"Set Her Life To Music"
Hamburg Journal article, September 2006 issue:
By Rita DaVega

     Her destiny must be in her genes. To have both parents musically gifted, it was very logical that Beth Mankel would be gifted too.
     Growing up as an only child in Ferguson, which is a suburb of Somerset, Ky., Mankel became one of her mother's many students taking piano lessons when she was only four years old. Her mother, Ruth Chitwood, also taught the organ. Her father, Dean Chitwood, was the music director at their hometown church and was a gifted singer. Dean Chitwood, who died in 2005, sang on the radio as part of the Chitwood Quartet.
     When she was eight years old, Beth's mother decided it was time for a new teacher. She recruited her own teacher, Elgie Woods, who trained at the Cincinnati Conservatory. Mankel studied classical piano with her.
     Mankel, 41, graduated from Pulaski County High School and was very active in musical extracurricular activities. She was in a small rock group during high school and sang in the chorus. Next she graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in piano performance.
     Mankel also accompanied on piano for the University Singers and the Show Choir, both from Eastern.
     At the time of this interview, Mankel was the music minister to the band at Crossroads Christian Church at 4128 Todds Road, but her last weekend in that position was August 19-20. She started at that church in 1995 with five people in the band and now there are 25 band members. One member of the band is her husband of ten years, Mike Mankel. He plays guitar in the band. Beth chuckled when she said, "I'm his director when we work together."
     Mankel is taking the scary but exciting leap into private business. She is opening her own piano studio in early September 2006. Her place will be called "Studio 88" and will be at 3270 Blazer Parkway. For those of us who don't it, there are 88 keys on the piano; hence the name Studio 88.
     Her studio will not be your typical one-on-one, student-teacher situation. Mankel is embracing a group lesson approach with four students at a time. She said she thinks the group situation will work because "we play together and learn off of each other." "We learn everything in a group," she said.
Mankel really wants to teach older adults too, as well as young people. She said learning the piano is "good for the brain at an older age." And in children, she said learning the piano helps them in math and science, and it is good discipline.
Working extensively with musicians she has discovered "holes in their education," and she hopes to address that problem in her studio.
     This personal venture of opening her own studio has been two years in the making. When her father died in 2005 she started "looking for a different chapter in my life." She said, "God just kind of opened the door." But she still plans to attend Crossroads Christian Church even though she won't be leading the band anymore.
     At some point, Mankel may include voice lessons at Studio 88. She said she is "as much a singer as I am a pianist." She may also offer lessons for other instruments too.
     When she isn't creating music, Mankel likes to ride her Harley-Davidson V-rod motorcycle. She has been riding for four years. Her husband has his own "Harley" too. Mankel said riding is a great way to relieve stress. Another hobby is reading. Mankel says she "reads to learn."
     Before working at Crossroads, Mankel was the music teacher at Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School in Lexington from 1989-1992. She taught kindergarten through eighth grade. After that she taught private piano lessons before going to work at Crossroads.
     Mankel has performed most of her life, she says, and absolutely loves it. She thinks now she will have more time to sing at weddings and play in bands occasionally. In 2002 Mankel produced a contemporary Christian CD called "Grow." She created her own website too, which is Bethmankel.com.
     Mankel says her mother, Ruth Chitwood, truly instilled in her a love of music. And she says a big part of her success is thanks to her mother. Mankel said her mother was also instrumental in the success of her dad, Dean, as a musician too. Ruth Chitwood will help out in the studio from time to time.
     The website for Studio 88 is Bethstudio88.com and the phone number is 859-543-0788. Mankel says she enjoys being a coach and helping people achieve their dreams. Her goal as a teacher is "creating future musicians," says Mankel.