Karen Valasek:
Karen Valasek was the Director of the Early Childhood Program at the Pacific School of the Performing Arts until they retired in summer 2008. She has now evolved that program into her own Kindermusik with Karen Valasek and Friends. She has been a licensed Kindermusik instructor since 1998 and has degrees in both music and early childhood education. She is also the Music Director at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu. Karen first combined her love of music and young children as an administrator of a music-centered Day Care program. She sings with the Honolulu Symphony Choir performing with them at Carnegie Hall in 2004. She also loves the theater and regularly performs in a variety of local venues, for which she has received four Po’okela Awards for her work.
Claire Starz-Butin:
A licensed Kindermusik instructor, Claire Starz has been a flutist with the Honolulu Symphony since 2004. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree and a Performer's Certificate from Indiana University. She also studied toward her Masters Degree at Rice University and spent a year as an exchange student at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Ms. Starz has been a performer in many prestigious summer festivals including the Acaémie Internationale de Nice (FR), the National Repertory Orchestra (CO), the Festival-Institute at Roundtop (TX), and Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy (QC). A sought-after chamber musician, Claire has performed locally as a guest of the Terra Nova Contemporary Chamber Music Ensemble as well as a substitute with the Spring Wind Quintet. She has been a private flute instructor since 1997 and loves helping students of all ages experience the joys of music.
Belle Armstrong:
A licensed Kindermusik instructor, Belle got her start right here in Hawai'i, training at Punahou School and local performing arts studios. After receiving her BA degree in Theater Arts from UCLA, she performed as a lead vocalist with many dance and show bands in California and Nevada and as a magician all over Western Europe. Locally, Belle has appeared in numerous musicals, conventions, TV shows, commercials, and as a featured singer on the Paradise Cruise ship, "The Star of Honolulu". She taught musical theater for many years with the "Alliance for Drama Education" and with Ron Bright for the CPAC elementary school program. Belle is the director of the St. Andrew's Priory School's Elementary Drama Program and MS/HS Theater Program.