Karena Ferrier, has been with the Sing Play Learn with MacPhail® program since 1998.
Karena, who plays the violin, viola, ukulele and piano, is also a Suzuki violin teacher and piano accompanist at Augsburg University Suzuki Talent Education (AUSTE). She also is a piano collaborator across the Twin Cities area.
Karena enjoys teaching early childhood music because she loves the way it integrates different art forms to reinforce a single musical concept. She says it’s fun to see the kids run into class to see what surprises are in store and know they leave with new songs, vocabulary and ideas that feed them throughout the week. Her firm, yet gentle and kind nature, along with her active imagination, makes it fun for her to greet the children each week and experience with them their wonder and creativity.
Karena began her music studies at age three as a Suzuki violin and piano student. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from St. Olaf College where she was the winner of concerto competitions with both the St. Olaf Philharmonia and the St. Olaf Orchestra. Her graduate studies at the University of Minnesota included violin performance with Sally O’Reilly and Suzuki Pedagogy with Mark Bjork. Her studies also include summers at the Aspen Music Festival, the Chatauqua Institute in New York, Bravo! Summer Music Festival at the University of Minnesota, and the American Suzuki Institute in Steven’s Point, Wisconsin. Ms. Ferrier was one of the teachers who performed and taught in Spanish schools on the AUSTE Tour to Spain. She served as the accompanist for the 2010 Mexico Tour for five performances in Mexico City, Santa Fe, Morelia, and Guadalajara. In addition, she performs as violist in the String Quartet Sonorous Strings.
Favorite non-musical hobby: Cooking, creating, reading, playing, and making music with my daughter Haley.
