About
Kari is a pianist and composer living in London. After graduating from Dartington College of Arts, she worked as a pianist in London five star hotels, played in a big band and starting teaching piano and working as a piano accompanist for strings and singers.
Kari started to learn the piano aged 7 and guitar aged 9. She wrote her first little tune on the piano with Norwegian lyrics, when she was four and her father notated it. From then on Kari enjoyed writing pieces, songs and snippets for piano and guitar. Growing up in Somerset, in a lovey era of free peripatetic instrumental lessons, Kari (and her friends) took up clarinet and they played in orchestras, bands and eventually Somerset Concert Band. She often plays in concerts and soirees with her brother John Smart, who is a professional violinist.
Kari’s Melodic Moods piano books were written for her piano pupils, initially as a way to inspire her beginners to want to practise the piano!
Her mission was to write music that is good to listen to and at the same time easy to learn.
The music is often emotive sounding even at a beginners level, which is not so common at this standard and includes upbeat pieces which are fun to play.
The music is written with use of patterns and repetition and falls easily under the hands, this makes it easier to sight read and therefore quick to learn.
As a bonus, the music often sounds more advanced and impressive than it really is!
These three aspects make for pieces that pupils will love to practise, hence they will improve faster in their playing and reading ability and in turn love playing the piano. Their family and friends will love listening to them play too!
