Karen got her first instrument, a ukelele, at the age of five and wrote her first song...there was no turning back. Her father and uncle were both Jazz bass players (Whitey and Red Mitchell), playing with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, and the list goes on. As a teenager singing in clubs around L.A., Karen was spotted by film composer John Debney (Iron Man 1 & 2, Princess Diaries, Evan Almighty) who hired her for her first recording sessions for radio, film, and TV. In between traveling and singing backgrounds for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis and Deneice Williams, Edwin Starr, and Paul Williams, Karen went on to make a pop-rock album for RCA records, produced by Steve George (Mr. Mister, Kenny Loggins, Al Jarreau, Jewel).
Karen’s first Country album of all original songs was Produced by legendary songwriter Jerry Fuller (Ricky Nelson's "Travelin' Man", Gary Puckett's "Young Girl") with Dwight Yoakam's band backing her up. She recently had 2 hit recordings in Japan (singing in Japanese), and is a staff vocal coach and background vocal arranger for one of the busiest studios in the L.A. area. Breaking into film and TV as a Singer/Songwriter, Karen has written and sung songs in feature films starring Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, and John Cusak. Karen is also an active member of PETA, the Humane Farming Association, and many other humanitarian organizations. She has written a beautiful CD of positive message music called “In This Moment”, and travels the country singing in Yoga Centers and Centers for Spiritual Living. If you want to hear her sing live, your best bet is to go to Viva Cantina in Burbank, where Karen is regularly seen using her Viva Cantina nickname
“Carina”. You can also catch her at private concerts and shows around California yodeling authentic Western songs with Cody Bryant's Riders of the Purple Sage. Reaching back to her Jazz roots, Carina croons 50's Italian songs ala Connie Francis with the Swingin' Armani Brothers. Karen has written and is currently recording her second Country/Pop CD, as well as her second long awaited New Thought positive music CD, both due to be released early 2012.
