Local Teacher Becomes Steinway Celeb

Teachers don’t become educators for the recognition, red carpets, and fame. Not that teaching is without its own little rewards. There will always be the students who excel and give you credit for enriching their lives. There are little thank you gifts for Teacher’s Appreciation Day or Christmas. Imagine the shock Karen Hedges felt when she was nominated for the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame.

Karen had never even heard of the Teacher Hall of Fame before, so she couldn’t see it coming.
According to the folks at Steinway of Nashville, however, it had been coming for some time. “With her professionalism, volunteer support in numerous educational music organizations, and with the compassion she has for her students, she was a natural choice for the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame,” said Brandon Herrenbruck, President, Steinway Piano Gallery of Nashville.

Karen began teaching piano shortly after marrying George Hedges who had recently opened Shiloh Music Center. Teaching was a natural choice for Karen, she had even talked of being a schoolteacher as a child. Piano is her passion and she found joy in sharing that passion with others. “I love to watch the lightbulb glow when a student finally understands eight-note rhythms, playing with dynamics and enthusiasm. Or even just learning where middle C is. My students, over the last 46 years, have made me the teacher I am today.”

Throughout those 46 years, Karen has been a student of teaching and inspired and educated many new teachers as well. She is a longtime member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, an event that is held annually where students play for another teacher and receive a grade on their performance. She serves as Center Chairperson for the Mount Juliet Center and she coordinates the testing with headquarters.

“We also have a local piano teachers group in the Nashville area called the Nashville Association of Piano Guild Teachers. We meet monthly to support each other, hear from speakers, and share educational ideas. We talk about how we can improve our studios, anything from teaching to studio management. We’re all very good friends,” says Karen, who has served in several offices on the board of NAPGT and is currently treasurer.

Nashville Area Music Teachers Association, another local group of teachers, holds yearly competitions and an every-other-year Pianorama, where twelve pianos on stage are played as duets in synchrony with a conductor. A fabulous event you will have to wait two more years to see. With all this volunteerism and cheerleading, you can see why Karen was a natural choice for induction to such an honor.

It all started when Karen’s phone rang. It was Chris Clasgens, the sales specialist at Steinway of Nashville, who has been a longtime friend and colleague.

Chris surprised Karen by telling her that he and his associates at Nashville’s piano gallery had nominated her to represent them in New York.

The first time Steinway had inducted teachers into the Hall of Fame was in 2019, and they had skipped 2020 due to complications concerning the pandemic. This was the first time Karen had even heard of it. “I was blown away,” she says.

To celebrate their most inspiring teachers, Steinway flew this year’s nominees to New York for a banquet, the induction ceremony, and a concert. The inductees got to meet the President of Steinway, Gavin English, and see their names on the wall of fame.

Before flying home, they were given a tour of the Steinway factory including a private viewing of “the Vault,” a special collection of six high-end artisan pianos.

One event that stands out the most to Karen was watching the artists in the factory taking pride in their jobs.

“You could just see it in their faces. They loved what they were doing. From forming the shape of the grand piano, putting strings on, placing weights in the keys, each person seemed to truly love what they do. They pay attention to every detail,” says Karen, “that’s why these pianos are so beautifully made.”

“Being inducted felt amazing, too. There were 44 total teachers across the country being inducted into this year’s class. The banquet was so nice and they just made us all feel very special. We got to chat with the president, Gavin. He made it a point to speak to each and every one of us. I felt like a queen for the weekend.”

Karen has handled this with the dignity and nobility of a queen, too. “George is just so proud of this. I didn’t tell people about it before the ceremony. I have a problem with tooting my own horn. My husband and kids have been tooting it for me. I have loved the way the entire community has responded. I feel proud to be so appreciated.” Nobody wants to feel like they are bragging about themselves, but articles in the local papers (as well as this humble magazine) have helped her fully realize and appreciate the honor of her induction.

After publication of an article in the Chronicle, one of her students, Bexlie, asked Karen for her autograph. Many famous pianists sign autographs throughout their careers, but piano teachers are not usually among them.