Rebecca Powell


When Rebecca Powell was growing up, there was a family rule that you had to take piano lessons until you either graduated from high school or could sight read hymns, whichever came first. The brilliance of this rule was that by the time you could sight read hymns, you actually enjoyed playing the piano. Rebecca credits her teacher, Dr. C. Ray Martin, with teaching her to love music. Making music with friends was even better, so Rebecca accompanied the show choir at GWHS. Later she sang and played for the Women’s Chorus at Brigham Young University, where she earned her BA in music as a student of Mona Smith. She also studied at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with Dr. David Brunell. She married her high school sweetheart and spent 25 years doing her most significant work, nurturing her 7 children. Now she is back in school at WVU, having a wonderful time pursuing an MM in Collaborative Piano, under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Amstutz. She has enjoyed participating in the Charleston Civic Chorus as a singer, and now pianist. She has had the opportunity to perform with the State Singers at WVSU and she frequently contributes to musical performances for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Charleston. Her greatest joy in performing comes from connecting emotionally with other musicians and with the audience through music. When she is not practicing or doing laundry, she enjoys backpacking and kayaking with her family.