Kara Jones
Kara grew up in a creative familly and was encouraged as a young child to spend her free time playing music, making artwork, reading, and exploring the outdoors. Prized possessions in the family included her dad's beloved PA system, her mom's and sister's vast array of art supplies, a menagerie of family pets, and the fireplace in the rec room, which became the hearth of Kara's magical space for creations that became filled with writing plays, making movies, and playing tunes on an old reverberant upright piano nestled in the corner, along with the plethora of other musical instruments in the home. While tv watching wasn't particularly encouraged in the house as a kiddo, Kara would sneak out to the family room to watch the late night comedians and SNL reruns, and no one knew until she turned 35 and it came up in a family convo.
Inspired by her family members playing instruments & singing, Kara's primary instruments over the years have included guitar, voice, cello, violin and piano. While pursuing a Music Education degree in college, Kara took coursework in classical guitar, voice, strings, ethnomusicology & psychology, and played in the Steel Pan and African Drum Ensembles. Traditional African music stole her heart and she became the first music student from her college to student teach abroad in South Africa. Kara was recognized for her varied and innovative teaching techniques via scholarship.
Enlivened by world music since college as well as having grown up on rock, indie, classical, and her family's folk roots, Kara currently writes, arranges and performs music in a variety of genres. Kara's performance experience ranges from classical guitar ensembles, rock bands, string quartets, orchestras, choirs, a touring folk and world music group and drum groups to session recordings, collaborations, and sync cowrites with various artists. Kara's solo act/ songwriting can be described as folk/rock/indie featuring fingerstyle guitar, cello, and soothing and sometimes playful lyrical melodies.
In addition to music and teaching, Kara's love of acting began at a young age whilst playing lead roles in several school plays as well as singing and playing in orchestra pits for high school musicals. She took theater courses in college and now enjoys coaching musical theater students and actors in her private lesson studio as well as music and vocal coaching. Kara's post-grad studies in acting for film have lead her to small roles in Hollywood feature films, commercial work, and production assisting.