Katy's Blog
Assholes. Every creative community has a few. They slime around the scene, inflicting varying degrees of unpleasantness and leaving an acrid aftertaste in their wake. Ugh. Assholes aren’t a particularly upbeat thing to write about; neither are cockroaches or plumbing problems. But we all encounter them from time to time, right? It’s good to think about how we might be more skilled at dealing with them. Here are six ideas: 1. Ascertain the degree of assholery you’re dealing with. Not all assholes are created equal. They…
I am super duper, uber stoked to announce the upcoming release of my new CD The Wind & the Sunshine! The Wind & the Sunshine is a 12-track mélange that features jazz renditions of KC & the Sunshine Band songs with me on tuba. Although I was not into this band during its heyday of the seventies– I was strictly a child of rock & roll–I’ve since come to appreciate the funky grooves and colorful flamboyance of this iconic group. As a tubist, I’ve enjoyed…
A few days ago, my friend Jason Parker, trumpeter, bandleader, educator and KPLU blogger, wrote a post entitled “Why Jazz Fans Shouldn’t Be So Quick to Dismiss Pop Music.” Jason is a member of a Facebook group “Jam of the Week” and wrote his post in response to negative comments that some “jazz snobs” had made about pop music. Jason makes a lot of good points. He questions the logic behind cutting oneself off from an entire genre of music. He also gives examples of…
In my last post, I wrote about rejection. Judging from the comments, reposts, likes and emails that I've received in response, it’s clear to me that the subject resonates with a lot of people. It seems further examination is warranted. If we’re all feeling like a bunch of rejects, then what does it mean for the big picture of our creative lives? Rejection is a pragmatic issue as much as an emotional one. Let’s face it–opportunities lead to more opportunities. Recognition increases prospects. Accolades influence…
Last week, a local organization announced the finalists for an annual vocal competition that it hosts. These finalists will sing at Jazz Alley for a shot at winning a trip to Japan. Throughout the afternoon after the announcement was made, I received emails and texts from a handful of vocalists, friends who did not make the cut. Their reactions ran the gamut from perplexed to downright miserable. (I should add that all of these women are great singers.) We talked about a lot of…
It’s been a week since the Seattle Seahawks roared into MetLife Stadium and beat the Denver Bronocs to become the Super Bowl XLVIII champs. My pulse is finally starting to return to normal. My voice is slowly coming back. I’m hopeful the Skittles hangover will subside sometime in the near future. Whew! The 12th man could not have asked for a more spectacular end to the season or for a more exhilarating ride to get there. Our ferocious and passionate team took us on the…
