Karen Tobey

Karen Tobey has been a music and acting teacher for over 35 years and a professional singer and actress since the age of 3. An award-winning educator, her expertise lies in both teaching fundamentals of music and drama to all children as well as refining the most professional young actors and singers in "show business". Having launched over 85 careers in film, television and theatre, Karen's roster includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt (NY Times best top 25 actors, 2005), Juliette Lewis (Academy Award nominee), Bree Larson (Hoot), Brendan Thicke (Dennis the Menace) and Blake Ewing (first youth Star Search Champion). No matter who she's teaching, however, her main goal has never changed. Karen believes if you teach children how to excel at something they love, you will greatly increase their self-image and, therefore, change their life forever. Karen teaches the whole child. She doesn't only teach techniques to make them talented, but she also works on attitudes, work ethics and philosophies. She wants to be sure that any child she sends out to represent her troupe, is not only an exceptional talent, but an exceptional, happy role model. She feels the path to happiness is to work hard and maintain integrity and humility.

Karen holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Eastern Michigan University where she taught for one year before moving to Colorado to work on her Master's Degree at the University of Colorado, Boulder. While in Colorado, she worked as a elementary music teacher at Ralston Elementary School in Golden. After three years at Ralston, Karen moved back to Los Angeles and started her own performing arts school, Child Arts Yamaha School for the Performing Arts. With locations in both Sherman Oaks and Woodland Hills, her school was the largest privately owned performing arts school in the country during the 1980s with 12 teachers and, consistently, over 475 children. At that time, she also developed the original piano method, The Triad Music Piano Series, after receiving guidance and education from instructors from Japan as well as the President of Yamaha Music International, Japan.

During Karen's career she has directed over 75 musicals from hit Broadway shows to pilot previews to original shows for children. For the past 11 years she has been the Music Consultant for the leading children's theatrical agency in Los Angeles, Osbrink Talent Agency, and for the past 6 years she has been a Music/Theatrical Manager, representing such clients as Chelsea Brummet, star of Nickelodeon's "All That" and Off Limits, a female pop group (winner of the Youth in Film Award, Omni Music Award, and the GEVA award for Best Pop Vocal Group). She currently represents Johnny Erasme, a head member of the new dance group and series, Dance on Sunset. She is also the manager and vocal coach for a leading member of Disney's new hit group the KLM. Look for the KLM tour this fall, 2008! For the past year she has been teaching voice and acting for her eldest daughter, Kerri Vickers, in Conifer, Colorado. Back to her roots of teaching small children how to feel wonderful about themselves and showing the more experienced children how to take their skills to the highest level possible. Karen has never been happier and plans to continue offering the highest level of music and dramatic education possible to the children in Conifer.