Kareen King is a seasoned singer-songwriter and multidisciplinary musician who captivates audiences with her performances. Her style blends folk, pop, and adult contemporary genres, complemented by humorous and heartfelt storytelling. Kareen’s work addresses themes of loneliness, love and belonging, marginalization, ageism, meaningful conversations, connections with individuals living with dementia, and creative engagement. With 20 years of experience in aging services, Kareen focuses on elevating the lives of individuals residing and working within the continuum of care, including Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, and Memory Care. Her two albums, The Person in the Picture Ain’t Me y Find Me, have been utilized for staff training in long-term care settings. Additionally, her book, Engage! 28 Creative Enrichment Experiences for Older Adults (ArtAge Pub.), has empowered professionals in the aging field to create meaningful activities for their clients.

Beyond her concerts, Kareen conducts workshops on effective caregiving, volunteerism, storytelling, improv, and creative engagement programming. Kareen has delivered keynote concerts and breakout sessions for various conferences, including the Kansas Healthcare Association, Memory Bridge, Pioneer Network Association, Kansas Activity Director Association, LEADER Summit, Nashville Alzheimer’s Association, Full Circle Aging Expo, Geriatric Symposium, Mc5 Coalition, and the MidAmerica Institute on Aging and Wellness. In her hometown of Lawrence, Kansas, she has shared her stories and songs at numerous Story Slam events. She performed for the Moth Mainstage at the Lied Performing Arts Center in 2025. As an artist-in-residence at Northwest Passage, Kareen connected with at-risk youth through songs and stories focused on loneliness and belonging. Her creative engagement techniques and music have empowered therapeutic arts professionals working with youth in Kenya and Tanzania. Moreover, her storytelling and music have inspired middle school volunteers to form meaningful connections with elders. Kareen’s music, storytelling, and creative engagement tools empower therapeutic arts and activity professionals, inspire volunteerism, and foster compassionate, intergenerational connections with elders. She takes pride in sharing her expertise with communities across Kansas. Kareen is deeply passionate about creating a culture where older adults and their care partners are loved, validated, and actively engaged. She is committed to inspiring effective volunteerism to address challenges stemming from widespread nursing home staff turnover and shortages. Kareen dreams of a more connected, loving, and inclusive world and eagerly shares her music, storytelling, and creative engagement expertise to make that vision a reality.

Finding Emilou – A Storytelling Concert Through original song and storytelling, she shares the power of human connection and reciprocity in the poignant tale of her friendship with Emilou, a nursing home resident who would rather die than live without love and a sense of belonging. This presentation explores the surprising exception of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the magic of Martin Buber’s I-Thou philosophy. Included with this presentation is the documentary short, “Lend Me Your Hand,” a Music to Life project.

Primary Performance Fee $500 – $5,000 for a 60-90 minute concert plus travel reimbursements (current Federal-State mileage rate).

Educational and Community Complementary Fees Suggested fees: $500 for a 90-minute workshop, $850.00 for a 3-hour workshop, $1,500.00 for an all-day training

Fees are negotiable. discounted rates for under-resourced groups and select charitable events. She will thoughtfully consider any offer in good faith, which operates out of the principle of The Golden Rule. Given the diversity of conferences and special events, each engagement may require tailored consideration. Her dual objectives are: Ensuring your event’s success Fair compensation for expertise and costs Fees will align with industry standards for keynoters/professional speakers, reflecting event scope, size, and precedent.

These programs are the same as listed above in Primary Program Description. Kareen is happy to hold Q&A sessions and offer her time to provide companionship and individual music to one or more residents if time and opportunity allow.

Somebody’s Someone

This heartwarming presentation combines original songs, stories, and research to explore aging experiences. I share practical insights for meaningful engagement and compassionate caregiving, addressing topics such as connecting with individuals with dementia, combating boredom, being with someone actively dying, and treating individuals with dignity.

How to Be an Effective Volunteer in Aging Communities

This experiential program equips volunteers with the tools to approach caregiving communities with confidence, empathy, and creativity, enabling them to bridge the gap caused by nationwide staffing shortages and turnover, and address the issues of loneliness, boredom, and purposelessness. The added benefit for the volunteer is increased confidence, personal growth, and life enrichment.

The Magic of Storytelling

This experiential program teaches story structure, storytelling techniques, how to facilitate storytelling in a group setting, how to capture stories, and the importance of story as your most meaningful legacy

The Unscripted Life

The Unscripted Life is a play-based workshop that invites adults of all experience levels to loosen the grip of perfectionism, tap into creative instincts, and build everyday courage through the power of improvisational thinking and creative expression. Participants will engage in improv-inspired, metaphor-driven exercises that help them connect the dots between creativity, confidence, and real-life adaptability. Each playful and imaginative exercise is designed for personal transformation, helping you respond more freely to the unfolding “script” of real life.