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Mary Katherine Morris, a native of Columbus, received a piano scholarship to Columbus College in 1981 and began a degree in Piano Pedagogy under the direction of Rex Whiddon and John O’Brien. In 1983, Kathy transferred to Shorter College, in Rome Georgia, and in 1986 completed a Bachelor of Church Music Degree in Piano under the direction of Dr. Alan Wingard and Mrs. Mary Ann Knight.

Returning to Columbus, Kathy opened a studio in the fall of 1986 and began teaching piano, organ, theory and guitar. Her studio is located near LakeBottom Park and she has taught in her great-grandfather’s home for 17 years.

During those 17 years, the studio has provided a regular curriculum for her students during the year, music daycamps in the summer, and a variety of community performances, particularly around Christmas, in local retirement homes, nursing homes, and the Valley Rescue Mission.

Due to the number of students contacting her studio in regards to studying church music, Kathy believes the time has come to devote more of her teaching time to this ministry. Four years ago, her studio began performing Hymn Festivals, or sacred music concerts, to allow students the opportunity to perform sacred music. Two years ago she was joined by another teacher, and this year, the two studios produced an hour and a half concert designed to nurture the music skills necessary to lead in worship.

The Church Music Academy is the product of this desire within the community. Containing an all-sacred curriculum, the Academy will be able to focus on these musical skills to prepare students to lead in worship. Rhythm, technique, accompanying, improvisation, arranging and theory are examples of the curriculum being offered within The Church Music Academy.