Millennium Magazine_9th Ed

48 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine ARTS, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT Practicing the piano beginning at the age of 4, Mary Kay Stiles McDowell was influenced to play music by her brother, who also took piano lessons in his youth. Now accruing more than 45 years of experience in the instruction of piano, she had worked in her own private studio, McDowell Studio, in Oxford, Mississippi, between 1960 and 2006. During her years teaching, she had the pleasure of working with more than 300 students, some of whom she taught for one year while others she taught for more than 10 years. To prepare for her career, Ms. McDowell attended the University of Missouri, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in 1959. The same year, she also received a lifetime teaching certificate from the State of Missouri. To remain abreast of developments in her field, she has maintained affiliation with the National Federation of Music Clubs, the Mississippi Federation of Music Clubs, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Oxford Music Club. She was the founder of the Local Incorporated Piano Fund through Lafayette County, Mississippi, which raised money for a grand piano for the county library. Attributing her success to her unwavering belief and passion for what she does, Ms. McDowell has received several accolades throughout her career, including a Lifetime Woman’s Membership through the First Presbyterian Church of Oxford in 2014 and a First Place State Composer’s Contest in the State of Mississippi in 1994, which she cites as a career highlight. She advises future professionals in her field to genuinely enjoy what they do, and she says that her most rewarding achievements have been touching the lives of her students with her music instruction. Looking toward the future, Ms. McDowell intends to continue enjoying her retirement. She would also like to continue performing for residents of her assisted living facility, which she does about every six weeks. Married to the late Leslie Lee McDowell, she has two children and two grandchildren. MARY KAY STILES MCDOWELL PIANO TEACHER (RETIRED) McDowell Studio Oxford, MS

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