Kari began playing violin at the age of eleven. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Music Education degree with an emphasis in string instruments from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Her interest in making and restoring violins was piqued while she worked as an office assistant at Christian Eggert Violins in Fargo, ND. She is a graduate of The Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City. While attending violin making school, she was as an assistant violin maker for John Moroz, of Moroz Violins. When a position at Pasewicz String Instrument opened up she jumped at the opportunity to study bow restoration and making from Jerry Pasewicz. On the side, Kari has a thriving private lesson studio. In her free time enjoys biking, making violins and bows, and playing violin in the band ‘Alpha Cop’ with her bassist husband, Channing Azure.