About Keys of Joy! Studio Piano Lessons Lawrence Simply Music Keys of Joy

Keys of Joy! is owned by the brother and sister team, Evan and Paige Hunter. Evan and Paige received many years of traditional piano training while in grade school, and both were section leaders in their junior high and high school bands. (Evan played trumpet and Paige played the flute and saxophone.) Evan and Paige created a keyboard, winds and vocal ensemble which provided Christmas music around Lawrence when they were in junior high school.

The studio opened in August, 2011 with 15 students. We now have nearly 60 students and expect to be teaching nearly 80 piano students by the end of 2013. About one-half of our students are adults aged 18 to nearly 80. The other half consists of children aged 6 to 17. The studio now offers voice and trumpet lessons in addition to piano and will soon offer lessons in more wind instruments.

Evan holds a bachelor's degree in music composition from the University of Kansas. Evan writes symphonic works for wind band and orchestra and has won the Claude T. Smith award and the Lawner Prize for composition. Evan tutors graduate students in music theory, sings in his church choir and plays the trumpet for worship services. Evan is also forming an orchestra for his church.

Paige holds a bachelor's degree in film, also from KU. Paige is a skilled arranger, keyboardist and singer who is constantly creating new songs with her Tyros digital workstation. In addition to her teaching role, Paige manages the studio office and she supervises our YouTube channel, our advertising, our website and production of our Student of the Month videos.

Voice lessons are provided by Emily Charles. Emily is a vocal instructor with a passion for performing and promoting music of all genres. She earned a Bachelor's of Music degree from Washburn University and is currently pursuing a Master's of Music degree in Voice at the University of Kansas. Successfully working with students of all ages, her students have gone on to sing with the Topeka Youth Choir, their middle school and high school musicals, and as soloists with their church and school choirs. Emily is a soloist and section leader in her church choir and has been featured in principle roles with the Washburn Opera Theater and as a soloist with the Washburn University Symphony Orchestra, Topeka Festival Singers, and the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. She is also a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity and was awarded their summer music grant to study bel canto opera in Florence, Italy in 2010. Whether you've been singing for years or have little to no vocal experience, her goal is to tailor to students' individual needs, focusing on musical theater, choir, classical solo singing, or any other musical genre!

Emily will sing at the Eutin Festspiele in Eutin, Germany, this summer! She will perform Carmen and The Magic Flute and she will join other vocalists in the chorus and will perform in a chamber concert in the closing weeks of the festival. Although this is great for her, it means that she will not be teaching at the studio until her return prior to the beginning of the fall semester. Emily will have limited access to email while in Europe so feel free to contact her this way to arrange discussions about voice lessons upon her return.

Call Emily at 785-741-0797 or email her at emily@keysofjoystudio.com if you would like to discuss voice lessons for you or your child.