Hey, I'm Coach K!

I guide student musicians through epic experiences.

My passions + specialities are helping musicians ages 9-19:

develop their love of music in a safe, inclusive environment
tap into their innate creativity + find their voice
establish discipline, accountability, and take ownership of their lives
build strong habits reading/writing/performing music + taking care of instruments
surpass performance expectations (without scaring them into it!)

The top 3 things people say about my classes are:

she's entertaining
she'll stretch you beyond what you thought you could do
she's like a life coach who teaches music

I'm looking forward to an epic year with North Mountain's dedicated music students!

Name: Skye "Coach K" Kooyman
Position: Band Director (she/her)
Email: Send email

I'm on a mission... join me.

I use music as a vehicle to help middle schoolers connect with themselves, their peers, and the community so they can launch into high school feeling confident in their ability to learn anything, lead with purpose, and live peacefully while remaining true to themselves.

My Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

I tailor curriculum to my students' interests, skill levels, team goals, and ongoing assessments that identify what will serve their musical growth.

My main goal is to draw the natural genius out of them and show them how capable + creative they are as quickly as possible.

We have a blast together AND we work very hard. Turns out... working hard can actually be FUN!

My Teaching Journey

Teaching Journey

I have 17 years experience teaching music at elementary through university levels. I've served as a band director + assistant band director, coached drumlines + percussion ensembles, subbed as a choir teacher, taught private lessons, and led workshops for music teachers + soon-to-be music teachers. I founded a performing arts youth organization at age 18, taught over 900 students by age 25, and by age 32, over 4 million students in 33 countries were using my curriculum. These days, I'm the proud leader of the NMMS music program!