We were lucky to catch up with Vicki King recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Vicki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

Playing the piano has always been what I loved most. My goal was to get my Master’s Degree in Piano so that I could teach piano in a college or University. My parents couldn’t afford to send me to a conservatory of music, so I went to a college with a good reputation in my home state. The teacher with whom I studied for four years was emotionally abusive and, in my Senior year, I developed severe pain in my arms and had trouble playing. I was accepted at a large university for my Master’s Degree, and, after auditioning for the piano faculty, was told I should go into another field because of all my physical inadequacies as a pianist. I was put on probation for a year to see if I could improve. I was devasted, as I had borrowed money to fulfill my dreams, only to have them shattered. None of the piano faculty wanted to teach me because of all my problems. I heard students talking about this wonderful teacher who could help students with problems. I begged her to teach me, even though she was overloaded with students and not adequately compensated. She accepted me, believed in me, and taught me what I should have known many years before. In a year and a half, she changed my life. Many years later, after I became an expert on piano technique and was able to help many students with their injuries, I went back to visit her, played for her so that she could see that her belief in me had paid off, and thanked her. Now, I work with students who have been hurt and injured without compensation as a way of thanking her memory and “paying it forward.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Dr. Vicki King, author of the books, “Playing the Piano Naturally,” which is a simple explanation of what I have learned in piano technique, and “Adventures of an Old Lady Piano Teacher,” which are short stories about students I have taught, working in Austria in a vocal institute for 29 summers, living in Germany where I worked as a ballet accompanist and opera coach, my stories in which I played for opera companies and as an organist in churches (in America and Austria). I “retired” 10 years ago and I continue playing on YouTube. My special interests are the music of Ukrainian composers and the major African American composer, Florence Price, whose manuscripts were thought to be lost, but were recently discovered and published. I continue to teach and consult with pianists suffering from performance injuries. My students are found all over the United States, as I teach on Zoom and FarPlay, a program enabling me to play duets with my student several states away. I taught in several colleges and universities in the south before retiring.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of playing the piano is that I can bring beauty into the lives of people through my music. Whether I’m playing at a church, a ballet class, a music club, for Senior Citizens in an assisted living facility, or over the internet on YouTube, I can make the world better through my music. During the pandemic, my husband, a professional tenor, and I, made videos each day and posted them on Facebook to keep up people’s spirits.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My husband’s dream was to be an opera singer in Germany. On Friday we sold our home, on Saturday we had a garage sale, and on Sunday we flew to Europe with a one-way ticket. We went to a music school in Austria (where we later worked for many years). They helped us get jobs in the German opera system. My job was to play for the ballet company in the opera house. I had never played for dancers and had no idea what to do, but I decided that I could learn. It was the beginning of a rewarding aspect of my career, and I’ve played for dancers professionally for 10 years. Everything I learned helped me become a better pianist and teacher. So, a young piano teacher from the South had to change careers to become a professional ballet accompanist at the Hamburg, Germany, opera house.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.naturalpianoplaying.com
• Facebook: Vicki King
• Youtube: Vicki King