Academics

“I connect on an individual, personal level with my students. That helps me understand where they are coming from and how to help them achieve their own personal best as a pianist and a musician.”

J.B. Taylor is the one that got away. As a prospective Transylvania student, she was awarded admission and a William T. Young scholarship. But Taylor followed in the footsteps of other family members and, instead, accepted a similar award to attend West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she studied music performance and accounting. 

Now, Taylor is finally on campus. She brings nearly 20 years of performing and teaching experience with her and is the founder of Suzuki Piano of Lexington, a large private studio.

Taylor began her study of piano at age 4. As a young pianist she received numerous awards, most notably the grand prizes in both the Young Keyboard Artists Association and the American Music Scholarship Association International Piano Competitions. 

She has served as a faculty member and guest clinician at institutes and workshops in Ohio, Minnesota, Alaska, and Tennessee and is a former board member of the Suzuki Association of Minnesota. She was selected as a Shinichi Suzuki Scholar in 2004, and in 2010 the Suzuki Association of the Americas presented her with a certificate of achievement for her teaching. From 2002–09, she was a piano faculty member and assistant director of Suzuki Talent Education at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. 

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Taylor is also the pianist for Georgetown First United Methodist Church. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and going for long walks with her husband, Mark.

Professional memberships

• Suzuki Association of the Americas
• Music Teachers National Association
• Bluegrass Area Music Teachers Association
• Lexington Federated Music Clubs