Karen Falkenstrom received an MFA from the UA creative writing program in 1991. Over the next decade, she served as Director of the Tucson Poetry Festival, Event Coordinator at the UA Poetry Center and she co-founded Kore Press as well as InConcert!

Tucson. In 2002, she co-founded Odaiko Sonora, Tucson’s Japanese ensemble drumming group, and later established Rhythm Industry Performance Factory, AZ’s only artist-owned performing arts incubator space. Karen is also known as one of North America’s top builders of wine barrel Taiko drums. Honors