Kari Lapins

Director and Secretary

kari

  • Degrees: B.A. in Performing Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago and M.M. in Violin Performance/Suzuki Pedagogy from Northern Arizona University
  • Current Position: Music Mind Games Teacher Trainer; Independent Suzuki Violin and Viola Teacher

As a violin teacher and parent, Music Mind Games has had an amazing impact on both my professional and personal life. The playful approach to teaching music theory, which is not often regarded as a fun subject, makes anything and everything easy to learn and retain. For the first time in history, music theory is now accessible to everyone. It’s so exciting!

Equally important is the unique Music Mind Games teaching philosophy that inspires many teachers to completely change their approach to teaching.

Michiko told me the story of a music teacher at a middle school just outside of Washington, D.C. who got her next semester’s class list while she was in a Unit 1 course with Michiko. “Oh,” she said, “This student is known for disrupting classes so frequently that he spends more of his time in detention than he does in the classroom”. After a couple of weeks, Michiko asked the teacher about this boy. “Oh, yes. Here’s what happened. The rule in my school was that he had to come to my class once, for the first day. After he did, he went back to the teacher in the detention room and told her, “You won’t be seeing me for this hour. I liked music class, and I’m going back.”

This student was considered a “problem child” until he encountered a trained Music Mind Games teacher who led him to believe that each child is “brilliant and can learn anything”. This is the first of sixteen Music Mind Games Cornerstones, and it is continually in my mind whether I’m teaching or parenting. It reminds me that each of us has a crucial responsibility as we teach and parent our children.

I believe it is critical for teachers, parents, and children worldwide to learn about Music Mind Games and its creative teaching philosophy. This will have an incredible ripple effect on the world.

“Child, give me your hand that I may walk in the light of your faith in me.” – Hannah Kahn