GAME CHANGERS MAGAZINE | 14
Ken Wilson is
Changing Lives thru Music with K Piano
BY CHILTON STEWART
We ’ re here today with a true renaissance man among us . If there is such a thing as a person who is both left brain and right bring it ’ s my friend , and brother Kenneth . Kenneth , having passed the CPA Exam worked in consulting for over a decade with PricewaterhouseCoopers helping to build their international Enterprise Risk Management practice . However , not only is he one of the sharpest strategic thinkers , he is also an accomplished musician who has composed , played for , and worked with many top names in the music industry .
When you start talking about giving kids the opportunity to play the Piano and I mean early you are literally building a stronger future . So says Kenneth Wilson , the brains behind K-Piano , an innovative new app that has found its market during Covid giving kids a hands on teaching experience , from a distance .
“ I think the difference between K Piano and other Apps is that I don ’ t think the other apps give you music the way we all got it . You can play an app but there is no algorithm there ’ s no software that substitutes a real teacher looking at where you are . Critiquing you staying on you if you ’ re not practicing .”
But he also has plans to expand to other markets in GA as well as adding a mobile unit that can come to a neighborhood near you and teach music .
Despite coming out of a tough 2020 Kenneth still has aggressive plans to expand his business and mission . “ 2020 has been a hell of a year ! My Dad passing was huge and then the business partner dying and then Covid hitting
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The only thing you can do is teach a child ’ s brain to process information creatively and to solve problems . right as we have the mobile steam labs getting ready to go .” Mobile Steam being his latest initiative to bring the gift of music to more disadvantaged communities . “ We actually purchased a former Dekalb co Mobile Police Precinct , gutted it out and put a piano lab in there so it teaches piano , computer coding and stem lessons .” An ambitious initiative that he is fully aware needs the help of the community . “ My main goal is to solicit the support of our parents , our community , our artistic community as well to come together and make that a reality . I hope that in 2021 when the world opens back up , we will be able to pull the mobile steam labs back up to the schools .”
His passion is based on his own personal experience in both the music and corporate worlds ! While some may find the two a strange mix . Kenneth Wilson is perfectly comfortable helping others understand just how perfectly the two worlds fit together . “ Music Opens so many doors . I can say how much music has opened doors for me . Not just artistically but in the corporate world . I want to make sure at the end of the day Kids get the opportunity to learn and get the gift .”
Like a proud General remarking about his well trained troops Kenneth beams with pride talking about their skill levels . “ My kids can play . I got kids playing the beginner level all the way to Chopin Johan Sebastian Bach .” He also is extremely clear about the positive effect music can have in changing the course of a young child ’ s life . He wants to positively impact his community with the gift that has so positively impacted him and he can explain in no uncertain terms just how important music education can be !
“ Our Mission statement is changing lives through music . Did you know that if a kid plays an instrument before the age of 12 he has a graduation rate of 98 percent ? So literally putting a child on an instrument is tearing apart the school to prison pipeline .”
As a true community leader , Kenneth Wilson is fully aware of the battles that face our Black youth in an education system that often underserves , if not outright ignores , our children ’ s intellectual needs .
“ More than half of the jobs that are in demand today didn ’ t exist ten years ago . So teachers are teaching kids to solve problems that haven ’ t even happened yet using solutions that haven ’ t been invented . So the only thing you can do is teach a child ’ s brain to process information creatively and to solve problems .”
Music teacher indeed or maybe revolutionary .