Rocky Hardymon opens On Key Piano Studio in Flemingsburg

On key piano instructor Rocky Hardymon helps his young student learn to read a music scale.

“When you’re 90, you probably won’t be playing soccer, doing gymnastics or dancing hip hop, but you’ll still be able to play the piano”.

-—Author unknown

When he was a mere four years old, Rocky Hardymon discovered his love for music after his dad helped him learn to play the guitar.

A few years later Rocky had learned to play a Magnus Chord Organ and by the time he was ten years old his mother recognized his talent and signed her son up for music lessons with Mrs. Phillip Day in Orangeburg, Kentucky.

During his high school years Rocky played the French Horn and planned to major in that instrument in college, but after he realized he spent more time tickling the ivories, he switched his major to study the piano with Larry Keenan at Morehead State University.

Years later after he obtained his teaching credentials, Rocky discovered it was difficult to find work as a music teacher but was able to find a way to put his degree in music to good use.

Rocky grew up in Tollesboro and his wife Teresa Tacket Hardymon is a Fleming County Native.

The couple moved to Florida in the 1980s to obtain teaching jobs and then lived in Adams County, Ohio for a short while and a few years later ended up in Tennessee where Rocky spent nine years as a Minister of Music in Jonesborough.

Rocky and Teresa lived a few years in Louisville while he worked on his Doctor of Musical Arts at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary under the directed of Dr. Maurice Hinson in piano performance.

Rocky and his wife decided to move back to Flemingsburg while he finished his degree.

With his DMA completed in 2013, Rocky found that positions for music teachers were scarce so he and his wife decided they would open a piano studio in their home.

“In 2012, Rocky was finished with everything but his dissertation and we had a little house next door to my parents, so we moved to Flemingsburg while he finished his degree. He graduated in May of 2013. Since College teaching positions were scarce, after a year of searching, he decided to open a home studio last fall of 2014. We started with one student for the first month, then in one week added about five more and by the end of the year had a solid 10 -12 students. We currently have twelve students and a few waiting in the wings”, Teresa said.

In addition to teaching at the studio and working with the MSU theater department, Rocky is the staff pianist / organist at First Baptist, Morehead. He is also a substitute teacher for Fleming County Schools. And, he performs the occasional inspirational concert for churches and other events.

During January and February, Rocky will be accompanying the Morehead State Theatre Department for their production of Carrie, The Musical, which will be presented the last week of February.

Rocky Hardymon has over thirty years of teaching experience in private piano.

He has taught students of all ages and abilities and has also taught in public and private schools as well as college courses.

Rocky was a pianist for the Nobleman Quartet, a Southern Gospel group from this area and he is also a former Minister of Music.

He received his Bachelor’s and Masters degrees from Morehead State University and his DMA from The Southern Baptist Seminary.

Anyone interested in knowing more about On Key Piano Studio or signing up for lessons can contact the Hardymon’s at https://www.facebook.com/onkeypianostudio/ or by email at onkeypianostudio@gmail.com.