"I had the honor to work with Trish Keith at North Carroll High School in the fine arts department from Sept. of 2000 until June of 2007. We worked as a team directing The Wizard of Oz, Les Miserables, West Side Story, and Aida. In addition to her amazing skill in working with teens as a classroom teacher and music director, she also worked with 70 three to ten year olds in The Wizard of Oz and a much smaller but vital group of children in Les Miserables. As a mother, myself, to three young children, I feel confident recommending Trish as exactly the right mixture of kind, patient, nurturing with rigorous, challenging, professional. She consistently raises the bar with all ages of children. My own young daughter loved nothing more than visiting Miss Trish when she was at our school, and sitting down at her piano and playing for her- and then hearing from her what Miss Trish thought."
Alex Winter, Piano Student, age 16
"After joining chorus in 7th grade, I was hooked into singing. I was unsure whether to continue singing in high school, but after my warm introduction to the choral program by Mrs. Keith, I was definitely ready to continue. This past summer, I also received piano lessons from Mrs. Keith to further my education and skills in performing music of all sorts. Her knowledge of how each of her students work and their strengths and weaknesses is amazing. On top of all her experience with music and her students, she's also one of the nicest people you could possibly learn from. Now I split my time between marching band on saxophone, playing with the school band on clarinet, singing in North Carroll's famous Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Singers, and even playing guitar for a "ska" rock band. Her guidance helped make me the musician I am today, and I hope her knowledge and personality will positively affect all her students as well as it affected me."
Kristin Nemecek, Voice Student, student from age 16-18
"Very positive experience! I became a more well-rounded vocalist, singing genres from Italian Aria, to musical theater, to pop. Mrs. Keith created an excellent environment for me to prepare for auditions and performances. Mrs. Keith helped me to set personal goals, and overcome challenges. She never gave up on me! I'm currently attending Hofstra University in New York, studying theater. The skills I've learned with Mrs. Keith have carried over into musical theater at the college level. I will continue to take voice lessons at Hofstra. "
Kellie Handley, Piano Student, age 15
"It was great!!! I learned not only piano skills, but theory as well!!!"
Elizabeth
E. Rostek- Elementary/Middle School teacher and
parent
When
I first met Mrs. Keith, she was my youngest daughter's
music teacher at North Carroll High School. My daughter was
in eleventh grade and was going through a difficult time in
her life. Well, Mrs. Keith took her under her wings and
nurtured her as her music teacher. She praised my
daughter's talents, developed her musical skills to where
she was doing solos, duets, and ensemble work with music of
different styles. My daughter came from having such a
low-self esteem to being modest, yet very confident of her
musical talents and skills. Today, my daughter is
twenty-two years old. Although she started as a music major
in college (and received all A's in all of her music
courses), she decided to become a graphic artist and is
graduating this coming year. Although she did not major in
music, the confidence built in her through Mrs. Keith, gave
her the courage and strength to pursue a new field that was
unfamiliar and extremely challenging. She still loves her
music and tells everyone just how a very special teacher,
Mrs. Keith, taught her everything she knows. Last, but not
least, she has a fan club of parents who would do anything
for her because she is just a unique, sincere fun-loving
professional who loves music.
I witnessed and observed Mrs. Keith's style of teaching
many times throughout the eight years that I have known
her. Being a music teacher myself for twenty-two years, I
could not stay away from an opportunity to observe her
nurturing teaching style. What I witnessed was this. When I
entered the classroom, auditorium, or place of performance,
it was warm, friendly, nurturing, fun and very positive.
The student's ideas were always heard, welcomed, developed
and successfully carried out in such a musical, creative,
expressive manner. I was amazed at the level of music
performed by her students and the outcome of those
performances. She offered challenges to all of her students
and the students always welcomed those challenges. The
rewards of those challenges brought students home with many
awards and trophies of the highest achievement. As a music
teacher, I asked Mrs. Keith to be a guest artist at my
middle school where I was working at the time. She worked
with my students in preparing for a competition. Please
understand, this was a very challenging task. The students
fell in love with her because she was diligent, fun and
instilled in them the belief that they can achieve anything
with hard work and a positive attitude. As a result, we
came out of the competition as, "Best Overall Choir," and
"First Place, superior." Needless to say, the music
department just prospered from that point on.
Today, I am an elementary
school teacher. I teach children from the ages of three
years-old to eleven years-old. As a parent and teacher,
there are many concerns these days as to who is a good
teacher and who I trust my child with in these days of
great uncertainty. No matter the age, talent, disposition
of a child, I can guarantee that you can trust your child
with Mrs. Keith. If and when you decide to send your child
for music lessons, you will be very grateful that you did,
because your child will get a nurturing professional who
will meet the needs of her students. She not only teaches
the mechanics, theory and the process of playing the piano
or singing, she teaches the meaning of what they are
performing so they may communicate what is in their hearts
and the hearts of the composers. This is a great way to
teach children how to comprehend and communicate not only
what is written and performed, but what is heard(unwritten)
and felt through music. She is a great listener, and
teaches her students the art of listening effectively. A
beneficial skill that students need to develop in order to
follow directions effectively in a classroom , testing, and
in a sports setting. Mrs. Keith will challenge her students
creating self-confidence, self-determination, perseverance
and discipline. What makes her so unique? She is blessed
with the gift of music, she loves music and wants to share
her talents and joys of music with others in the most
nurturing, professional manner. If you would like to
contact me for further praise, please feel free to do so
through my e-mail address: lizros@att.net. Oh…don't be
surprised if you don't ask to have lessons yourself. She's
just that outstanding.
Many Blessings,
Liz Rostek
Renee
Rogers,
Voice
Student, age 21
"Studying
with Mrs. Keith was a great experience! We worked on
everything from Italian Arias to Musical Theatre. I was
able to focus on skills that I personally lacked, such as
breath support. Since working with her my range has
expanded, I have purer vowels, and my voice has learned to
soar! I am currently working in the Baltimore and
Catonsville area in the world of Musical
Theatre."
Mary
Moore, Parent
"Mrs.
Keith gave Caitlin an amazing amount of self confidence.
She helped her find audition, and personal music that
really enriched her voice, but was different from what
other students were using. She demanded excellence,respect
and hard work, while admitting how she had had to work
through her own weaknesses and mistakes. She also had a
firm understanding of how to use your throat, palate and
voice to get the richest sound possible.She was a real gift
in the three years that we were in her classes, at North
Carroll and in private lessons."
Caitlin
Moore, Voice Student, age 17
"Mrs. Keith is a fabulous
voice teacher, accompanist,and all around musician. Not
only does she teach you how to improve techniques with your
voice, she ensures that you come to understand music
theory, improving your musicianship. She never makes you
feel like you are doing poorly even if you are having a bad
day. She teaches you how to deal with those situations when
they arise and pull off a great performance. She is the
reason I feel comfortable singing in front of an audience.
Currently I am apart of the award winning North Carroll
Ensemble and Chamber Singers, singing various solos,
singing with our choirs, and loving every minute of it. I
auditioned for All-State Chorus this year and hope to
become a part of that amazing group.I also plan to pursue
vocal performance classes in college."
Bernadette Korpacz, Parent
"When you have
a teacher that instills the love of music in any student
she meets, you have a gift from God. Mrs. Keith is a
patient, loving, caring, and gifted music teacher. Her
talents range from opera to whatever is current with the
children she teaches. Kristen's beautiful voice was
nurtured by Mrs. Keith into a voice that hit notes that I
didn't know existed. Her enthusiasm and love of music is
infectious to not only her students but their parents. It
is amazing to a parent to see the transformation of a
beautiful voice (and we all think our children's voices are
beautiful) into a magnificent voice with depth and range
that you didn't know your child was possible of. For anyone
who is serious about wanting to sing to your potential (and
beyond), I highly recommend the talents Mrs. Keith has to
offer."
Megan Smith, voice student, age 17
"I had always
been a shy person growing up, never spoke up and was always
a quiet singer. After taking lessons with Mrs. Keith I
gained the confidence to come out of my shell. She was able
to bring out a more grown up and mature, strong voice. By
taking lessons with Mrs. Keith I have been more confident
in my performances and everyday life, I find myself more
apt to participate and voice my opinion.
Recent news: Since Mrs. Keith moved to Pennsylvania I have
continued singing in my school's Show Choir where I am a
confident leader which all the under-class members can look
up to. I have been given multiple solo opportunities since
taking lessons with the AMAZING Mrs.
Keith!!"
Ilana
Kelsey, Voice Student, age 18
" I took
private lessons from Mrs. Keith during this past summer in
order to prepare audition pieces for the choral programs at
The University of Maryland, College Park. I also had the
opportunity to study under Mrs. Keith in various classes
and after-school choirs during all four years of high
school, which greatly helped prepare me for singing in
college. In private lessons I studied mezzo voice,
rehearsing a variety of songs which highlighted both a
Soprano II and Alto I range. Mrs. Keith is a phenomenal
teacher who thoroughly knows music and the voice as an
instrument. She was always fun to work with, encouraging
and flexible. She also taught my younger sister who’s 16
and my 12 year old brother. Everything she helped me
accomplish vocally she also effectively achieved in her
teaching of younger students. Thanks to everything I
learned between four years of classes and private lessons
this past summer, I have been more than prepared for
singing in a college choir. Currently I am a member of the
Women’s Chorus on campus, in addition to also participating
in the marching band and University band. My preparation in
the past four years has enabled me to quickly adjust to
college level music, and I often find that my knowledge of
singing, good vowel production, breath support, and so much
more, is more thorough than most other non-music major
singers whom I’ve met here."
Melissa
Hughes, Voice Student, age 17
"Mrs. Patricia
Keith was my chorus and singing teacher for a period of
three years. She helped me to gain more confidence in my
vocal ability. In my private sessions, with her, I noticed
that I was able to gain more volume in my singing without
"yelling." Mrs. Keith is very serious and hard-working, but
she is also extremely nice and supportive. I am positive
that without the help of Mrs. Keith, I would not be at the
point that I am now with my vocal ability."
Christine
Cox, Voice Student, Adult
"As a dancer I was always
told that I didn't have voice, just great dancing ability.
I didn't know what to expect out of my voice lessons when I
began with Mrs. Keith, but my main goal was to get through
16 bars at an audition. When I started studying not only
did Mrs. Keith teach me about voice, she showed me all
those people who told me I couldn't sing were wrong. Her
teaching style was always very positive and encouraging.
Even as an adult student she started from the beginning
making sure that I understood basic elements of voice
parts, sight reading, breath support, singing posture, and
music terminology. Being an adult I was able to quickly
move through a lot of material, but because she built a
good foundation I was able to excel faster than I had
anticipated. No matter how discouraged I got she didn't
stop believing that there was a voice inside, and through
only a few months she started to open up a voice and
prepared me for some very big auditions. When I got my
first vocal callback I knew that it would never have
happened if I hadn't gotten such a strong foundation.
Mrs. Keith prepared me for the start of my professional
performing career that has taken me to New York City. I no
longer dread those 16 bars at an audition! I have
successfully found a lot of professional work including TV
appearances on Good Morning America, The View, and The
Today Show. I also run my own children's entertainment
company, www.misschristine.net, in which I use my
performing/singing skills to entertain at high end events
all over the New York City tri-state area. I most recently
starred in an off Broadway production as Dorothy in "The
Magical Wizard of Oz", in which I had a lot of singing!
Through my professional career Mrs. Keith remains a mentor
and positive supporter. She cares about her students and
wants to remain involved in all of her former student's
voice experiences. When you have Mrs. Keith as a voice
teacher, you have more than a teacher, you are creating a
long lasting relationship with a very special, creative
teaching artist. I am luckily to have had such a wonderful
person be such a big impact on my career."
Joyce
Hughes, Parent
"Mrs. Patricia
Keith continued to amaze me through my daughter's time with
her. She is a very conscientious teacher with high
standards for her students. She knows how to criticize
without any harsh words, and she always congratulates her
students of their successes. I was fortunate enough to
travel on a vocal symposium with Mrs. Keith. I watched her
teach several classes on choral teaching strategies and was
amazed at her knowledge and confidence while doing so. She
has a way with children that cannot be matched by anyone
else I have seen.
I'd like to congratulate her on her accomplishments and
wish her the best in her future endeavors. I would like to
let you know, that if you choose Mrs. Keith, you will be
taken in by her spirit and love of music, and you will be
amazed by the musical growth of your child."
Jocelyn
Garcia
"My name is Jocelyn Garcia
(maiden name Petit de Mange), I'm 24 years old living in
Fayetteville, North Carolina. I've known Tricia since I was
little but didn't start studying with her until I started
at Mt.Airy middle school in the Fall of 1994. Tricia was
such an energetic and fun music teacher and inspired me to
keep singing and follow my heart. Once I started at South
Carroll high school I began private lessons with Tricia
where she helped fine tune my voice and prepare me for many
events throughout high school and finally helped to get me
into West Chester University as a vocal music major. Tricia
is such a talented, and passionate musician who not only
knows her stuff when it comes to music but also knows and
cares about each and everyone of her students. Even though
I changed majors and received my BS in Nursing and am
working as a Neonatal Intensive care nurse singing to my
premature infant in the unit, I still carry with me a love
and respect for music because of Tricia. She is an
incredible person and anyone who has the honor of having
her as a teacher should feel blessed and know that you will
walk away from your experience with her inspired and
passionate for not only music but for everything you do in
life, SHE'S AWESOME!"
Kristen Korpacz, Voice Student, student from ages
14-18
"I learned more
in studying privately with her in four years than I ever
would have learned in my high school music classes alone.
My parents and I attribute my vocal skills entirely to her
teaching. Currently I only use my singing when my sorority
needs someone to put on stage. I have won numerous "Best
Female Vocals" during our annual Greek Carnival (against
the top opera singer in the university's music school!) and
have participated in two Greek Goddess pageants. Our Greek
Life advisor was floored when my little person showed off
my big voice, he has me sing at all the alumni events and
has even recommended me to our ritual speaker to be the one
to sing "Lean On Me" at the beginning of her lectures. "
Patricia
Kelley Keith's students perform at Carnegie Hall
