“We moved to Raleigh in the summer of 2001. Our oldest daughter was already taking piano lessons, and we wanted to continue that in our new home. Kimberly, our youngest, began taking lessons at the age of 6 at the same music studio. She had a wonderful teacher, and we were very pleased. A short time later, we transitioned Kimberly to a new teacher, Ms. Henry, due to a schedule conflict. The transition was extremely smooth and Kimberly did not miss a beat in her lessons. Ms. Henry is such a natural with children, going out of her way to make us feel very comfortable, especially Kimberly. She regularly consulted with us, ensuring we knew how Kimberly was progressing and whether there were any issues that she needed to address. Kimberly is still such a shy young lady, but she continues to let us know she enjoys lessons with Ms. Henry and looks forward to going each week.

Kimberly has been with Ms. Henry over 7 years, and we are extremely happy and wouldn't change a thing. Kerry has given us the peace of mind we need and has always been so flexible in supporting the challenges of balancing school, work and piano with us. She is dedicated and truly cares about her students. ”

--Shirley Bone

     "Two of the most beautiful sounds on earth are exquisite music and joyful laughter. When our daughter Allison enters her weekly lesson with Mrs. Dietz, we know we'll hear both of those sounds -- and that makes us truly grateful for Kerry Henry Piano Studios. We are getting the best of both worlds -- an extremely high quality musical education (Allison is considering majoring in music) along with the fun and sheer joy of learning that are too often squashed in today's high-pressure educational environment. Allison has been with Helen for 7 years now and her progress amazes us. Does she always want to practice? Nope -- she's a teenager! But then she'll hear a pop song on the radio and we'll see her smile when she's able to sit down at the piano and figure out how to play it because she knows the fundamentals. In our family, we consider music education to be equally as important as geometry and science. Thanks to the patience, kindness and superb teaching of Helen Dietz, along with the caring support of Kerry Henry, we know Allison's music education has been first-class."

-- Steve and Michelle Kittinger

     “Our older daughter started piano with Mrs. Dietz just over two years ago at the age of eight. She has benefitted tremendously from Mrs. Dietz's patience and ability to teach in ways that children understand. She sets goals and works with a variety of exercises and musical pieces to keep our daughter's interest and help her keep growing musically. She has performed very challenging pieces and keeps learning more.

After watching her sister take lessons for six months, our younger daughter asked to begin lessons at the age of six. Mrs. Dietz is able to keep her engaged and involved, and her progress has been great to see.

We have been very happy with the approach of not only Mrs. Dietz, but the studio as a whole. All the students are encouraged and challenged to keep improving but also to enjoy the music. ”

-- Toby and Jennifer Bowen

     “When we moved back to North Carolina after a three-year sabbatical leave in Japan, our first order of business was to find a good piano teacher for our daughter Kristie. We were delighted to find out that Kerry Henry was about to open a studio near to where we live. We have known Kerry for a number of years, and we also have known that she is a much sought-after piano teacher.

We immediately signed up Kristie to be taught by her. That was well over three years ago. Previously, Kristie took lessons in Japan, and although she liked playing piano, she hated having to practice on a regular basis. Now I have yet to hear her complain about having to practice every day (or almost). Kerry is a wonderful teacher. She sets down rules, but she does it in such a way that there is always a buy-in among her students, at least with our daughter. She is always so positive and immensely patient with her students. I can understand why Kristie is so attracted by her teaching style. Indeed, her piano practice and playing do not seem to be such a drag to her anymore. She plays, not just to finish an hour or so of practice, but also to enjoy the music. We attribute this to Kerry's effective teaching style. ”

-- Joe and Anh Chan

     “I and my husband, both have learned music in our childhood. We were determined that our kids (2 boys) will learn some kind of music too. But there is a lot to be done between dreaming about it and actually making it happen. After meeting Kerry Henry and Helen Dietz and working with my son (8 years old) for almost a year we know this dream is on its way to fulfillment. We hope that we can continue to be part of Ms. Dietz's class for a long time to come. He has learned a lot more than music. He has learned how to express himself with music, how to move on after making a mistake, how to respect his own expression and that of others, how to be consistent, how to be creative, how to have a better appreciation of music and much, much more. Ms. Dietz is an excellent teacher and we wish her the best. Together we are going to give the wonderful gift of music to our kids. It would not have been possible to do it so easily without the help of Kerry Henry Piano Studios. Thank-you very much.” 

 -- Roopal and Pralhad Khatri

     “When we began looking for a piano teacher for our children, we knew we wanted a teacher who was capable of teaching technique, performance, and theory. We wanted any other instrument they chose to play in the future to be a matter of mechanics of a new instrument because the basis for music had been established by their piano instruction.

Almost two years later, we are extremely pleased with Mrs. Strickland's teaching abilities. She is able to teach in a way that resonates with our children even though they are both very different. My daughter's discussion with her friend pretty well summed it up: "My teacher expects me to get the timing and dynamics right but she's very nice when she helps me learn how to do it."

When our second child started taking lessons, we were even more impressed with her understanding and handling of sibling rivalry. Mrs. Strickland has been careful never to compare the two children and to minimize their ability to compare themselves to each other. This has allowed each child to progress at their own rate without making either child feel inferior or pressured. Music selection is always done based on the individual child and not by a set program. Our sports-oriented child plays "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" while our more art-oriented one plays "Puff the Magic Dragon".

The studio itself is very organized. From the first day, we knew when events would be happening, costs, and how we needed to prepare and participate. There have been no unexpected surprises. We feel very fortunate to have such a gifted teacher in a setting that is easy to handle logistically! ”

-- Amie Palmer

     “During her tenure as North Carolina Music Teachers Association President, Kerry Henry has been an exemplary leader. Under Kerry’s creative guidance, the Association has carried out its support of the professionalism of music teacher members through continuing education opportunities at the state conference and through state-sponsored piano contest literature workshops. She has also supervised the state and national North Carolina music student competitions, which provide performance enrichment experiences for students of the members. Kerry Henry has also been extremely active in the Raleigh Music Teachers Association, holding many offices and chairing various events. s. NCMTA is most fortunate to have leaders like Kerry Henry who are willing to volunteer valuable time and creative energy to advance the value of music study and music-making to the citizens of North Carolina.”

-- Paul Stewart,

National Immediate Past President

Music Teachers National Association