ES SPOTLIGHT: Nikki Kemp

Nikki Kemp joined the Shorecrest community as the Music Specialist and Administrative Assistant of The Experiential School in 2013. She spent over two decades imparting a love of music to young children as a certified music educator in New Mexico and Florida. Early in her career, she was named Elementary Music Teacher of the Year by the New Mexico Music Educators Association, the most coveted award for early childhood music educators in the state. Ms. Kemp graduated from New Mexico State University with bachelor's degrees in Music Education and Clarinet Performance in 1999.

Nikki is also a professional musician in the Tampa Bay Area! She holds principal clarinet positions with the Tampa Bay Symphony and the chamber ensemble Trio d'Anches.

This week she was the Featured Member of the Tampa Bay Symphony. Their newsletter included the following, "An accomplished clarinetist, Nikki Kemp first began her performing career at the age of 17 in New Mexico with the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera. Since then, she has spent much of her life in symphony orchestras, wind symphonies, chamber ensembles, and opera orchestras. Now, with many decades of playing experience, she happily finds herself amongst the musicians of the Tampa Bay Symphony as Principal Clarinet."  

We asked Nikki some get-to-know you questions:

Who is your hero?

My autistic daughter is my hero... and my angel.

 

When I was little, everyone in my family called me Nikki Pooh or Pooh Bear.

I am a MAJOR binge-watcher and binge-reader. You can usually find me deeply engrossed in a documentary series on television or in non-fiction print.

One, and then the other! I would love to see ALL of the USA, and I've not traveled to either of those states, yet.

I would love to experience the late Renaissance Period in music. This is when classical music really began evolving with bursts of new ideas, new harmonies, new rhythms, new instruments, and the invention of the printing press making music, for the first time, "universal" in notation!

 

They think I'm hilarious.

I dabble in a LOT of things! Classical music, classic cars, road trips, photography, attending concerts, exploring new places, cooking, hiking, and my favorite... napping!

A home espresso station! Life changing!

Telekinesis, definitely. I'm yearning for that Mary Poppins "spoonful of sugar" housekeeping moment!

I love otters! They have the cutest noses!

I would like to go back in time with the knowledge necessary to reliably prevent climate change. 

My heart belongs in the mountains.

CHILDREN!! I believe in the power of a child.

I adore being a classical musician. I'm fortunate to have a life-long career performing in orchestras and other professional ensembles.

There is one thing in this world that will ALWAYS make me laugh, even if I don't want to. It is the sound of children laughing... like big belly laughs! 

When I was little I wanted to be a billionaire. Or a long-distance semi truck driver.