Mission Statement

We believe that every person has an innate need to be musically expressed and that everyone, regardless of circumstance, possesses the ability to meet that need. Our mission is to cultivate the natural musicality that is inherent in everyone, promote the many lifelong benefits of music, empower people to enjoy fulfillment from and freedom in their musicality, and enrich as many lives as possible through the gift of musical expression.

About our logo

The overall design of the Keys to Harmony logo may have different meanings to different people.

For us, the logo represents how music touches all sides of the human experience - the ebb and flow of joy, peace, sadness, tragedy and all other human emotions. Harmony can be found in our varying life experiences when we are able to express our emotions through music.

The universal language of music connects us all and promotes peace, unity, harmony, and balance. This is one reason we chose to incorporate a yin yang element in our logo. The keyboard represents music unifying the world.

Teacher Biographies

	Laurie is a traditionally trained pianist and flutist, plays a bit of guitar and has also played oboe and alto saxophone. She formerly taught traditional piano and Kindermusik. Laurie comes from a family of talented musicians and has been fortunate to have been surrounded by great music her entire life. Her father is an active jazz musician and retired band director, her mother an accomplished pianist who still performs, and her sisters both talented pianists who also play other instruments. Her sister Anne Smith is a Simply Music teacher in Bellevue, NE. Laurie earned a business degree from the University of NE at Omaha in 1990 and worked several years as an accountant. When her children were very young, she worked part-time and began teaching traditional piano lessons to supplement her income. After two years of teaching she discovered the Simply Music program and was excited to begin offering this revolutionary curriculum. She became a licensed Simply Music teacher in 2004 and has since achieved Advanced Teacher status. As her business continued to grow, she moved her home to Rockbrook Plaza in 2008. In 2010 the studio expanded into an adjacent bay and became Keys to Harmony, LLC. Laurie is very active in the Simply Music teacher community. She has a Simply Music-endorsed coaching program for other teachers worldwide, presents regularly at conferences and has contributed to teacher training materials and student home materials. She stays active as a performer by serving on the worship team at Brookside Church on both piano and keyboard and also has had experience as keyboardist and backup vocalist in a local cover band. Laurie and her husband Mike home school their three children. Everyone in the family is taking lessons at Keys to Harmony!
	Sherrine was traditionally trained in piano, flute and voice. Her father played piano and organ, her mother directed children’s choirs and musicals in church, and her brother played saxophone and performed in jazz band. She began performing regularly at age 7. In high school she was involved in band, choral ensembles, and theater and also continued to perform in church, and with other community and professional choirs and theatrical groups. Later she went on to study spanish and music in college. After her first daughter was born she became a Licensed Kindermusik Educator and taught Kindermusik for 8 years. In the summer of 2008, she inherited her Grandmothers beloved Steinway and was not only ready to enroll her daughters in piano lessons, but also begin teaching piano herself. She found out about Simply Music a short time later, and enrolled her daughters in lessons with Laurie Richards. She was so impressed by what her daughters were learning and how empowered they felt with their playing that she knew this was the only piano method she wanted to teach! She began sharing Simply Music with others in Fall of 2008. Sherrine has a desire for others to experience their own musicality and to feel the joy of playing piano as a natural part of their everyday lives.
	Bridget Tighe is a newly licensed Simply Music teacher who is looking forward to sharing her love of piano with her students. She taught traditional piano lessons for a short time and found the results to be slow. After hearing about Simply Music, Bridget was extremely interested. The Simply Music method promises quick results, which was very appealing. Music has always played a major part of Bridget’s life. Throughout junior high and high school Bridget was involved in choir and band. She has been taking piano lessons for nine years. Bridget also plays the piano for her church and for weddings. She currently is a junior at Midland Lutheran College majoring in vocal music education.
	Katie's family has instilled in her a passion for music from a very young age. She enjoyed performing in show choir in middle school and high school and is currently teaching herself to play guitar. Piano has been a much easier and more enjoyable instrument to play, but she appreciates both. Katie started with Keys to Harmony as a student. Having always had the desire to play piano, she finally got the chance to start as an adult. She was thrilled with how quickly she was learning with the Simply Music program. Now she is able to confidently play (and sing along with) a large repertoire of different styles of music, both from the Simply Music curriculum and from other sources of contemporary music that she enjoys. When offered the opportunity to teach at Keys to Harmony, she jumped at the chance to share this wonderful gift with others.
	Music has always played a major part of LaRae’s life. Throughout high school she was involved in choir both at school and in her church. She also played the 12 string guitar for a while after high school. Her brother and sister play anything with strings! She is currently involved with Lifegate worship team in the choir. LaRae has always wanted to be able to play the piano but was always intimidated by the traditional method. When she "happened" upon Simply Music she jumped in with both feet!! After a few years of lessons, she felt led to teach this wonderful gift of piano to others. LaRae is a product of this method! With the dedication she applies to practicing and following the curriculum, she has enjoyed wonderful success in her piano playing and offers unique insight and perspective to her students. She is an asset to Keys to Harmony!