Biography

2008 MSVMA State SSAA Honors Choir Conductor

2001 Founder of Carillon Women's Chorale

Mezzo Soprano/Contralto Soloist

Karen (Long) Nevins acquired her Bachelor of Music Education (Voice/Piano minor) and her Masters Degree in Choral Performance from Eastern Michigan University. In 1993, Karen began teaching K-12 Vocal Music in Grass Lake Public Schools. In 1995, she moved to Lincoln Consolidated Schools (Ypsilanti), beginning with three high school choirs and K-2 General Music. By 1996, Karen expanded the high school choral program to five choirs in four classes, to include entry level choirs: Women's Chorus, Men of Lincoln; and select auditioned choirs: Concert Choir Women, Lincoln Concert Choir and Split Dimensions (Women), and a Piano/Theory class that would prepare students wishing to study music and music theory in college. Under Mrs. Nevins direction, LHS choirs have been recognized with superior ratings at both District and State Festival levels. Her school/voice students have achieved positions in the Michigan School Vocal Musical Association's Regional, State and All-State Honors Choirs, and in M.E.N.C. National Honors Choirs.

Mrs. Nevins has taught voice and piano privately in her home studio since 1984. Her students have been recognized with superior ratings at M.S.V.M.A. Solo and Ensemble Festivals and at National Association of Teachers of Singing (N.A.T.S.) State and Regional competitions. More recently, her student, Matt Geraud, competed to come in 5th in the 2009 American Idol challenge. Her select choirs are frequently invited to perform as ambassadors to their community. Invitations have come from Measure-For-Measure (An adult Men's Choral Society), The Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra, Carillon Women's Chorale, VocaLyrica (Mt. Pleasant), at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Million Dollar Holiday Ball, and in the First Intergenerational women's Choral Festival at the University of Michigan. Last year they traveled to perform ini the "Voices On Broadway" festival and performed in the finale of "West Side Story" in NYC.

Nevins taught voice at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in 2001. She also served as Adjunct Instructor of Applied Voice and Secondary Music Methods at Adrian College through 2006. She has been nominated by her top students to be included in several publications of “Who's Who of America's Teachers.”

A mezzo-soprano/alto soloist, Mrs. Nevins has soloed with church, community, and university choirs. In 1992, she received recognition in both State and Great Lakes Regional N.A.T.S. solo vocal competitions. As an active member of NATS-Michigan, Karen served four years as Treasurer. As an undergraduate student at E.M.U., she won the 1992 Voice Area Concerto Competition. Nevins soloed regularly with E.M.U ensembles and in E.M.U. Opera Workshops throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies. In 1997, under the direction of Dr. Leonard Riccinto and Sir David Willcocks, Karen soloed in Carnegie Hall, NYC. Today she performs oratorio and opera throughout southeast Michigan and for various life celebrations.

In 2001, as she prepared her Masters Degree choral recital, Mrs. Nevins became the founding director of The Carillon Women's Chorale. Rehearsals were hosted at Washtenaw Community College as part of their Lifetime Learning Program. With an aversion to a vast array of treble choir literature, Nevins performed extensive research on the composers and young women musicians of the Venetian Ospedali of Venice, Italy. This research inspired her to perform her 2002 E.M.U. Masters Degree recital with Carillon Women's Chorale and Lincoln's Split Dimensions in an antiphonal setting of Nicholai Porpora's "Magnificat" with orchestra. Carillon's repertoire list can be found on the http://carillonchorale.com website.Today, Lincoln female alums can continue their choral expertise as members of Carillon Women's Chorale. The chorale is comprised of excellent voices of all ages. In 2011, they will be touring to perform the music of Nicolai Porpora in Venice, Italy.

Mrs. Nevins has been active in the Michigan School Vocal Music Association since her induction as adjudicator/clinician in 1992. She has also served as clinician for the Northville Women's Choral Festival, at special MS and HS choral events and in public and private Michigan schools. In 1999, she was awarded the M.S.V.M.A. Carolyn Leep Scholarship to further her work toward her M.A. Degree. Over the years, Mrs. Nevins has adjudicated District and State Choral Festivals as well as Regional and State Honors Choir auditions. She served two years as District 12 Manager and four years as Treasurer. She has hosted numerous M.S.V.M.A. festivals, Regional Honors Choir auditions, and SSAA State Honors Choir rehearsals and State Solo and Ensemble Festivals. Mrs. Nevins was elected by her MSVMA collagues to conduct the 2007 Regional Honors Choir at Roscommon High School and the 2008 State SSAA Honors Choir in DeVos Auditorium, Grand Rapid, MI. She was also invited to conduct the 2008 Lenawee County Arts Festival Honors Choir at Adrian College.

As an active member of the American Choral Director's Association, Mrs. Nevins was invited to serve on the A.C.D.A.-Michigan Board, first as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Women's Choirs ('99-01). She then served as Secretary and on the State Convention Committee (01-08). In 2008, she became Editor of the ACDA-Michigan State publication.Bella Voce, and is currently serves as Website Manager.

She is a native of Blissfield, where she and her husband, Ken, raised their three grown children, Christopher (Kelly), Dana Patrick (Brooke), and Heather (Ryan Janis). Today, precious moments are spent making memories with their married children and eight lovely and gifted grandchildren: Brynn Elisabeth (2000), Rowan Karena (2001), Brett Nathaniel(2002), Reese Christopher (2003) , Kierce Gretchen (2004), Trinity Skye (2005), Merrick Thomas (2007), and Eva Veronica (2010).