Carillon Members » Karen Nevins, M.A. in Performance - Founder/Executive Director

Karen (Long) Nevins acquired her Bachelor of Music Education (Voice/Piano minor) and her Masters Degree in Choral Performance from Eastern Michigan University. She is a retired public school choral music teacher, has taught private voice since 1984 and continues teaching voice in her home studio and in nearby Southeast Michigan Schools. She has served the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (M.S.V.M.A.) since 1992 as adjudicator/clinician for District/State Choral, Solo and Ensemble Festivals and for Regional and State Honor Choirs. She is often invited to school choral classrooms as a choral/vocal clinician. Karen founded Carillon Women's Chorale in 2001 in preparation for her 2002 M.A. Degree Choral recital. Carillon women elected to continue their mission to perform with a goal of highighting music/texts for women and often by female composers. In 2013 she became Music Director for Light of Christ Parish in Blissfield and Deerfield. In 1993, Karen began teaching K-12 music in Grass Lake Public Schools. In 1995, she moved to teach K-2 and high school choral music for Lincoln Consolidated Schools (Ypsilanti). Karen grew the Lincoln choral program from three to five high school choirs in four classes and eventually formed the auditioned Vocal Essence, an elite mixed ensemble selected to perform in the Michigan Youth Arts Festival the second year. Lincoln choirs were consistently recognized with First Division and Superior ratings at M.S.V.M.A. festivals. Her individuals singers aspired to positions in M.S.V.M.A. Regional, State and All-State Honor Choirs and in an M.E.N.C. National Honors Choir. Select choirs performed at Michigan Music Conference and Michigan Youth Arts Festivals. Carillon Women and Lincoln Split Dimensions performed in three A.C.D.A. Inter-generational Choral Festivals and both choirs traveled to perform in Carnegie Hall (NYC). Carillon has also toured to perform in the Sydney (AUS) Opera House and in Washington, D.C. National Cathedral. In recognition to her service to M.S.V.M.A. and her level of choral excellence, Karen was voted to the final ballot for M.S.V.M.A. Teacher of the Year. As she retired, she was awarded the 2014 M.S.V.M.A. Emeritus Membership Award. In 2016 she was later awarded the prestigious A.C.D.A.-Michigan Maynard Klein Award for her years of service on the ACDA-Michigan Executive Board and for her promotion choral excellence within state of Michigan.

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