Christian McGee spends six hours per day in front of a row of thin black-and-white keys.
Her fingers tap against them in a rhythmic fashion as music pours out of a big black box.
There is a Bible verse written on a white board propped up against the corner of the wall, directly in McGee’s line of vision.
McGee, a senior in music, has been using her hands to create melodies since she was 8 years old.
“We lived on a farm, and I would always get out of doing things like mowing the lawn and doing the dishes when I was practicing piano,” McGee said. “My grandparents would never want to bother me when I practiced, so I would practice all the time to get out of chores. It is funny because I still do it today. Like if I don’t want to write a paper, I will practice instead.”
In two weeks, McGee will drive to Kansas and compete in a national competition March 21.
The idea to enter the competition came to McGee after she saw a flier for the event on a table. The event will feature the talents of other musicians such as vocal and string.
McGee’s parents wanted her to graduate from Auburn with a nursing degree, but when McGee realized she would not be able to have a minor in piano if she followed her parents’ wishes, she devised a new plan.
“I actually didn’t tell them right at first I had changed my major,” McGee said. “I literally just kept running out of excuses of why I wouldn’t be a piano major. I mean, obviously, everything is fine now. My parents just wanted me to prove to them I could actually make money off of it, so I started teaching.”
McGee now teaches piano to several middle school-aged students at their homes.
“I love all of my students,” McGee said. “They are so awesome.”
McGee also plays music at Auburn University President Jay Gogue’s house during his dinner parties, where she said she comes up with most of the music in her head.
“My cousins love [for] me to play for them as well,” McGee said. “They like anything by Taylor Swift. I don’t know a lot of her songs, so sometimes I have to get them to play it first, and then I can play it. They love it.”
McGee smiled as she began to play the first song she ever learned on piano.
The melody sounded like a sped-up “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” except instead of the usual lyrics, McGee was singing “Mississippi Hot Dog.”
“Christian is unlike any college musician I have ever seen,” said Daniel Haddock, senior in music. “She knows what she wants to do in the future, and she has her eyes set on the prize. There is honestly nothing she cannot do.”
McGee’s future plans include working with other musicians.
“I want to do collaborative work,” McGee said. “I like to play with people who sing opera, and everybody needs a pianist for their recitals and competitions.”
A few of McGee’s favorite musicians include clarinet player Martin Frost, Nikolai Medtner and baritone musician Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
“Frost seems like he would have such a quirky personality,” McGee said. “Dietrich can sight read songs to perfection and is just incredible, and Medtner has a more folkish vibe to it, but it is so catchy and probably my favorite.”
McGee rubbed her upper arms while crossing her hands across her chest.
She said sometimes her arms cramp. She receives massages frequently at Aromatherapy and Massage Center on Opelika Road.
“The best part about Aromatherapy is that they know me well enough now that they come to watch me play and cheer me on,” McGee said.
Other music students see McGee’s passion shine through.
“Christian is such a talented musician,” said Patty Holley, junior in music education. “She puts her whole heart into everything she does, even if it is just her and the piano practicing. She is really an inspiration to our entire program.”
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