With a degree in music from Northwestern University; a background in classical, jazz, and pop/rock piano; and experience teaching, gigging, and recording, Karen brings an unusual level of technical expertise and inside knowledge to her music journalism. Even more importantly, she knows how to write about complex subjects such as music theory so that her audience will understand what she's talking about.

Karen's first "real" job was to cover music and musicians for The Instrumentalist, Clavier, and Accent on Music magazines. She later wrote freelance music articles for Keyboard, Frets, the Chicago Reader, Westchester-Gannet newspapers, and Hudson Valley magazine. Her articles included instructional pieces, music book reviews, concert and program coverage, and interviews with leading international performers, including jazz great Dave Brubeck and flutist James Galway (Her interview with the ebullient Irishman won a Distinguished Achievement Award from the EdPress Society).

In addition to interviewing concert artists, Karen has most recently been writing about music-related travel.

She has also written on music education for Suite101.com, and has developed a comprehensive resource on music education at her blog.

MUSIC BOOKS BY KAREN BERGER

The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Piano Chords (Alpha/Penguin, 2006), a resources for learning to construct, use, alter, and extend chords on the piano.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Teaching Music on Your Own. (Alpha/Penguin, 2010) covers the business aspects of self employment as a music teacher, along with common teaching issues, from student relationships to hosting recitals to continuing education to working with different categories of students ranging from pre-schoolers to adults.

Complete Idiot's Guide to Piano Exercises (Alpha/Penguin, 2011) is a comprehensive resource containing scales, chords, arpeggios, and hundreds of technique drills.