ABOUT K&D MUSIC
Karen and Danny are dedicated music professionals with over 25 years experience in music education and performance. Over the past several years, they have broadened their skill sets to include repair and maintenance of string instruments, and audio engineering. Their mission is simple: to serve the musicians of all ages throughout the Puget Sound region through music education, performance, lutherie, and audio recording.
A dynamic performer, and inspiring clinician, Danny Helseth has been a featured artist throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. Helseth maintains a busy performance schedule as a soloist, chamber musician, and band director.
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As a former member of the United States Air Force Band in Washington D.C., Danny was quickly recognized as an energetic and engaging soloist, featured numerous times with the band including on national tour, spring 2004. Helseth has performed as a chamber musician and clinician at universities throughout the United States as a member of the USAF Tower Brass Quintet, and the cutting edge euphonium-tuba quartet Eufonix.​
Helseth is in constant demand as a euphonium soloist, chamber musician, and band director. He has been a featured clinician throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and China. He seeks to inspire others to greatness, infecting them with a passion for life and a love of music. Past teaching appointments include as Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at Eastern Washington University, and as Director of Bands and Instrumental Studies at Seattle Pacific University.
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Danny began his education with a Bachelor of Music Education from Central Washington University (1999); continued with a Masters in Music Performance (Euphonium) from The University of North Texas (2002); and a Post-graduate Diploma in Performance (euphonium) from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England where he studied on Fulbright Scholarship. He completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Brass Performance from the University of Washington in 2017.
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Danny Helseth is a Besson performing artist and clinician for Buffet Crampon USA, and performs exclusively on the Besson Prestige 2052 Euphonium and the DH signature mouthpiece from Giddings Mouthpieces.
Karen Helseth is proud to serve as orchestra director at Einstein Middle School and Shorewood HIgh school, a position she has held since 2018. Prior to that, Ms. Helseth taught orchestra and other music classes in the Edmonds School district for seventeen years, and in the Federal Way School District for four years. Ms. Helseth has worked with Cascade Youth Symphony Organization as conductor of Sinfonette Orchestra, and cello coach for Junior and Youth Symphony Orchestras. She participated in the CYSO European Tour in 2008. Currently, she conducts the Tacoma Academy String Orchestra, in the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Helseth works on instruments, rehairs bows, and records part demonstration videos for intermediate string orchestra repertoire, which can be found on her eponymous YouTube channel. She served on the executive board of Washington Music Educators Association for twelve nonconsecutive years, including as President during the Covid-19 pandemic. Passionate about scholarship and professional development, Ms. Helseth regularly attends conferences and workshops related to strings education, performance, and lutherie; and has received fellowships from National Endowment for the Humanities to attend music history institutes in Austria, Germany, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh. She can be found playing cello or bass with community orchestras, and attending fiddle camps, festivals and jam sessions. Ms. Helseth believes that all students deserve access to a high quality and well-rounded music education, and that youth symphony programs are a vital part of the music education community, providing motivated young musicians an opportunity to experience a high level of rigor and explore their passion for music amongst like-minded peers, while developing skills to serve as a leader in their school music programs.