands of private music students. 2020 – 2021 I entered into my sixties and was teaching 60 private music students. I was content and settled. Then through some very bizarre circumstances brought on by the pandemic, I began to put feet to my long-time dream of owning a music teaching studio. Thus, KDF Music Connections took flight. 2022 KDF Music Connections will be opening the doors! We will teach many instruments and medians to beginners to experienced musicians at any age. For some people, like me, music will become a life-long passion. For the majority, studying music or art will be an activity that will bring joy and help them through the struggles of daily life. Wherever the path will take you, let KDF Music Connections guide you all the way! Call 833-2KDF2DAY to start your new year in a new way. HAPPY NEW YEAR! 12/7/2021 1 Comment Guest blog by Dwayne Motley
For a long time I've loved music and desired to play. It always seemed unattainable, a wish, a dream. When I would listen to music and hear a piano solo, I would quietly wish that I knew how to play it. My love for the piano grew over the years, but learning how to play still seemed a foregin concept.
On my 41st birthday, I was recovering from a torn bicep surgery as my wife and mother-in-law gave me presents. I opened a gold wrapped box and inside was a letter. As I read it, I was so overcome with emotion that tears poured from my eyes. My wife gave me the gift of music: money for lessons, music flashcards, and special stickers to help me learn the notes. As if that wasn’t enough, my mother-in-law gifted me her acoustic piano from her own home to practice on. I couldn’t believe it! It wasn’t something I asked for. I was completely shocked. I had no idea how much I needed this and how it would set my life in a new direction. Since that day, piano has been my everything. I signed up for lessons with Michele Roberts at the local music store and I haven’t looked back. Determined to savor this opportunity, I study music theory on my train ride to work, drill my music flash cards during my lunch break, and listen to music history podcasts. I practice on my piano daily, polish it weekly and tune it annually. Over time, my puppy-love for the piano deepened into a passionate, soulful connection. Then, the world turned upside down. Fear and confusion infused society, blaring on TVs in homes everywhere. I lost my restaurant and everything I was building. I didn’t have much to look forward to, but in all that darkness I always had music and it was my refuge. My piano allowed me to dream of a life outside of the restaurant industry. Where I can be home more for my family. Maybe I’d improve enough to teach someone else to play. I dreamed of giving someone else the joy that music gives me. It’s funny because I never thought I’d be here teaching piano, but I gotta be honest...I’m loving this journey! I’m eternally grateful to my wife and mother-in-law for igniting a fire in me that now illuminates the musical path for others. It's never too late to start lessons and you can do that at KDF Music Connections. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go practice … 11/15/2021 0 Comments MUSIC IS LIKE A JIGSAW PUZZLE (Part 2)
We then start to find the right pieces, and it fits together perfectly. (We are getting a few notes connected correctly!)  More and more pieces are connecting, and the picture is developing. (Yes, more and more notes are merging, and we start to hear parts of the song!)  We continue working on the puzzle. Sometimes it is so easy, and other times it seems like it will never be finished. (As we continue to practice, there are times when we think, "Yes, I am getting it," and then the next try is a disaster again!)  It gets more exciting near the end, and we are quickly placing piece after piece.
Finally, the last part is in place! We sit back and sigh together. (We play the song over and over again because it finally sounds like music!) Our eyes sweep over every part of the beautiful picture. We can play our song for other people who can enjoy the music as much as we do! Four years ago, my husband expressed an interest in doing a jigsaw puzzle with me. It is the perfect activity to keep the aging brain healthy. Even though I had limited experience with putting puzzles together, I eagerly agreed. The first puzzle was so complex. It took several weeks to complete, but in the end, I was hooked! My husband and I end most days by working together on the newest picture. With every puzzle, there is a point where I ask, "Why do we do this to ourselves?" I have realized that putting together a puzzle is exactly like learning to play a new song, which is why I love it so much! In my teaching, a student will frequently ask me why a song they are practicing doesn't sound like music, and out comes the puzzle illustration!  |
AuthorKay Darby Finch has been teaching music since moving to Southern Maryland in 1985. Her passion is working one-on-one with students of all ages. In addition to private teaching, Kay has led several church music ministries and owned a St. Mary’s County music store with her late husband, Harry Darby. Archives
January 2023
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