A native of the Pacific Northwest, Kareem Kandi is a performer, composer, and educator in high demand for his talents both on and off the stage.

As a performing artist Kareem spends most of his time leading his group, The Kareem Kandi Band, for which he composes and arranges most of the music. The band is constantly on the move as a sought after performing group, and spends most of its time performing both nationally and internationally. When not leading his own group, Kareem can be seen and heard touring and performing as a sideman with many other top-notch musical acts and projects, most notably The Paperboys from Vancouver, British Columbia. Other past projects have included work with The Seattle Symphony, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Northwest Repertory Singers, and The Red Hot Blues Sisters, just to name a few.

As an educator Kareem divides his time teaching jazz improvisation as an artist in residence at The Tacoma School of the Arts, directing the award-winning Jazz Ensemble at Pierce College, conducting master classes and workshops at schools around the Puget Sound area, and maintaining a full load of private students.

Kareem has been teaching privately since 1996 and offers private lessons for saxophone, clarinet, flute, piano and composition. Throughout his years of teaching he has worked with people of all ages and abilities, from the beginner just getting started to the advanced player who simply wants some new ideas and direction.