KELLEE BELLILE
Roles: Owner, Certified K-12 Group Piano Instructor, Curriculum Writer
Location: Urbandale Studio and Online
Our passion is that students will LOVE music because they are learning, succeeding, and experiencing fresh new things with their friends. Then they will keep going and have a skill they can use for their entire lives.
About Kellee
Kellee has taught music for more than 30 years, groups and individuals, in many different settings. She loves children and young adults, and her passion is to teach students to perform AND love music through movement, rhythm instruments, games and fun songs.
Determined not to follow the status quo, Kellee is constantly researching how to best teach and inspire musicians to be all they can be by training both their note reading and creative skills. What that means for the students is that they will be trained to not only play classical music fluently, but to also feel comfortable leading a band, playing with chords and lead sheets, and improvising. Unable to find a suitable curriculum for teaching chording to young students, she and her son Kennoniah wrote Arrow Academy’s proprietary chording curriculum which is currently in use at the studio.
To learn more about more about Kellee’s motivation and inspiration fueling the start of Arrow, read about her own experience with music lessons:
Music Background
I always loved music as a young child and it came easily for me. We had a piano at home that was an heirloom and not well cared for, so I first learned music by knowing that Middle C was the key that was chipped, bass E was sticky, and treble D had no ivory at all. My mom was the children’s choir director at church so I was always involved and loving music. My parents started me in lessons and I’ve been playing and performing ever since. I also play the flute, a bit of guitar, and I sing.
I am a teacher by degree, with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, and by heart. I get such joy watching students accomplish something that’s been an effort, and experience the thrill of such a milestone. I started teaching piano lessons while teaching junior high in California and my journey has continued since then.
I love to pour into our students at Arrow Academy and ensure they are learning the best way possible so they become really good at their instrument. People tend to love what they do well and the by-product is that they are making life-long friends at the studio also.
Beyond Arrow
Before Arrow, I was part of a Christian rock band with my husband, Kevin, and close friends in California. I was also the worship leader in both California and Washington state, directing an adult choir of more than 100 and arranging music for our worship bands. My husband and I founded Hymns of Grace, arranging hymns with contemporary instruments complete with music books and backing tracks.
I’ve always loved teens, and during my stay in California, I founded a high-school choir in my church of about 30 teens, and we prepared an entire program, went on tour, and used choreography for engagement and interest. I was guest conductor for the California Youth Choir state convention.
While not busy teaching or creating music, I love to spend time with my family and dog (our Arrow mascot), Bo. I enjoy walks and reading, and watching detective dramas of all types.
