About
JME is a piano performance evaluation program. JME enables even young, beginning students to participate in “student friendly” evaluations. JME is not a competition with a panel of judges. The student experiences a one-on-one environment with a teacher. JME objectives are to encourage participants to enjoy making music, to evaluate their performance in a positive manner, and to encourage them to continue their studies.
History
JME was started in 1982 by two Cincinnati music teachers, Lenore Wilkinson and Linda Henn. It began with just 12 students and grew to over 2000 students participating each year in semi-annual Evaluations. They realized that while existing competitions rewarded the best musicians, not much was done for piano students who put forth a considerable effort but may never make music a career. In a world that encourages young people to participate in sports (and recognizes their efforts with trophies, ribbons, etc.), little was done to recognize similar efforts in music.
When Lenore passed suddenly in 2006, Lori Detzel Buscher was appointed Managing Director and Wayne Wilkinson assumed the role of Technical Support.
Upon Wayne’s passing three years later, roles once again shifted. In 2014, JME took an indefinite hiatus, but the idea never faded. As of September 2025. we are proud to announce the reestablishment of JME with its next evaluation event returning on November 15, 2025!
Meet the Director
Lori is a certified music teacher and has been teaching in Northern Kentucky since 1985, as a private piano teacher and also, as a music specialist for the Diocese of Covington. She currently owns, as well as teaches in her studio, the Lori Detzel Buscher Music Studio in Erlanger, Kentucky. Many of her students have earned music scholarships, been accepted into the Governor’s School for the Arts, won prestigious awards, and played at respected venues such as The Aronoff and even Carnegie Hall. Some have even become established, professional musicians and piano teachers themselves.
She has also enjoyed performing. Her favorite performances were playing with her daughter, Cassidy in the Cincy Blues Fest on the Boogie Woogie Arches Piano Stage. She studied for her Bachelor of Music Education at Northern Kentucky University and studied at South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University towards her Master of Music in Music Education.
She has been involved with JME since 1986 and is so excited that students will once again be able to take part of something so unique and special. JME has been such an inspiring force in so many of her students’ lives and she is eager to continue JME’s legacy for a new generation of students.