About Kiara Williams
Key to Adam is an instrumental duo in Upshur County, West Virginia that specializes in live ambient music for weddings and other special events. Kiara Williams, who plays the violin/fiddle, and Adam Moyer, who plays the Finger-style guitar, provides a beautiful and romantic background music that doesn’t overpower you or your guests’ conversations. The relaxing ambiance they create with their music will make your event a memorable and magical experience for everyone.
Biography
I am a fiddler/violinist in the duo Key to Adam, located in West Virginia, living my dream through music.
When I was 8 years old, my mother showed me a video of Charlie Daniels performing one of his greatest hits, “The Devil went down to Georgia.” Immediately I wanted to pick up the fiddle and learn, but my elementary school didn’t have a strings program. I had to wait until I got into Middle School to be able to learn. Two years later, during Christmas, I opened a gift from her parents and it was a fiddle. I was full of excitement knowing that the following year I would be going to middle school so I could start learning my instrument. That following year, I was learning violin quickly, but still felt that missing piece to my music, the fast old-time and cajun music that my mother shared with me when I was little. Since my orchestra teacher was strictly classical, my parents found me a teacher that would teach me fiddle style music
A year later, I was on Twitter and saw that Charlie Daniels was in West Virginia at the Tri-County Fair. I was very excited that my favorite musician was in the mountain state, and my parents decided to surprise me by taking me to that show. When we got there, I kept talking about how wonderful it would be if he was here at this festival. Finally, my parents told me I was going to see Charlie in concert that day. I was so excited and filled with joy! Before finding their seats, my parents and I went to the merch table. My mother was talking to the merchandise guy and told him how much I loved Charlie Daniels music and he is the reason I was learning to play fiddle. We got done talking to the man and went to find their seats. Ten minutes before the show started the merchandise guy came up to us and said, “Do you want to meet Charlie Daniels?” He took us back to his tour bus and we got to meet him. I told Charlie about myself and he gave me one of his fiddle bows and his autograph. I was so excited and never expected that to happen.
After months of taking lessons, I realized my fiddle teacher was teaching me wrong. So I started to teach myself the music I loved. I started learning to play along with old time fiddlers and dancing at local Square Dances, and this brought so much joy to me! I met an instrument repairer by the name of Bob Smakula at a party and he told me about this program called Augusta in Randolph County, WV, and that I should check out the Old Time and Cajun week classes there. I got a scholarship from the program and couldn’t wait to learn so much. During this time, I was looking for a new instrument and contacted Bob to schedule an appointment. The next week, my mother and I went to the shop, and I started trying out fiddles. I tried out so many instruments and then saw this fiddle made in 1794, in Austria, and when I started playing it I knew it was the one. It had such a sweet old sound that was perfect.
In May 2015, I was just finishing middle school and went down for the 2nd time to Vandalia Gathering in Charleston, WV for the state fiddle competition. It was my second time competing in the competition. I won and was the 2015 West Virginia Junior Fiddle Champion for the state. I was very excited and couldn’t believe that I had just been named the WV champion. That following July, I went to Augusta, where I would learn Cajun music, old-time music, and make new friends. I learned so much in those 2 weeks and progressed in my music ability so much. Augusta is a wonderful program!
After meeting Charlie Daniels in 2013, I always wanted his signature on her fiddle. In August 2015, my parents brought me to the Mountian Festival at Mylan Park in Morgantown, WV. My family had VIP tickets and the security guards took us back to see Charlie and I got my picture with him and his signature on my fiddle. I went on to win numerous first-place awards at junior fiddle competitions.
In July 2016 I was still playing my fiddle at square dances and my friend kept telling me about this open mic at a coffee shop I should check out. I didn’t go for months, until finally, one day, I walked in with my fiddle and sat down. There was a gentleman named Adam who ran the open mic and was playing one of his original songs. He encouraged people to play along and I picked up my fiddle and began to play along. The room fell silent and the music we created together was hauntingly beautiful. That was the day Key to Adam was born. After the song was over we had a gentleman come up to us and he was wanting to hire us to play that song in his documentary, and we told him we just met and that was improv. Everyone was blown away. We started practicing for six hours a day for 7 straight months to hone our sound and we’ve been playing ever since.
Adam and I perform for Weddings, and Special Events and we find fulfillment in volunteering at nursing homes and showing kids how to play instruments. When we see the residents at the nursing homes with their eyes closed swaying back and forth while listening to our music – or seeing the kids light up when we play it brings joy to them and brightens their day. Coming from two different backgrounds made for a very eclectic mix of genres. Our styles range from Metallica-Nothing Else Matters, Ed Sheeran’s-Perfect, Canon in D, Old time fiddle tune Whiskey Before Breakfast, Guns and Roses- Sweet Child O’ Mine and so much more. I perform on my new 7-string electric violin that can go lower than a cello and it adds a very nice dimension and contrasts to our music.
