Background
Kiona Ervin, a classical pianist, vocalist and music education major, began studying classical piano at the age of five under the instruction of Linda Floyd and continued to pursue her musical studies in high school under the instruction of June Miller. Matriculating through college at Winston-Salem State University as a music business major provided her with many opportunities that have helped to shape her into the musician that she is today. Such opportunities included playing the piano in masterclasses for internationally-known concert pianists Jade Simmons and Awadagin Pratt, combining with the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorale and Orchestra as a member of the Winston-Salem State University Choir to perform Haydn's Creation as an alto, marching as a percussionist in the Red Sea of Sound Marching Band, accompanying vocalist and instrumentalist for music performance seminars, and playing in chamber music ensembles. She received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Music Business in December 2010. She is currently attending Towson University as a graduate student in the Masters of Science in Music Education Program and the MSDE Teaching License Certification Program, teaching private piano lessons and a teacher's assistant for a Yamaha Group Piano Class at Lutherville Music School. As a private piano teacher, her approach to teaching is student-centered, which means she simply just sets up the environment in which her students can learn on their own and at their own pace, and integrates the methods of music pedagogues Dalcroze, Orff, and Kodaly, which provides her piano students with multiple ways of understanding the elements of music and the opportunity to experience music through movement. Her passion for music has inspired others and has touched the lives of students she has formerly taught and is currently teaching. She is now a candidate for the MSDE Teaching License for Vocal Music K-12 and wishes to teach Vocal Music to all grade levels and own a studio for private instruction in piano and voice.
