Music in her is inborn but she’s worked her way up to be the celebrated musician we know today. Khyochano TCK Ngullie finished 8th grade piano while in standard 10 and was already teaching music at the age of 15.
Twenty years down the line, she has produced 400 accomplished pianists across the world besides the thousands she taught in groups.
She got her early education from St John School, Shillong, and was alongside awarded the Bronze Medal for scoring highest in Pacific Asia in the year 1986 while taking the International Assessment for Music Exam from Trinity College of Music. Soon after, she moved to the United States and graduated in Music (Piano Performance) from Biola University. Ever since, she has worked and performed in many other countries.
When in Laos, she worked as the Director for the Laos International School. While this was on the professional front, she recalls with more fondness the ministry she was closely associated with. Working with one of the biggest mission organisations in the world known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) started by Hudson Taylor, among others, she produced and directed a Worship CD in ‘Khmu’ language, a contemporary indigenous album. To have taken such a bold step in a communist country sure sounds like a tough risky task, but the contentment in her face shows that it was worth the while.
Her tryst with Singapore is that of a notable experience. Playing the noble role of a Worship Pastor at a Church there, she was involved with a project called “Jesus take the Will” and raised $ 100,000 for charity that went out in aid of disabled children.
She had gone on and engaged herself in Compositions – ‘light ones’ as she puts it – with some fusion songs in between while in Thailand and the United States of America. She was also the Editor for the University for International Students Times and an Accompanist for ‘Kingsmen’, a men’s vocal group with whom she toured the States.
It may also enthuse many to know that she toured with Karen Lafferty (from Nashville), one of the most well known in the world of Christian music. She was just a little distance short of Hollywood but she, however, left all the promising opportunities offered by the world outside and came home. She expresses that “it’s love for your family that outweigh your ambitions” and further confesses without regret that “everything was there” but “if your heart is sick, it doesn’t feel good”. And that’s how we have our very own music maestro back in the homeland.
She feels “performing is fun” and alongside her professional ventures, she has performed in Singapore and Amsterdam in 1990 and 2000 respectively.
“Music Ministry and Teaching”, she pronounces, are two distinct areas which she feels are her calling. Coming home, she has served as Music Director at Lotha Baptist Church Kohima which also involved conducting and directing. It was also through her initiative that the Messiah Children’s Choir was also started there.
Perhaps one of the most notable initiatives she has taken in the State is introducing Trinity Guildhall to Nagaland last year, which she said is a ‘yardstick to assess musicians’. Her passion for music is clearly seen through these commendable ventures. She paid for everything to bring them as she recalls how difficult it was during her time to go all the way to Darjeeling just for the grading assessment. “We have a lot of potential” she says “but the main framework will come for those who studied music” she adds in this regard.
As a Representative for Trinity Guildhall Kohima, she wishes to “nurture a generation of musicians and be a catalyst for them, beyond what we have here in the State”. Besides Piano, she says “we need so many other instruments”. “It’s like a dream for me to hear and see an orchestra in the State” she expresses and though she is hopeful that positive steps have been taken in terms of developing music through Music Task Force and the like, she feels that “we have a long way to go.”
And therein she emphasises on mass awareness. “It’s all in the state of mind” she proclaims and while opining that the Church remains a predominant force in inculcating the love for music in Nagas, she delights in the fact that “worthwhile musicians have come up in the recent 2/3 years” but lays importance on jumping to opportunities right now.
Few changes she’d like to see in the field of music are “to have a community who support music and musicians, to have really dedicated musicians who are not afraid to pay the sacrifices.” Confessing that “it’s hard to choose a profession if you don’t have support” which she says is especially true in the Asian culture and here in Nagaland context, she however adds that “it also depends on the person to convince the family”. On the other hand, she says “you can always have a different profession and be a musician.”
Her next plan also includes bringing in Rock School as part of the Trinity Guildhall Assessment in the State and discloses that a seminar on contemporary music is on the cards, the last year’s venture being Classical music. “This will help our current musicians and give some dignity to the music profession” she says although she doesn’t entirely think music is being disregarded. She feels there is a need for good music teachers.
Music, she describes, is a “medium where you pack, unpack”, “it’s a skill you carry with you” she says.
As far as teaching is concerned, she has taught children who didn’t know English but the ability in her to draw them up is in itself a gift and it’s interesting to note that the age-group in her piano students range from as young as 3 to 60 years old.
On being asked how she manages to balance it, she easily answers “for me, it’s always like a positive challenge”. “Children are all different” she explains but she seems to have drawn fulfilment from “trying her best to find out the interest in them”.
At present, she is the Worship Supervisor at Faith Harvest Church, Kohima. She guides music teachers and plays the role of a consultant for G Rio School and meanwhile teaches Piano to 30 students a week.
Having performed with Biola Symphony Orchestra in the United States, also a Recipient of Governor’s Award in the field of music in 2008 in Nagaland, she has taken part in the highly acclaimed musical “Prodigal Son” and over the years directed and conducted numerous musicals and made musicians of people from various walk of life. Sometimes teaching them even for free, she has gone over and above teaching even US Ambassadors and if her credentials are noteworthy, in her own words, it’s naturally God she feels so indebted to.
One day, she plans to do a compilation of her own but for now she seems content to be arranging music for other people and doesn’t seem to mind juggling between heavy schedules, caught often in the activities of the Church, performing in places, bringing music closer to its lovers.
And like these aren’t just enough, she plays the role of a good mother; she loves to cook and credits her husband and son as also her parents for the support she’s had all along.
When as a kid, she was implausibly part of Rock Bands, featured as Keyboardist for different other bands and grew up also playing Violin and Guitar. But now she is serenely happy with playing and teaching Piano, weaving magic on the keys and being the instrument of perfection.
Twenty years down the line, she has produced 400 accomplished pianists across the world besides the thousands she taught in groups.
She got her early education from St John School, Shillong, and was alongside awarded the Bronze Medal for scoring highest in Pacific Asia in the year 1986 while taking the International Assessment for Music Exam from Trinity College of Music. Soon after, she moved to the United States and graduated in Music (Piano Performance) from Biola University. Ever since, she has worked and performed in many other countries.
When in Laos, she worked as the Director for the Laos International School. While this was on the professional front, she recalls with more fondness the ministry she was closely associated with. Working with one of the biggest mission organisations in the world known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) started by Hudson Taylor, among others, she produced and directed a Worship CD in ‘Khmu’ language, a contemporary indigenous album. To have taken such a bold step in a communist country sure sounds like a tough risky task, but the contentment in her face shows that it was worth the while.
Her tryst with Singapore is that of a notable experience. Playing the noble role of a Worship Pastor at a Church there, she was involved with a project called “Jesus take the Will” and raised $ 100,000 for charity that went out in aid of disabled children.
She had gone on and engaged herself in Compositions – ‘light ones’ as she puts it – with some fusion songs in between while in Thailand and the United States of America. She was also the Editor for the University for International Students Times and an Accompanist for ‘Kingsmen’, a men’s vocal group with whom she toured the States.
It may also enthuse many to know that she toured with Karen Lafferty (from Nashville), one of the most well known in the world of Christian music. She was just a little distance short of Hollywood but she, however, left all the promising opportunities offered by the world outside and came home. She expresses that “it’s love for your family that outweigh your ambitions” and further confesses without regret that “everything was there” but “if your heart is sick, it doesn’t feel good”. And that’s how we have our very own music maestro back in the homeland.
She feels “performing is fun” and alongside her professional ventures, she has performed in Singapore and Amsterdam in 1990 and 2000 respectively.
“Music Ministry and Teaching”, she pronounces, are two distinct areas which she feels are her calling. Coming home, she has served as Music Director at Lotha Baptist Church Kohima which also involved conducting and directing. It was also through her initiative that the Messiah Children’s Choir was also started there.
Perhaps one of the most notable initiatives she has taken in the State is introducing Trinity Guildhall to Nagaland last year, which she said is a ‘yardstick to assess musicians’. Her passion for music is clearly seen through these commendable ventures. She paid for everything to bring them as she recalls how difficult it was during her time to go all the way to Darjeeling just for the grading assessment. “We have a lot of potential” she says “but the main framework will come for those who studied music” she adds in this regard.
As a Representative for Trinity Guildhall Kohima, she wishes to “nurture a generation of musicians and be a catalyst for them, beyond what we have here in the State”. Besides Piano, she says “we need so many other instruments”. “It’s like a dream for me to hear and see an orchestra in the State” she expresses and though she is hopeful that positive steps have been taken in terms of developing music through Music Task Force and the like, she feels that “we have a long way to go.”
And therein she emphasises on mass awareness. “It’s all in the state of mind” she proclaims and while opining that the Church remains a predominant force in inculcating the love for music in Nagas, she delights in the fact that “worthwhile musicians have come up in the recent 2/3 years” but lays importance on jumping to opportunities right now.
Few changes she’d like to see in the field of music are “to have a community who support music and musicians, to have really dedicated musicians who are not afraid to pay the sacrifices.” Confessing that “it’s hard to choose a profession if you don’t have support” which she says is especially true in the Asian culture and here in Nagaland context, she however adds that “it also depends on the person to convince the family”. On the other hand, she says “you can always have a different profession and be a musician.”
Her next plan also includes bringing in Rock School as part of the Trinity Guildhall Assessment in the State and discloses that a seminar on contemporary music is on the cards, the last year’s venture being Classical music. “This will help our current musicians and give some dignity to the music profession” she says although she doesn’t entirely think music is being disregarded. She feels there is a need for good music teachers.
Music, she describes, is a “medium where you pack, unpack”, “it’s a skill you carry with you” she says.
As far as teaching is concerned, she has taught children who didn’t know English but the ability in her to draw them up is in itself a gift and it’s interesting to note that the age-group in her piano students range from as young as 3 to 60 years old.
On being asked how she manages to balance it, she easily answers “for me, it’s always like a positive challenge”. “Children are all different” she explains but she seems to have drawn fulfilment from “trying her best to find out the interest in them”.
At present, she is the Worship Supervisor at Faith Harvest Church, Kohima. She guides music teachers and plays the role of a consultant for G Rio School and meanwhile teaches Piano to 30 students a week.
Having performed with Biola Symphony Orchestra in the United States, also a Recipient of Governor’s Award in the field of music in 2008 in Nagaland, she has taken part in the highly acclaimed musical “Prodigal Son” and over the years directed and conducted numerous musicals and made musicians of people from various walk of life. Sometimes teaching them even for free, she has gone over and above teaching even US Ambassadors and if her credentials are noteworthy, in her own words, it’s naturally God she feels so indebted to.
One day, she plans to do a compilation of her own but for now she seems content to be arranging music for other people and doesn’t seem to mind juggling between heavy schedules, caught often in the activities of the Church, performing in places, bringing music closer to its lovers.
And like these aren’t just enough, she plays the role of a good mother; she loves to cook and credits her husband and son as also her parents for the support she’s had all along.
When as a kid, she was implausibly part of Rock Bands, featured as Keyboardist for different other bands and grew up also playing Violin and Guitar. But now she is serenely happy with playing and teaching Piano, weaving magic on the keys and being the instrument of perfection.
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