FEATURED MEMBER: Artist and Musician Kivett Bednar

What project are you most excited about working on right now?

“I have three! Do I have to pick one? My front end development skills are starting to complement my interests in both music and art. A synergy is starting to occur between my seemingly disparate hustles/pursuits. I have a painting style that I’m trying to disseminate, I have a band called The Pining Hearts that’s creating some very interesting music to larger and larger audiences, and I have developing front end design skills that are allowing me to create more beautiful web pages that convey my vision even more effectively. And on top of all that I have small business teaching others to do what I do in all three categories. The project I’m most excited about is my life itself. And it’s going swimmingly.”

How did you end up teaching?

“When I was a freshman my high school had a burgeoning arts academy within the wider school itself. And that was the first year they offered an elective in guitar. I enrolled as a freshman of course. It turned out the class was taught by a very knowledgeable choir director, who didn’t actually play guitar at all. He subsequently became a very accomplished classical guitarist in short order, but at the time he was just picking up the thing! I played with him a little bit, and he had the idea that I should teach the class in his stead. So we tried it, and I got to teach the class for the first semester. Soon after my band started to take off a little bit locally, and the parents of kids who had seen the band started contacting me about private lessons. I had some really good students those first few years that helped me learn a lot about teaching in a short time. It was an excellent primer for a what would become a lifelong pursuit.”

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

“I love seeing students have that “ah ha” moment. It’s the moment of epiphany. A new pathway in the student’s mind is formed. And the feeling that you have both experienced something transcendent and timeless. I learn a subject much more fully myself when I try to teach it to another individual.”

What skills are you interested in learning next?

“I’m actively working on my front end developer skills in WordPress, CSS3, and Javascript. I feel that those skills are a big part of the next step in more effectively conveying my art to people, and helping others do the same.”

Any advice to other life-long learners?

“Life is short. Don’t waste time. Work smart THEN hard. Every moment is an opportunity to create. But more specifically, always be evaluating the intersections of your personal expression and your value proposition. The objective would be to have those things in sync not at odds with one another.”