Karen Gerelus

Dr. Karen Gerelus is a third-generation piano teacher, musician, author, and scholar. She has completed an Associate diploma in Piano Pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT), a Licentiate diploma in Piano Performance from Trinity College of London (LTCL), a Master of Arts in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Ottawa, and recently a PhD at the University of Calgary. Her dissertation titled “The Musical Identities of Piano Students: a Phenomenological Case Study” focused on motivation, social environment, future selves, and identity. She is a certified teacher and advanced specialist with the Royal Conservatory of Music, and active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Her scholarly work has recently been featured in the American Music Teacher journal, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, and at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. Past teachers and examiners have commented on Karen’s “passion for teaching” and “warm and engaging manner.” Her lessons involve a variety of music – from minuets to mambos to Mission Impossible – to keep students motivated and teach sensitivity and compassion for all cultures and musical styles. Although she teaches students ages 4 & up, her specialty is early adolescent aged students. Bring on the pre-teen angst and she will channel that messiness into expressive music. Overall, Karen’s students play with beautiful technique, singing melodies, and high levels of personal satisfaction.