Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcina Garner.
Hi Marcina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Music has always been inside of me, around me, and influenced who I have become and who I continue to grow to be. Growing up, my family communicated to me that from a young age, I would dance down the church aisle to the music. My family is filled with God-given abilities that I am extremely blessed to experience over the years. My father is a minister and a singer. My older sister sings. Our family would take her all over Maryland to different performance opportunities, and she was in a singing group called Reconciled (founded by Zina Johnson) when she was a teenager. I remember sitting at the group’s rehearsals in the evenings after church, which took place at Tawes Building at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. Hearing those 5 women and absorbing their richest harmonies that Zina composed shaped my ear in a way that I never would have developed outside of that experience. Later in life, I would join various jazz combos in high school and college as a pianist, which primed me to serve as a church pianist when I started attending UMD in 2001. Also, my aunts and cousins are singers, and my father told me that his grandmother (my great grandmother) was a professional piano player-Classie Green from New Orleans was her stage name. It opened my mind to the aspect of certain giftings being passed down from one generation to the next-like a passing of the torch so to speak. My cousin Tracie is a classically trained pianist and singer. I was always so inspired when I heard her play when I visited my aunt and uncle’s house every summer with my sisters. She may not know how much she influenced me.
In my family, the pursuit of a musical career was always encouraged, yet never forced in my house growing up, and education was of the utmost importance. I started formal training in music when I was in the 4th grade, when I decided to join the concert band at my elementary school in Hagerstown, MD. My mother saw the gift I had and asked me if I wanted to formally learn piano in 6th grade with our family’s teacher Alan Mason. I am forever grateful to her for supporting me in my musical aspirations, even when I did not quite know where they would take me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been challenges for me in my life that have affected my artistry. I could say they had a negative affect, but in reality, they have matured my gifts. My family and I have encountered health challenges, housing issues, pandemic after effects, and a number of other adjustments that are just part of living on planet Earth. However, my faith in God truly reminds me that in life, I will have trouble, but that no matter what may come, I am standing in a victorious place. About 4 years ago, i was diagnosed with Lupus. I am doing well, and that is a blessing. The diagnosis was a shock, and there are times when I experience some anxiety about the future. Yet, the anxiety never takes over, because I have been reassured that I, my husband Kevin, my 2 daughters, and extended family are covered, safe, and protected through these types of challenges. I sing and produce, and teach music that is composed to encourage people who are facing similar challenges. I want to reassure listeners
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I and my husband Kevin Garner are the sole proprietors of K.A.M.E.S.E Productions. I function as a music director, producer, and educator with over 20 years of experience in performance, worship arts, and music education. I have led choirs, bands, and music programs across churches, academic institutions, and community settings, and I am the author of We Can Play!, a piano instruction method for developing musicians. My work blends artistic excellence with thoughtful program design, production, and mentorship.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have many, but when I was a kid (around 6 or 7), my mother took my sisters, their friends, and me to an MC Hammer Concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. It was my first professional concert, and the show was amazing. It left a lasting impression on me and in real-time, I saw the possibilities of what music could be in my life, as well as the positive affects it has on building and influencing culture and community.
Pricing:
- We Can Play! Level 1 Piano Lesson Book paperback 26.95
- We Can Play! Level 1 (digital) 9.99
- The Multitude of My Thoughts $7.00
- Hide Me $4.00
- Thank You $1.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kamesepro.com
- Instagram: @kamesepro
- Youtube: @themarcinag
- Soundcloud: https://marcinagarner.bandcamp.com/?search_item_id=1193686975&search_item_type=b&search_match_part=%3F&search_page_id=5228104267&search_page_no=1&search_rank=1&search_sig=080a0da253f750f927841af7cb54a68e
- Other: https://www.pr.com/press-release/961332
