Hello Orleans County! I'm posting today to introduce myself and share a bit about why I have come to Albion and how I came to open a music studio here. My name is Katherine Robinson, but some people in this area knew me as Katie Houseknecht at one time, the daughter of Syd and Vicki Houseknecht of Albion.
I grew up in Albion, graduating in 1997. After I graduated, I went on to earn my music education degree at SUNY Fredonia and was hired as the band director at Scio Central School--a small district about 2 hours south of here on Route 19. At that time teachers with a provisional teaching certificate had 5 years to earn a permanent certificate, and that involved earning a masters degree. So, after teaching three years at Scio, I became a graduate assistant at Mansfield University under Adam Brennan and earned my M.A. in Instrumental Conducting.
After grad school, I landed my second band directing position at General Brown Jr-Sr High School just outside of Watertown, NY. It was during that time, while living in Watertown, that I met my wonderful husband Issac Robinson! He was an Army Medic stationed at Fort Drum but he actually grew up in the Watertown area. About 10 months after we met, we eloped (military style) and days later, he went to Iraq for his third tour.
Soon we began adding to our family, I became a full time stay-at-home-mom and Issac requested a transfer ("PCS") from Fort Drum, a highly deploying base, to Fort Lee near Richmond, Virginia. Though I loved being a stay-at-home-mom, it didn't take long for me to realize I needed to continue my involvement in music somehow, so I started my in-home studio, Katherine's School of Piano and Flute. In April of 2011, Issac's enlistment in the Army ended, and we decided to leave Army life and try civilian life together. He'd experienced his fair share of war as a medic on three tours so we wanted to do what we could to ensure our kids would have their dad around.
Well, transitioning from Army to civilian life was not smooth for us! Issac worked in about 5 different fields during that first year, and I just kept adding to my studio. By the end of December, my hard working husband was a truck driver on the road for weeks at a time aiming to get enough experience to find a local driving job. (Funny how our plans to avoid something can take us straight into that very thing.) And then, the most awesome opportunity came our way...he could start his own business here in Albion and our family would once again be together!
In February of 2012, Issac opened Albion's newest redemption center, Robinson's Redemption while I held down the fort in Richmond. It has always been his dream to own his own business, so he is in heaven! Soon after, I packed up our house in Virginia and we moved the rest of our family back to my home-town, Albion, NY. And there you have it folks! Katherine's School originated first in Richmond, VA and now has made the move to Albion where it resides in a newly renovated room at Robinson's Redemption!
Coming home has been a wonderful experience! I'm really glad to be back :)
Stop into Robinson's Redemption any time if you would like to see the studio. Issac will be glad to show you around!
I grew up in Albion, graduating in 1997. After I graduated, I went on to earn my music education degree at SUNY Fredonia and was hired as the band director at Scio Central School--a small district about 2 hours south of here on Route 19. At that time teachers with a provisional teaching certificate had 5 years to earn a permanent certificate, and that involved earning a masters degree. So, after teaching three years at Scio, I became a graduate assistant at Mansfield University under Adam Brennan and earned my M.A. in Instrumental Conducting.
After grad school, I landed my second band directing position at General Brown Jr-Sr High School just outside of Watertown, NY. It was during that time, while living in Watertown, that I met my wonderful husband Issac Robinson! He was an Army Medic stationed at Fort Drum but he actually grew up in the Watertown area. About 10 months after we met, we eloped (military style) and days later, he went to Iraq for his third tour.
Soon we began adding to our family, I became a full time stay-at-home-mom and Issac requested a transfer ("PCS") from Fort Drum, a highly deploying base, to Fort Lee near Richmond, Virginia. Though I loved being a stay-at-home-mom, it didn't take long for me to realize I needed to continue my involvement in music somehow, so I started my in-home studio, Katherine's School of Piano and Flute. In April of 2011, Issac's enlistment in the Army ended, and we decided to leave Army life and try civilian life together. He'd experienced his fair share of war as a medic on three tours so we wanted to do what we could to ensure our kids would have their dad around.
Well, transitioning from Army to civilian life was not smooth for us! Issac worked in about 5 different fields during that first year, and I just kept adding to my studio. By the end of December, my hard working husband was a truck driver on the road for weeks at a time aiming to get enough experience to find a local driving job. (Funny how our plans to avoid something can take us straight into that very thing.) And then, the most awesome opportunity came our way...he could start his own business here in Albion and our family would once again be together!
In February of 2012, Issac opened Albion's newest redemption center, Robinson's Redemption while I held down the fort in Richmond. It has always been his dream to own his own business, so he is in heaven! Soon after, I packed up our house in Virginia and we moved the rest of our family back to my home-town, Albion, NY. And there you have it folks! Katherine's School originated first in Richmond, VA and now has made the move to Albion where it resides in a newly renovated room at Robinson's Redemption!
Coming home has been a wonderful experience! I'm really glad to be back :)
Stop into Robinson's Redemption any time if you would like to see the studio. Issac will be glad to show you around!