Throughout my career I have come to realize that it takes a deep understanding and appreciation of music in order to become an effective teacher. I was fortunate to start my musical studies at such a young age. It was during my childhood years that I learned to feel music before I could even understand it. I joined an orchestra at the age of nine and it was during that time when I completely fell in love with music. I became enamored with the performances, traveling, new friendships and the intellectual growth that came along with making music. Later on, during my teenage years, my devotion to music grew even more. I started practicing more and I became more conscious of my musical development.

Music theory, music history, orchestra, chorus, and music appreciation were just some of the many classes I took during my middle school and high school years. When I turned eighteen I had my first teaching position at Charles Carlyle, a private elementary school in Mexico City. At the age of nineteen I became part of the Mexican Marine Chorus and Orchestra, performing all over Mexico. Up until this point in my life my musical comfort zone was limited to the classical music genre. It wasn’t until sometime later, after moving to the United States, did my exposure to and interest in other musical styles begin to grow. I became immersed in many forms of Jazz and Latin music including samba, salsa, bachata, rumba, cha-cha, cumbia, flamenco, tango, bolero and even mariachi.These years proved to be some of the most formative of my musical career. I learned that a good musical foundation as well as a strong desire to learn will allow you to become proficient in any musical style.

My early introduction to learning music as well as my musical studies have allowed me to become a teacher that knows how to approach music from a more organic perspective. I stress the importance of establishing a good musical foundation, one that includes music literacy, yet I also recognize that it is equally important for students to comprehend music through feel. My students will become comfortable reading, writing and most importantly — hearing music.

—Karina