Member Spotlight: Terry & Stephanie

Terry and Stephanie met in 1973, when Terry was interning as a new teacher with Dorothy S. Payne and Stephanie was one of her advanced students. Mrs. Payne was a well-known teacher and concert pianist who had been pianist with the CSO and on the faculty of the College Conservatory. She left there to start a home studio and to found the Keyboard Club to give her adult students a safe place to perform.

The two first came in contact when Stephanie was participating in the Keyboard Club’s

High School Scholarship competition and Terry was her judge. Fortunately for the future

friendship, Stephanie received the highest score and very positive comments.

In the 1980s the two reconnected as members of Southwest OMTA where both served in

various offices and committees, and in the Keyboard Club. They found that they shared a

common teaching style, founded in Mrs. Payne’s philosophy of flexibility, creativity, and always

remembering that the student on the bench was a person first.

In the late 1990’s SW OMTA staged a monster concert with members pairing up to

perform an arrangement of some of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” and Terry and

Stephanie decided to be partners. In 2003, they decided to perform a multi-hand recital and

invited another Keyboard member, Dee Dee Uhle to collaborate on a program of 2, 4, and 6

hand music. The recital was so much fun and so well-received that they went on to do programs

almost every year. They also included other Keyboarders, including Karl Payne and Bob Conda

to add 8 and even 12 hand pieces. They also did several guest recitals at Morehead State

University, Terry’s alma mater.

They are regular performers at club meetings every year and have become so closely

associated that some of the members call them by each other’s names. They have also been

known to exchange name tags to see if people were paying attention. They are committed to

continue Mrs. Payne’s legacy through the club, which celebrated it’s 90th anniversary this year.

Stephanie is now the chair of the scholarship auditions, and both have taught many of the award

winners.