“There are things I would consider inconsistent in life. We go through friends, we change careers, there are times where we might even disconnect from certain family members. One thing that has remained consistent in my life is my passion for music. I recognized my love for music at an early age of eight years old, which is when I began piano lessons. Roughly around the age of 10 years old I began my journey with Mrs. Natalie Hechler. She recognized my love for music, she took that love, and she turned my dream of piano performance into a reality. It was not long after I began piano lessons with Mrs. Hechler that I began competing nationally. From the time I was 10 years old, to the time I graduated high school, Mrs. Hechler assisted me in achieving numerous musical honors. Some of these honors include performing, and winning the Missouri Fine Arts Festival several years in a row with invitations to perform in Washington D.C. and Sacramento, New Mexico. Additionally, I received many honors from the National Piano Guild where I also earned a 10 year pin for outstanding performance. To date, Mrs. Hechler helped me earn over 36 trophies from the Mid America Music Association a long with the great success of 1st place Jr. Virtuoso Piano Competitive. Music is not the only thing that Mrs. Hechler has taught me. Through years of lessons and dedication, Mrs. Hechler has taught me many life skills such as discipline, time management, stress reduction, as well as recognizing there is no limit to the goals you can achieve if you work for it. All of these things, the music, the encouragement, the discipline; these not only prepared me as a young adult, but they helped me later in life. Through high school, through college, through life events, the teachings of Mrs. Hechler will forever remain. Thank you Natalie!”
Matthew W. Reeds
