Over the past 65 years, it’s estimated that Dorothy Mullikin has taught around 2,000 people how to play the piano. Dorothy began playing piano at the age of five under the direction of her mother. Dorothy recalled that the woman who played piano for the church where her family attended could only play a C chord with her left hand, no matter what the song was. “My mother couldn’t stand it! She said you’re going to learn to play with your left hand so that we can hear something other than a C chord!” Dorothy laughed. By the time she was 10 years old, Dorothy was playing piano in her church and by the age of 15, she was giving lessons to others. By 16 she’d earned enough credits to graduate from high school and headed off to college. “I wanted to be a missionary, but I guess it wasn’t God’s will,” Dorothy said.
But perhaps God had bigger plans for Dorothy? Martin Luther, priest, theologian, and author once said, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music.” Dorothy has given the gift of song to literally thousands of people and impacted their lives in ways that they probably cannot even imagine. Whether they’ve gone on to play music professionally, or just for their own personal pleasure, there aren’t too many things more therapeutic and enjoyable than playing music. Dorothy said that she taught her sons how to play piano as they grew up and now they both participate in bands and play music regularly.
One of the biggest impacts Dorothy’s Piano Studio has had in the community of Excelsior Springs is the regular recitals that she and her students perform at local nursing homes. Dorothy said she discovered that kids were more motivated to practice if they had goals to achieve. When she first started teaching piano she held several recitals each year, but it was really only the families of the students who showed up. One day she said a student told her that she wished her grandma could hear her play, but her grandma was in a nursing home. So that’s when it began, “I think we probably started with a Christmas program, and the next year we added a Halloween program… and so we ended up going several times a year,” Dorthy said.
Dorothy says she doesn’t have any particular student who is her “favorite,” but they each hold a special place in her heart and memory. “I do love the little tiny ones who just barely push those keys down, and I really like the adults, because they’re there because they want to and it’s not mom’s idea!” Dorothy chuckled. She says it’s not uncommon to see former students who tell her things like “Do you remember me? I was your student for eight years, you played for my wedding and now you have my grandkids for piano lessons,” she said. She says her sons often ask her how much longer she’s going to keep giving lessons and she said she recently told them “it’s the reason I get out of bed in the morning!”
Dorothy is still playing and teaching and spreading joy through music. Her only advice to citizens of Excelsior Springs is, “always care about others and try never to hurt their feelings.” She is still accepting students of all ages for more information on how to sign up visit her website Dorothy’s Piano Studio or giver her a call at (816)637-3507.
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