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Sharon Collver

Piano


Sharon Collver has followed a musical pathway since she was a young child.

Family members would place her on top of the car in the church parking lot, at age two, to sing "How Great Thou Art". But it was not until age seven that Sharon began to develop her relationship with the keyboard, and that was on her mother's electric chord organ. For the next two years, she picked out melodies and strengthened her understanding of chord accompaniment and progression. So, at age nine, within two weeks after the purchase of the family's piano, things came with ease as she prepared a song for a talent competition ... which she won!

Opportunities to play the piano for church and civic events began to come. Sharon's mother almost immediately recruited a piano teacher. The combination of these early lessons, followed by the "clarinet years", and later the college-level instruction required for a music education degree, provided the tangibles that would explain what her ear had heard. The result? A passion for the "systems" of music, key signatures, the functions of the varying chords, the consistencies of tonal relationships: The "Why?" behind the "What?" As a teacher, Sharon loves encouraging students that "theory" is not a word to be feared, and that playing the piano in any key can be done with ease. At age eleven, Sharon played in Atlanta for a 1000+ crowd, by ear, in the key of six sharps, and because no one had ever told her that it was a "hard key", she had no preconceptions to overcome.

The pop music of the 1970s, with the luscious harmonies, exquisite chords, and jolting melodies really "whet Sharon's appetite" for style-preference. Those distinct sounds from the bands Chicago, The Carpenters, and Seals and Crofts gave Sharon musical courage. Yet, church music was her first love. She traveled with her family gospel band during all of her teenaged years, assuming responsibility for arrangements and teaching vocal parts. This was a role with which she was comfortable, having accompanied and taught the adult and youth choirs and the many traveling groups within the church, as early as age 11. When Sharon was 15, that family group, The Galatians, recorded an album at an Atlanta studio; Sharon played piano and was a featured soloist.

As a member of the touring Americus (Georgia) High School Singers, Sharon had the opportunity to tour the country of Poland in 1978. This included the highlight of playing for a concert at The University of Warsaw.

The most prominent person ever to be in one of Sharon's audiences was former President Jimmy Carter. She has had the honor of performing for him on two different occasions: in 1975, as he was on the campaign trail, and again in 2002.

While in college, Sharon had the opportunity to represent her hometown, displaying her vocal and piano talents, as a contestant in the 1980 Miss Georgia pageant.

Married now for 33 years to a singer-minister, Sharon and her husband have poured into the lives of their four children, all of whom are now adults, and all of whom are strong musicians themselves. Their talents represent a wide range of vocal strengths, songwriting successes, instrumental expertise, and teaching skills. Their experiences include musical tours all over the United States and in many other countries. Their educational accomplishments include degrees in applied voice and studio recording. Sharon and her musical family travel - in their RV - singing and playing Christian music. Her children grew up under her musical tutelage, as she was their music teacher at Southland Academy in Americus, Georgia, for 20 years. It was during this time that Sharon's responsibilities included preparing as many as 600 elementary students for multiple programs during the academic year. For many of those years, she also directed the middle- and high school choral groups, as well.

Sharon has recently returned to her native Georgia, after having lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma for five years. While there, Sharon was the keyboardist and vocal coach for one of the many church music teams at Rhema Bible Church, where she played at their Tulsa and Oklahoma City locations. Many of the services were televised and/or live-streamed.

Sharon has steadily taught private piano since 1996, having maintained a roster of 30+ students, in every place that she has lived. As an instructor, her goals are to:

1) Find the "bend" of the student.

2) Introduce, encourage, and develop paths of piano study: note-reading, playing by ear, and the theoretical inroads which support.

3) Acquaint the student with long-term life goals that would validate his/her musical pursuits, showcasing a glorious outcome!
Sharon Collver

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