Amy Upham Thomson McKean facts for kids

Amy Upham Thomson-McKean (born in 1893, died in 1972) was an amazing American musician. She was a talented pianist, a songwriter, and a composer. This means she played the piano, wrote songs, and created musical pieces.

Early Life and Family

Amy Thomson was born on February 22, 1893. Her father, Ralph E. Thomson, came from Glasgow, Scotland, when he was young. Her mother was Anna J. Thomson. Amy also had a brother named Robert Stanley Thomson.

On September 17, 1917, Amy married Alexander Mathew McKean. They got married at the Lafayette Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn. Amy and Alexander had two children: a son named Robert Alexander (born in 1918) and a daughter named Elaine (born in 1924).

Education and Music Career

Amy Thomson went to high school in Boston. There, she studied piano with a famous teacher named Felix Fox. He taught at the Fox-Buonamici School of Pianoforte. Amy also started writing her own music. She learned about composing from Bainbridge Christ.

Later, Amy began to publish her music. She wrote songs and short pieces for the violin and piano. She used two names for her published works: Amy Upham Thomson and Amy Thomson-McKean.

Amy Thomson-McKean was a busy performer. She played in concerts and recitals in Brooklyn during the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. She even performed on the radio! In the 1920s, she broadcast on WOR NY, a radio station, with Margaret Speaks.

Today, Amy Thomson-McKean's important papers and musical works are kept safe. Her great-niece, an artist named Jamieson Thomas, takes care of them in Winter Park, Florida.

Selected Works

Amy Thomson-McKean wrote many musical pieces. Here are some of her well-known works: