Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Parr.
Katie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for creating things. I’ve always loved writing music, creating theatrical productions and have always enjoyed encouraging people to see the best in themselves. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a passion for recognizing and developing talent as well as teaching. A monumental step in my journey was meeting a kind man who sold pianos at a music store. He offered me a job teaching piano lessons at a studio in the store. I believe when things are meant to happen, all the right doors open and this is such a wonderful example. Within one week, I had booked a full studio of piano students. That same week, I played the piano and sang for a couple who was having a dinner in a local restaurant and the man offered me a job teaching piano lessons at another store a mile away. Within a week I had a full schedule of students. From there, people asked me to teach voice lessons. I quickly noticed my passion for the function, message and human connection the voice produces. I have a method I teach based on understand the function of the voice through vocal anatomy, visualizing sound waves, through imagery and colors, and connecting the body to the voice through the palms of the hands. Besides my passion for teaching vocal lessons, I have an entertainment group which hold concert tours 3 times a year, at major music venues in the DFW area. My studio takes a vocalist all the way to a professional level. My students learn vocal technique, performance skills. write and record their music in my recording studio, create an electronic press kit and develop a fan base.
Katie Parr is a muti faceted, entrepreneurial spirited, author, educator, musician, producer and liaison. She has received considerable accolades for her accomplishments from numerous stellar and exclusive media outlets such as CBS, Southlake Style and the Keller Citizen, as well as others.
Katie has been teaching voice and piano for 19 years and she has helped mold and create stars musically, as well as the big screen (Demi Lovato, Chloe Perrin) Katie is also an author whose primary focus relies on her love and area of proven expertise, music!
Her seven level children’s book series and piano curriculum has been widely published online and has received exceptional acclaim. Piano Land is a very effective introductory system using warm and playful characters that correlate with the piano keys and their notation on the musical staff. It’s a fun and creative introduction to the world of music and only curriculum developed for piano education for children as young as 3.
Katie’s seven level vocal teaching method called “Singing Strategies” is based on the anatomical understanding of the voice. Students learn how the voice functions and all the tricks to get the sound they want to produce. Her method includes focus in style development, vocal theory, vocal technique and staging.
Katie has been involved as an active talent scout for Page Parkes who has worked with such famous faces as Angelina Jolie, Rebecca Romijn, Woody Harrelson and Channing Tatum just to name a few. In the music business, it’s all about who you know. Katie has spent the past 15 years developing and maintaining relationships with local, national and international musicians, event organizers, major venue directors and has all the connections to give you special performance opportunities. More recently, the City of Southlake choose Katie Parr Music Academy to provide them with the national anthem singer for the big Stars and Stripes firework ceremony.
With the phenomenal growth and evolution of electronic media and the explosion and overall prevalence of social networking, Katie has evolved and succeeded as a highly effective online media manager creating, managing and maintaining several KPMA related pages using all safe social media platforms. She does this for her recording artist students and gains them fans, booking opportunities and helps them promote the music they write on iTunes, Amazon music and more!
Has it been a smooth road?
Believe it or not, the main struggle has been finding places to teach. When the music store I worked at closed, I had arranged to sublease from another music school. The day before the move, the man who owned the school backed out on the deal. Thankfully, the right doors somehow again opened for me. The owner of the building agreed to let me lease a little 300 square foot room across the hall from the man who owned the music school. It was an award experience for about 3 years. Then, the landlord rearranged his tenants and due to sound, music was no longer allowed in that building. After a 6-month search and looking at over 100 spaces in my proximity, I finally found a spot where I created an entry around the back of a building and called it a “VIP” entry. One year later, the city inspectors no longer agreed with the layout and I was afraid I was going to go out of business with nowhere else to teach. That same month, the business at the front of the building went out of business and I moved into the wonderful space I am in today that has helped me develop the organization behind my method.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I specialize in piano lessons, guitar lessons, voice lessons including vocal training, performance and confidence building, music writing and recording. I offer professional media through my photography studio, graphic design, web design, social media management and talent agency submissions,
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
YES! It seems like an unknown fact… most people have no idea that the most famous and talented musicians in the world come from Texas and specifically the Dallas area. It’s such an exciting piece of information about our city! My former student Demi Lovato grew up in Colleyville. The Jonas Brother’s live literally 5 minutes away from my studio in Southlake, Selena Gomez is from Grand Prarie and American Idol’s first season artist was Kelly Clarkson from Burleson. A few more to mention are Beyoncé (Houston, TX), Stevie Ray Vaughn (Dallas, TX), Willie Nelson (Abbot, TX), Jessica and Ashley Simpson (Richardson, TX), Ryan Cabrera (Dallas, TX) and Nora Jones (Grapevine, TX).
Pricing:
- 30 minute- weekly VOCAL lessons….$149/month
- 60 minute- weekly VOCAL lessons….$298/month
- 90 minute- weekly RECORDING ARTIST lessons…$449/ month
Contact Info:
- Address: 2010 E State Hwy 114
Southlake, TX 76092 - Website: katieparrmusicacademy.com
- Phone: 817-793-6398
- Email: katieparrmusicacademy@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieparrmusicacademy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieParrMusicAcademyStudents
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KPMusicAcademy
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/katie-parr-music-academy-southlake-3
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
