Piano Faculty
Education
Kimberly S. Yi received her bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Sungkyul University in South Korea, where she graduated with the highest honor from the music department. She studied piano under a prolific, internationally acclaimed scholar, Dr. Maurice Hinson, at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she obtained her master’s degree with an emphasis in piano performance, with a second major in piano pedagogy; she completed her master’s degree with the top honor awarded to only one graduate from the piano department.
In addition, Kim earned her doctoral degree in higher education with piano pedagogy emphasis from George Mason University, where she studied under Dr. Joanne Haroutounian who is renown for her extraordinary pedagogical work in Artistic Ways of Knowing in Gifted Education and Musical Intelligence. Kim also has attended training workshops in Orff-Schulwerk, Alexander Technique, Dalcroze, and Suzuki Piano.
Artist Experience
Kim has been invited by the Hansei University Graduate School of Piano Pedagogy and Piano Teachers Association in South Korea to give lectures in piano literature, piano wellness, and pedagogy. Some of her major lectures and workshop topics include Creative Piano Teaching Methods, Professional Piano Studio Management, Teaching Methods for Piano Literature from the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century for Intermediate Level, and a lecture-recital on Clara Schumann: Variations on a theme by Robert Schumann.
Kim’s latest academic accomplishments include an article in the November 2020 issue of Music Teachers National Association’s e-journal and presentations of her research at the 2020 Music Teachers National Association’s GP-3 Group Pedagogy Conference (held virtually due to COVID) and at the prestigious National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago, IL in 2019.
Teaching Experience
Kim has been in the music profession for nearly thirty years in various capacities as a studio teacher, clinician, and competition judge, working with students of all ages, including piano teachers, music educators, and professional musicians. She has been on the School of Music faculty at George Mason University since 2009 teaching various undergraduate and graduate piano courses including Functional Keyboard Skills and Advanced Keyboard Pedagogy. She writes and arranges music to guide her students in learning functional keyboard skills as a creative and effective teaching tool, as well as helping them understand many aspects of music theory and other areas of music.
Teaching Philosophy
“A musical learning experience provides people with a wonderful opportunity to explore creativity as well as self-discovery. The primary focus of my teaching philosophy is to find great joy in making music and fostering a lifelong music lover. I believe that more than ever, music is playing such a crucial role in our lives as we live through a very emotionally challenging world, and I am committed to providing a positive and musically inspiring learning environment to my students.”
– Kimberly S Yi
Additional Facts
Kim enjoys reading, especially about neuroscience and behavioral psychology. She also loves walking in the woods and spending time with her family.