Carlson remains an advocate of the arts from her experience as a child violinist. Both of Carlson's children are pianists. At the age of 9, Carlson's daughter organized a solo piano recital in their hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut to raise money for charity. Shortly after the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, Kaia's recital raised $5,000 for an animal sanctuary started in honor of victim Catherine Violet Hubbard. Today she serves on the teenage advisory board.