Meet the Founder
Karri Gregor,
Music Educator, Author and Illustrator
Karri’s idea for the Frisco and Friends ™ storybooks had its beginnings when her daughter was born. She wanted to build a sound foundation of music into the lives of her children as her parents had done for her. At the time, the research on the effects music has on the developing brain was just being discovered. Karri is from a rich heritage of music and art. At the age of seven her second grade teacher in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, recognized her drawing skill. By the time she was 11, she was drawing graphite portraits but, as she says, “Nobody paid me until I was 15”. By then she was already winning awards at both local and provincial exhibitions. Because of their natural link to figure drawing, she was interested in caricatures. She produced a line of greeting cards with her characters which sold in local stationary shops.
During her early elementary years, Karri began piano, violin and voice lessons which proved she was not only talented in the visual arts. Karri’s family was very active in their local church. They often performed together and she had many opportunities to sing solos or play piano. She developed an interest in theatre and enjoyed performing in school musicals. She obtained her Grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music piano diploma and her Grade 2 RCM Rudiments of Theory at the age of sixteen. Karri attended Emily Carr School of Art in Vancouver, B.C. She then obtained BS in Studio Art with a minor in Drama.
Karri’s positive and vibrant personality gravitates everyone to her but especially the young student. She loves children and this shines through at every opportunity. She began teaching piano keyboard and voice in 1997, building a studio of 150 students, whose average age was 5 years old. Many of her students have won international honors and have gone on to further musical education. She recognized the need of young children to exercise their imaginations while learning music concepts and the parent’s need of enticing material that will hold a child’s interest at home. Her passion is to provide many children with the opportunity of learning music at the earliest age.
Combining her impressive singing, visual art, piano, music theory and dramatic talents, Karri has produced a wonderful series of material to aid parent or teacher in sparking the love of music and learning. It is truly a blessing for all.