Today we’d like to introduce you to Khari Joyner.
Hi Khari, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began playing the cello at the age of 8; into a musical family– my dad was a percussionist major in college, and my mother played various wind instruments when younger, but really watching my older brothers learn the violin growing up and hearing their music was always very inspiring to me. They started playing at ages 4 and 5, in the Suzuki Method, which is a wonderful Music Education method that involves young musicians, their teachers, and parents in a holistic and rounded way to develop aural training and kinesthetic skills from an early age.
After beginning Suzuki training on cello at 8 years old, in Atlanta, GA, I began to quickly progress and find a new passion! I started becoming active throughout my elementary and middle school years in various community youth orchestras, programs and had a wonderful teacher who really pushed me. After middle school/early high school, I progressed even further and was able to win local contests and awards– it was around this time that I knew I wanted to play the cello professionally as a concert artist.
Having had other hobbies and interests such as mathematics in high school, I knew I wanted to keep the cello related to my academic studies, and so I applied/was accepted to many undergraduate programs that had a combination of music and STEM double majors. I ended up pursuing my degrees at The Juilliard School while taking a minor/concentration in mathematics credits over five years. Shortly after my combined accelerated Bachelor/master’s degree, I pursued a Doctoral degree in cello performance and discovered a new-found love of teaching which I had done briefly during my undergraduate. This progressed to so many wonderful opportunities, including being awarded a generous grant from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund and many others to help pursue my career as an Artist-Teacher. One thing led to another, and after applying for some Professorship positions, I landed a position at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, where I teach today outside of Cleveland, OH!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There were many small hiccups/bumps along the way, most notably including dealing with a serious health condition I had when in my sophomore year of high school. This took a tremendous amount of recovery, and although it was a very scary/long process which also involved extended periods of not playing the cello when I most needed to play, I had such a supportive family, circle of mentors, friends, etc. who helped me triumph through the process. It was also these years that I learned the power of Music Therapy and why I advocate so much for performing music as a therapeutic means to good health and inspiration.
Other struggles included balancing a busy schedule throughout high school with my music-making professional opportunities locally with my classes/assignments.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I liked to call myself an “Artist-Professor (or Artist-Teacher).” Most of my work is spent now teaching, coaching, and mentoring my wonderful students at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music outside of Cleveland, OH. But this work is complemented with professional solo engagements with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and other entities more nationally and internationally. My specialties in music-making are really vast, including new music, interdisciplinary music (combining dance/theater, visual arts, etc.), and STEM with music.
While I have boundless hobbies, I really enjoy using music as a means to find out more about the interconnectedness with mathematics and the natural sciences. This work began intensely while I pursued my Doctorate, but I have always been curious about this intersection. I am proud of many things, most notably my students, but one thing I am constantly proud of is how adaptable and resilient I have become, largely due to having had many significant life events which have taught me this. It has opened a wide range of emotional skills and other skills that are necessary for so many versatile skill sets.
Any big plans?
I have many plans in the future! Some of which continues my leadership work at Baldwin Wallace as the Strings Program Coordinator, but I also hope to continue my passion for STEM and music to found a STEAM summer program in Northeast Ohio. I am also involved with a number of fantastic endeavors and initiatives at my alma mater (The Juilliard School) and also am really excited to see what is in store over the next 5-10 years from these initiatives.
I also hope to hone some of my other skills related to music and to continue my expanding my network of performances with interdisciplinary art forms. After a really exciting collaboration I was involved in with a choreographer last year, where I wrote a piece for the Atlanta Ballet, I think this has ignited many ideas for what is yet to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kharijoyner.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kars_and_music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusicandMotors/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs1mkEwIsRrSvY-pHyvFiAA
Image Credits
Arthur Moeller
JuMi Photography
Tara Rayburn
Brian Wallenberg
