Here at Mindful Melodies, we believe that the process of making music is just as important as the product itself.
Mindful Melodies is a music studio located in the Pittsburgh area that welcomes students anywhere from ages five and up. Christie McKernan, the studio director, believes that music is an experience to be had and enjoyed by all; there is no age too old to start fostering a love for an instrument.
By being in the moment, we are able to engage with ourselves and the music best. Whatever your reason for lessons is, there is no goal too big or too small!
Services
Voice
Learn how the voice works and apply this to a variety of different genres—confidence is key
Piano
Focus on traditional solo playing and/or accompaniment style playing, incorporating your favorite songs
Guitar and Ukulele
A great option for versatile and portable playing—great for beginners and casual learning
Songwriting
A fantastic way to take your love of music to a new level
Music Theory
Struggling in AP Music Theory or college courses? Receive one-on-one help with assignments
Personalized
Interested in more than one service? Let’s work together to create the best package for you
I have had the honor of being one of Christie’s students for 4 years. Not only is Christie my vocal coach, but she is one of my closest friends. She has taught me more about myself and my voice then I ever would have imagined.
When I first started taking lessons with Christie, I had already had a decent amount of vocal training and wasn’t sure of what I was hoping to learn from her. Luckily, Christie was full of brilliant ideas that not only helped me grow as a vocalist, but as a musician. She taught me the importance and basics of music theory, helped expand my vocal range, built up my repertoire in multiple genres of music, and so much more.
One of the main reasons I love working with Christie is because she helps me build my confidence more and more every lesson. I am a major perfectionist and am very hard on myself because of that. Christie helps me forget that voice in my head telling me “I can’t do this” and convinces me to trust myself. This has opened so many doors for me in music.
For example, I never saw myself as knowing strong enough vocal techniques to sing jazz. However, Christie pushed me to work towards the iconic “Blue Skies” scat solo done by Ella Fitzgerald. I continued to argue with her about it, claiming I sounded funny and didn’t have that kind of skill. Eventually, she got through to me and I learned the solo. It took a lot of patience, writing out each note and analyzing every run, but I did it with her help. The feeling of accomplishing that insane scat solo is one that has stuck with me since that day, and I owe it to Christie. I now sing with the Purdue Jazz Band.
She has pushed me to become a vocalist that even the negative thoughts in my head can be proud of. Christie, thank you.