Kari Lapins
Teacher Trainer, Unit 1 & 2
kari@musicmindgames.com
Kari Lapins is a Music Mind Games Teacher, Trainer, and a Suzuki violin and viola teacher. Kari is from Flagstaff, Arizona and relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee in 2016. She enjoys getting outdoors with her husband Alex, daughter Maggie, son Patrick, and two dogs Ziva and Lila.
She currently performs with Oak Ridge Symphony, Bryan Symphony, and Symphony of the Mountains. She was a member of Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Verde Valley Sinfonietta, Johnson City Symphony, Slugs from Space string quartet, and has performed with San Juan Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, Prescott Pops Orchestra, Chattanooga Symphony, Asheville Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, and Roanoke Symphony.
More about Kari
Educational Background
Kari began her violin studies in the Suzuki method at age 8 at the NAU Preparatory School with Ruth Atkin Giaque. She has continued her violin studies with Dr. Karin Hallberg, Dr. Louise Scott, Dr. Susan Baer, Phyllis Sanders, and Dr. Geoffrey Herd. She studied Suzuki pedagogy with Dr. Karin Hallberg, Dr. Louise Scott, Dr. Susan Baer, Julie Hardie, and Teri Einfeldt. Kari received her Bachelor of Arts in performing arts management from Columbia College in Chicago, and her Master of Music in Suzuki pedagogy and violin performance from Northern Arizona University. Kari continues to attend trainings and workshops for Music Mind Games, Suzuki Violin, and Fiddling.
Teaching Experience
Kari has been teaching violin, viola, and fiddle since 2004 and Music Mind Games since 2010. She has an independent violin studio in Knoxville, Tennessee.
From 2004–2016 she was a teacher and Assistant Suzuki Coordinator with Northern Arizona University Community Music and Dance Academy in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Music Mind Games Teacher Training and Student Workshops
Unit 1: August 2024 Austin, Texas, USA
Unit 1: June 2024 Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Children's workshops: May 2024, Knoxville Suzuki Area Cooperative Workshop - Knoxville, TN. USA
Weekly Children’s Classes: Fall 2017-present, Knoxville, TN. USA
Unit 2: January 2024, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Children's Workshop: October 2023, University of Tennessee Viola Celebration
Unit 1: October 2023, Austin, Texas, USA
Children's workshops: May 2023, Knoxville Suzuki Area Cooperative Workshop - Knoxville, TN. USA
Unit 1: July 2022, Knoxville, Tennessee. USA
Unit 2: June 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark
Children's workshops: May 2022, Knoxville Suzuki Area Cooperative Workshop - Knoxville, TN. USA
2-Day Workshop: June 2021, online
Unit 1: May 2021, Charlotte, NC. USA
3-Hour Teacher Workshop: April 2018, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. USA
2-Hour Children’s Workshop: April 2018, Knoxville Area Suzuki Cooperative, Knoxville, TN. USA
Unit 1: January 2018, Eugene, OR. USA
3-Hour Teacher Workshop: January 2018, Knoxville, TN. USA
Weekly Children’s Classes: 2010-2016, NAU Community Music and Dance Academy, Flagstaff, AZ. USA
Weekly Children’s Classes: 2011-2016, Marshall Magnet Elementary School, Flagstaff, AZ. USA
Unit 1 Part 1 NAU College Course: Fall 2015, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. USA
Unit 1: June 2015, Indianapolis, IN. USA
Unit 1 Part 2: January 2015, Flagstaff, AZ. USA
Unit 1 Part 1: November 2014, Flagstaff, AZ USA
3 Hour Elementary Teacher Presentation: December 2013, Marshall Magnet Elementary School, Flagstaff, AZ. USA
3 Hour Teacher Workshop: November 2013, Phoenix, AZ. USA
4 Hour Teacher Workshop: November 2013, Durango, CO. USA
3 Hour Children’s Workshop: November 2013, Durango, CO. USA
2 Hour Teacher Workshop: February 2013, Flagstaff, AZ USA
Children’s Workshops: June 2012, Chaparral Suzuki Institute, Prescott, AZ. USA
3 Hour Children’s Workshop: October 2010, Arizona Suzuki Association Workshop, Phoenix, AZ. USA
Music Mind Games Conference Presentations
Creating Music Literacy through Games with Karin Hallberg, Kristen Tourville, and Michiko Yurko, creator of Music Mind Games: Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference Presentation, May 2018 in Minneapolis, MN
Introduction to MMG with Michiko Yurko, Creator: Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference Presentation, May 2016 in Minneapolis, MN
Music Mind Games Teacher Training Assistant
Unit 2 with Michiko Yurko, Creator: June 2019 in Kensington, MD.
Unit 1 Retreat with Michiko Yurko, Creator: June 2016 in Kensington, MD
Unit 2 with Michiko Yurko, Creator: August 2015 in Kensington, MD
Unit 1A with Michiko Yurko, Creator: August 2013 in Flagstaff, AZ
Unit 1 with Michiko Yurko, Creator: June 2013 in Albuquerque, NM
2-Hour Workshop with Michiko Yurko, Creator: October 2012 in Flagstaff, AZ
Unit 1 with Michiko Yurko, Creator: June 2012 in Draper, UT
Music Mind Games Training
Unit 2 Retreat and Certification: June 2023 in Sundsgården, Sweden
Unit 1 Retreat and Certification: July 2014 in Aalborg, Denmark
Unit 2 with Michiko Yurko, Creator: January 2012 in Sedona, AZ
Unit 2 with Michiko Yurko, Creator: August 2011 in Kensington, MD
Unit 1 with Michiko Yurko, Creator: March-April 2011 in Flagstaff, AZ
Unit 1A with Amy Fowers, TT: March 2010 in Flagstaff, AZ
Travel
Kari has traveled to Denmark, Sweden, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Scotland, the Bahamas, and 41 states in the United States.
Languages
English