Katherine Farnham

by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham

Hello Folks!

Thanks for reading this blog post. I know that you have choices when it comes to your education and I appreciate the time that you've set aside to read this information. I hope this will give you a clearer idea of what the benefits are of beginning or continuing private study. 

A BALANCED APPROACH
The first thing I do is work to learn about students, communicate and build trust. Communication is so important. I honor the timeless tradition of the Artist Teacher…

by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' FARNHAM

The first thing I do with students is not to teach music at all. What? Yes you heard that right. The first thing I do with new students is actually to work on building trust. Why? Because trust is the most important foundation for any type of relationship, including the teacher/student relationship.  Without a certain level of trust, the message of truth and love in education cannot get across. Students will not grow. Teachers cannot do their jobs. Opportunities for growth…

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by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham 

It’s funny the memories that flash through your mind sometimes. It’s funny the moments that stick with you. 

It was a life changing experience to teach in the Los Angeles inner city. I’ll never forget it. A few days ago I remembered the face of a boy who was in my class years ago. 

During my first few years living in LA, I taught in Los Angeles and Compton. The LA teaching site was an after school program. We provided the musical portion of the activities for the kids…

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by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham 

Hello there and welcome! I hope this finds you well and staying safe. This article will address an important topic: self care for singers. You probably know a bit about this, but let's look at it from a few different angles for best results. During challenging times, what types of activities give you peace and strength? Even though all of us are different, there are a few components that everyone should try to address to the best of their ability. These components are: 

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by Katherine ‘KOOL KAT’ Farnham 

I had my first experience as a jazz vocal soloist at the age of five. At that time of course I did not understand what jazz was but I knew I loved the melodic structure and rhythms. Even after attending undergraduate school I still heard many musicians asking “What is jazz?” I found this to be extremely odd! How would I ever grow within a genre that no one could even define? It felt ridiculous. However, as time passed and I matured as a musician I began to think that one’s…

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by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham 

The following story is true. It is a testimony to the power of music to overcome fear, misunderstanding and prejudice. 

When I first moved to Southern California I was performing live, recording and teaching music at a private school. Most of the students were Korean and the teachers represented a mix of different ethnic backgrounds. The head of my location was a beautiful and fun lady, with an eccentric personality and a desire to help people. I enjoyed talking with her…

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by Katherine ‘KOOL KAT’ Farnham 

 

Aug. 29th, 2017 - Many people are concerned about the flooding taking place now in Texas. My heart goes out to those who are in need at this time. Although many Americans living in other areas are probably very busy, with too many responsibilities on their plate already (isn’t this something most of us can relate to), it is good to lend a hand whenever possible. Especially in this age of technology, we can connect and help others more easily than in the past. Moreover…

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by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham
 

If you know anything at all about music, even from an occasional “I listen to Pandora” perspective then you know that music has several inherent elements. These range from rhythm to melody and harmony and more. The way the basic elements are constructed within a piece of music affects how it comes across to the listener. 

Perhaps even more importantly however, the elements of music are already present in nature. Many great philosophers and artists believed that it was…

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by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham 
 

Hello everybody! Here are some thoughts about music and life that I hope may help you and give you food for thought (chocolate cheesecake in particular!). 

We now live in a global community and the Internet has dramatically shifted the way people communicate with each other on a day to day basis. Every culture has beautiful and unique things to offer. Every culture also has a unique way of living and looking at the world. We now have so much opportunity to learn about…

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by Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham

 

Hi there!

 

This blog post addresses an important issue: having a mentor. Having an artist mentor is something that has occurred for hundreds of years. A lot of people use the word “teacher” but I think that mentor is in many cases a more accurate word. There are a lot of confusions about this issue. I hope this post will clarify some misconceptions.

 

I was blessed to be born into a family of professional musicians and educators. I understand what it means to have a…

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