Karen Impola
Studio One HostKaren Impola is the host of Iowa Public Radio's The Folk Tree. Karen began working at KUNI in 1990. Over the years, she has hosted both folk and classical music programs, as well as the precursor to Studio One Tracks. Before moving to Iowa, she hosted folk and progressive music shows at WXPN in Philadelphia, and was a production assistant at NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
Karen spent much of her childhood and adolescence holed up in her room with a record player. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology & Anthropology from Swarthmore College, where she also did her first radio show, at 6:00 a.m. on a ten-watt station, to an audience which numbered in the single digits. Her hobbies include singing, folkdancing, and gardening.
-
Here’s a collection of songs from Midwestern artists, most of them newly recorded from wherever the artists find themselves these days. As the weeks of…
-
On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was observed to call attention to the need to protect the environment. Ironically, the current pandemic crisis has…
-
This is Holy Week, the most meaningful time of the year for Christians. Whether you are a religious believer or not, the story of Jesus’ death and…
-
The story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt is common to both Jewish and Christian traditions. It is found in what Jews call the Torah and what…
-
As you've probably heard, singer-songwriter John Prine passed away Tuesday, after being critically ill with COVID-19.Since his first album was released in…
-
Musicians, just like everybody else, are staying home as much as possible these days. Fortunately, because of modern technology and the internet, we can…
-
COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has disrupted everything. IPR's Karen Impola, who hosts the Folk Tree, says she finds music a big…
-
As you ponder what to give as gifts for the music-lovers in your life, consider the expertise of some Iowa Public Radio music hosts. In this hour of Talk…
-
Beth Wood is a modern-day troubadour and believer in the power of song. Her exceptional musicianship, crafty songwriting, and commanding stage presence…
-
After listening through new Iowa classical music releases from 2016, Iowa Public Radio host Barney Sherman says that Iowa tends to excel in classical…