Dalton Daily Citizen
DALTON — A September Evening, 1990: The Dalton Education Foundation was about to launch its first Hall of Fame presentation at a November banquet. A group of local singers, under the direction of Andy Baker, gathered in the Dalton High School choral room to begin rehearsals for the upcoming event.
Karen Lightbody Kirkman was also there, planted as usual at the piano keyboard. The singers began to rehearse their group, small group, duet and solo numbers. Karen sight-read the music, giving an amazingly smooth performance for a first time through. In the ensuing weeks, Karen met with these newly anointed “Hall of Fame Singers” and Baker for hours of rehearsals, preparing for a first-class program.
“Play it again, Karen,” became a reverberating theme as measures, pages or whole songs were sung and re-sung in hopes of getting the notes, rhythm and expression as precise as that performed by the keyboard maestro.
In the time that Karen lived in Dalton — including school, early marriage, motherhood and career years — “Play it again, Karen,” echoed from church, civic, artistic, and school rehearsals.
Every time, “Play it again, Karen.” was heard, this volunteer pianist was playing for free, giving back to the Dalton community. She confessed to us once that she had no idea how many different events she had played for or how many hours she had rehearsed both at home and at rehearsals.
She was always careful to make the point that if you possess a certain talent or gift, it is important to share it for the good of the community.
A July Afternoon, 1995: We knew why we were driving to the top of Mount Sinai to the Kirkman home on that hot summer day. Karen had outlined her intentions all too well on the telephone and had asked us to come help her and her husband Lowell work out the details. After a brief greeting and a glimpse of the breath-taking view from the Kirkman home, we got to work.
“We need to find somebody to take my place when I’m gone,” Karen said very matter-of-factly. To look at a person who was probably in her late 40s or early 50s at the time and think about “when I’m gone” was hard to do although we knew she was “fighting the good fight” against a devastating illness.
“Karen, I don’t think anybody can ever take your place …” I began, my voice trailing off as she waved her hand to indicate “stop.”
“I want to create a piano scholarship. I want it to help pay for piano lessons for one year for the student who wins it. I want it to be through Dalton Education Foundation for Dalton Public Schools students. The winner must not only be an accomplished pianist, but must pledge to use his or her talent for community events at no charge” she pronounced adamantly.
“Now that doesn’t mean that they can’t ever charge for performing, but they should share their talents in the community as well. I want them to pick and choose the events that work best for them and to give back on a regular basis, no matter where they end up living.”
Her case presented, we spent time talking about the details of how such a scholarship would work. She asked that we seek input from other local musicians for their ideas on the proposal.
Early March, 2010: The Karen Lightbody Kirkman Memorial Piano Scholarship applications are due in the Dalton Education Foundation office this Thursday. Applicants submit paperwork in which they pledge to share their talents with the community and they show examples of how they already have. Each also sends in an audio tape of two musical selections he or she has played on the piano. A screening judge listens to the tapes and chooses finalists for an audition. Two more judges hold the piano auditions, grading each student on performance and interviewing each about giving back to the community by playing for events.
In 13 years of giving this award, there have been nine different winners. Some have won multiple times. There have been family dynasties in which more than one student claimed the scholarship over a period of years. In 2009, the youngest student ever to win, Sean Lee, received the award in front of his fourth-grade classmates at Brookwood School.
Our winners have been true to their word, making opportunities to share their keyboard talent in a wide range of situations and, as Karen made so clear 14-plus years ago, at no charge.
With exceptional foresight, Karen, who passed away in 1995, has kept playing through others, assuring that somewhere in some rehearsal room, a director can say, “Play it again” without knowing that what he or she is really saying is, “Play it again, Karen.”
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Past Dalton Education Foundation’s Karen Lightbody Kirkman Piano Scholarship winners:
• 1996-97 — Stephanie Herd
• 1997-98 — Jennifer Cassidy
• 1998-99 — Stephanie Herd
• 1999-2000 — Stephanie Herd
• 2000-01 — Song Choi
• 2001-02 — Jay Choi
• 2002-03 — Rob Herd
• 2003-04 — Kelly Herd
• 2004-05 — Kelly Herd
• 2005-06 — Rob Herd
• 2006-07 — Melissa You
• 2007-08 — Rebekah Park
• 2008-09 — Sean Lee
Jean Lowrey is the executive director of the Dalton Education Foundation. She can be reached at jean.lowrey@dalton.k12.ga.us
