Karen Visser has been teaching students of all ages for over 30 years. She currently has students ranging in age from 5 – 65 at her studio in her home in Lynden.

Karen taught the string program at Lynden Christian School for 19 years before retiring in 2004. She and her husband then moved to Bolivia where she taught music in an international school and played in the Cochabamba Orquestra.

As a member of the Washington State Music Teachers association, Karen has served the local Lynden Chapter as president, and is now serving as the Secretary/Treasurer. She also organizes monthly meetings for string teachers of Whatcom County.

Karen began her violin lessons in Bellingham with Arthur Thal and continued her studies at Western Washington University where she studied with Charmian Gadd. She is a founding member of the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra where she is still a member. Karen is also a member of the Whatcom Symphony Chamber Orchestra and the Whatcom Chorale Sinfonia.

Kathleen Wood-Dean was raised in Minnetonka, MN, on 14 acres of primitive marshes and woodlands surrounding Minnehaha Creek and Lake Minnetonka. A graduate of Brown Institute of Broadcasting (a Division of CBS) she holds a Communications Degree in Radio, Television, and Recording holding the First Class FCC license for Electrical Engineering in Recording and Radio.

Kathleen presently teaches General Music Classes to Grades 1-4 at Lynden Christian School. She is Founder and Artistic Director for The Children’s Musical Theater, Rainbox Radio, CMT’s Summer Stock, The Young Songwriter’s Guild, Speak Up! and Edgewater Publishing.

Kathleen’s greatest joy is to weave stories filled with imagination, integrating her music. She endeavors to share the delight and love of The Fine Arts with kids and teens.

Leona Foster started music lessons as a young child completing both her Associate Teacher Diploma and Music for Young Children. She is currently a registered music teacher.

Leona has just moved to Lynden and is currently accepting new students of all ages and levels for private instruction.

She also teaches “Introduction to Music” classes for young children at the Jansen Art Center.

Leona has taught piano in the Tri City area for over 20 years devoting much of her time to students enrolled with the BC Conservatory of Music (BCCM) in Port Coquitlam, BC.

She enjoys working with students of all ages and levels and is familiar with conventional ways of introducing children to music as well using solfege, rhythm and play to teach understanding of music to her students believing that the process of learning is just as important as the goal.

She regularly attends workshops and meetings to keep her ideas fresh and is aware of the requirements set out by the BCCM and RCM exam systems. Her students attend recitals, festivals and complete exams on a regular basis.