Hi! My name is Dr. Kim Hankins, and I’m a violist, violinist, arranger, amateur composer, and yoga teacher in Tucson, Arizona. I’m a chamber and orchestral musician passionate about sharing music, connecting with audiences, and expanding the viola repertoire. I’m a trauma-informed movement and breathwork facilitator who cares about my community, and I love exploring the intersections between music and wellness.

I have a fairly diverse background as a musician, having performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Germany, Luxembourg, and Iceland. It feels weird to write about my accomplishments in the first person, so please click on the following links if you want to read more about me and my experience or listen to a recording. I am currently a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and in addition, I enjoy exploring projects related to new music and chamber music.

I created ‘The Aligned Musician’ with the desire to educate musicians on functional anatomy and the importance of prioritizing our health in a profession where we are often praised for our ability to sacrifice ourselves for our art. As a string player who developed shoulder tendonitis at a time when performing arts resources for musicians were more limited, I struggled with lots of shame and guilt for what I was going through. It took me years to work through the physical and emotional pain that I experienced. I never wanted any of my students or fellow musicians to go through what I went through, so I started incorporating pilates and yoga knowledge into my private lessons, I built a social media presence where I combined physical movement with basic functional anatomy education, I created my podcast where I had conversations with other musicians with the desire to remove the stigma of experiencing pain or injury, and I created my blog which I am still active on. I’ve been a guest yoga for musicians facilitator at orchestra festivals and workshops, offered private sessions, and presented at universities and musicians’ conferences on the topic of Finding a More Ergonomic Setup and Playing With Ease.

I currently teach free monthly meditation sessions online through my website. I also teach Vinyasa and Barre classes at Yoga Pod Tucson. Starting May 1, every Thursday at 6am I’ll be teaching Hot Flow! You can find my schedule for yoga offerings, as well as my upcoming performances here on my events page.

As a passion project, I enjoy transcribing, arranging, and composing music for viola. I want to do my part as a violist to expand our library with carefully curated transcriptions that challenge and inspire. Over the years I have premiered a wide variety of works by 21st-century composers, incorporating electric viola, looping pedals, and other technologies. I began composing and recording acousmatic music about 18 years ago, and since then my compositional style has shifted towards chamber music and live improvisation accompanied by my own soundscapes. (If you’re lucky, you may have already heard me improvise during one of my yoga classes!) As part of my DMA project, I transcribed and recorded the Three Solo Cello Suites by Ernest Bloch and am currently in the process of transcribing other works for viola with the hope of sharing them in the next several years.

When I’m not playing viola, writing, or teaching yoga classes, you can find me spending time with my leash-trained senior kitty cat named Claire, cultivating my personal yoga practice, knitting, rock climbing, playing video games, and leading dungeons and dragons campaigns. One of my biggest joys in life is learning new things, which is why music is such a fulfilling career for me. Thanks so much for being here and making it to the end of this introduction. I look forward to hearing from you and/or seeing you at one of my upcoming events very soon!