Kaylee Orem
Kaylee Orem was born in Arizona and music has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. From studying the flute in elementary school and learning piano pieces by ear, to the integral part of music in her training as a professional dancer from the ages of 4-18. While first beginning her college studies as a film major, her lifelong passion to professionally learn piano won over and she switched majors. Kaylee first received her Associate in Arts from Scottsdale Community College, where she was awarded the Bella Simons Memorial Scholarship for Piano Performance, the Excellence Under the Stars Award for Music Instrumentalist, and Music Theory Student of the Year. She then went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, receiving her Bachelor degree in Music Theory and Composition (emphasis in Theory and Piano). Starting her piano journey in her late teens drives her passion in encouraging people of all ages that it’s never too late to learn and excel in something new. It was through her college journey Kaylee met Casidy Nielsen as they studied alongside each other at both SCC and ASU.
Throughout college Kaylee performed often with her church worship team as well as gained experience as a teacher through a variety of opportunities. She was hired as the theory tutor and beginning piano tutor for students while at SCC, as well as worked a semester as the Keyboard Instructor for a Montessori after school music program. Upon graduating Kaylee turned her focus to composition and began work on her first Piano Album, Expressions in Waiting, Four Pieces for Piano. During this time, she took up a position at Bach to Rock teaching piano lessons and early childhood music classes.
Kaylee’s interest in culture and world music which began in her African Drum and Latin Marimba studies at ASU, eventually led her to the Musical Instrument Museum where she has worked since 2018, with a one-year hiatus when she moved to Costa Rica to study Spanish at ILE, a school for missionaries. During her time in Costa Rica, Kaylee played piano for the worship team, as well as taught music workshops and piano lessons to children in a variety of churches and students in the country.
Upon her return to the States, Kaylee pursued her composition career composing works for businesses, non-profits, audiobooks, and her own video productions for her art YouTube channel Create Eternal Perspective. She authored her first published poetry book, Transform, in 2021 and uses the poetry to create lyrics which are set to synthesizers for her experimental electronic music compositions.
Throughout all her creative endeavors music has always been at the center,
and it is her joy to foster the same excitement and connection to music
that she has experienced into the hearts
and minds of her students!