The Music Play Love Story
Kara Villines (owner)
Kara Villines has taught private piano lessons in the Dallas area for over 20 years. She relocated and shifted her business to the Mabank area and online, rebranded her studio name and opened up the current commercial location in Mabank during the summer of 2020. She is a member and current Vice President of Dallas Music Teachers Association, as well as a member of the Van Zandt County Music Teachers Association. She is also certified to teach early childhood music classes using the Musikgarten curriculum.
Kara is currently the Professor of Piano for Trinity Valley Community College, where she is excited to be a part of the higher education community and have a chance to help grow their music program.
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Kara's Background
​Kara began piano lessons in grade school and participated in many festivals and contests throughout high school. After graduation from Mabank High School, she went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from University of Arkansas, where she studied piano under the prestigious international pianist Alan Chow. She then completed her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance/Pedagogy from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, studying under Dr. David Karp and Dr. Samuel Holland.
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Kara loves children and teaching. She has learned over the years that teaching to the student is key in developing the most positive music lesson experience. She understands how to relate to children as young as 4 yrs old at the piano, but equally understands the delicate balance of those precarious teenage years and the anxieties of the adult students.
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Music lessons can often be more than just learning how to play an instrument, and her piano students have long regarded her not only as a teacher, but as a role model and mentor.
Kara is extremely excited to offer her business services to the local community and surrounding areas as well as some out of town students whom she teaches virtually! She strives to know each and every student she teaches or who is part of the Music Play Love family, which truly makes Music Play Love the best place to teach and learn the love of music.
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When she is not teaching, you will find Kara enjoying time with her two daughters, Anna (a Sophomore at Mabank High School) and Audrey (a 4th grader at Mabank's Central Elementary). She is also the proud mom to a Goldendoodle (Lulu), a Terrier mix (Toby), and the sweetest cat ever (Hissy)! Kara is so happy to return to the area she grew up in and have the opportunity to raise her girls in such a great community!
