By Brandi Malarkey, Special to The Arts Partnership
Kari Del Rio calls herself a girl with a piano.
“My parents’ first date was a Carole King concert,” Kari confides. “There are lots of girls with guitars, but Carole King’s a girl with a piano, just like me.”
Whether it’s performing with a local high school, teaching private lessons, working with a retirement community or playing Christmas music at West Acres during the holidays, Del Rio has embraced the moniker “girl with a piano,” not only as her brand, but as a personal statement of her attachment to piano playing, too.
Carol King aside, the local musician’s heartfelt enthusiasm for sharing music with others has led her to build a career out of teaching music and sharing her love of it with the community.
She also enjoys carrying on a legacy of music that now spans generations within her family.
“I love playing. I’ve got my grandmother’s sheet music from the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s. My grandma played it, my great-grandma played it, and their names and the dates are on the front of each of the folios,” Del Rio said. “I was given this passion for music, and God put me into a family where I was given the skills to pursue it. I truly believe that my purpose for this life is to bring music to others.”
Fitting in wherever she goes
Del Rio’s style is vast and varied. She often performs at public events, but also private celebrations such as weddings and funerals. Because of her musical flexibility (she’s an incredible singer, too), her stage presence complements everything from classical to heavy metal.
As with many performing artists trying to pursue a music career, Del Rio originally joined the bar circuit as a member of numerous different bands, a difficult proposition for a piano player.
“A lot of places don’t want to tie valuable floor space to a piano, but I want to show them what they are missing,” she said. “I’m always looking to find unique and creative outlets to bring music to the community.”
Del Rio gets just as excited by being asked to substitute at a church as she does performing her original songs as a solo artist, too.
“Music enhances the important moments in life and helps with difficult transitional times,” Del Rio said. “People connect with music. It takes us to some silly places, some sad places, and leaves you with a little bit of joy. Music will never let us down.”
Del Rio spends a lot of time at Schmitt Music in Fargo where she offers private lessons to budding musicians of all ages.
“My youngest student is 7 years old. My eldest student is 72. It is so invigorating to share the healing power of music on a personal level,” she said, giving a nod to how art is an effective tool for overall community health for people of all ages.
“It’s just so wonderful to be able to go into that practice room and watch these blossoming musicians come into their own, not only as performers, but as human beings,” Del Rio added.
She also connects with area senior living communities to bring live performance to residents and staff as often as she can.
Pivot with a piano
When many venues temporarily shut down during the COVID pandemic, Del Rio chose to concentrate less on the quantity of her public performances and instead re-focus on quality, authenticity, and a genuine connection to her audience. The result is a thriving business built on community partnerships.
She also downsized.
In 2024, Del Rio was awarded a grant from The Arts Partnership to help her purchase a portable music keyboard with a sound quality similar to an acoustic baby grand piano.
“To be able to provide a little bit of that [baby grand] experience, to create more of that organic tone, is priceless. The grant made that possible, but it also provided validation that I was pursuing the right thing and that my goals are valued,” she said.
Ready to jam
As she strives to blend the new and the familiar, Del Rio demonstrates that even as she charges ahead, she always circles back to her roots — and her parents’ beloved Carole King.
Today, Del Rio is a member of Raspberry Jam, a local group featuring a rotation of well-known local performers such as Pat Lenertz (guitar, vocals), Jake Schaefbauer (guitar, vocals), Bill Mohn (drums), Kris Ottem (bass), guest vocalist Gina Powers, Keith Wander (trumpet), Fred Haring (saxophone), and Steve Wallevand (trombone). Other special guests have included Kate Henne (fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, vocals) and McKenna Bakko (percussion).
“[Raspberry Jam] is a way to bridge the gap between old listeners and the new generation, because Carole King never really left the music scene,” she said.
Raspberry Jam’s annual tribute event to Carole King will take place on Friday, Oct. 10, at TAK Music venue in Dilworth.
For the first time in the show’s history, a second performance will take place on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the historic Batcher Block Opera House in Staples, Minn., a town where part of Del Rio’s family historically resided.
“I want to deliver a quality product. If I play for you, I want you to walk away feeling a little more full. I hope that I am offering just a little bit of peace, or happiness, or maybe just nostalgia.”
Information about Del Rio and Raspberry Jam can be found at facebook.com/girlwithapiano.
This article was previously published in Inforum as part of a collaboration with Forum Communications Company. Read the original article.
About the author
Brandi Malarkey is a Multimedia storyteller, artist, administrator, and occasional hot mess. Collector of dead bugs and good books. Believer that ordinary miracles and small kindnesses have the power to change the world. Learn more about Brandi at itsallmalarkey.com.
