Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Reid.
Hi Kate , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started singing and playing piano in grade school and from an early age I knew that a life of performing and making music was for me. My older brother was also a musician and his influence and the music he listened to and played in our home throughout my childhood guided me toward the jazz genre. I studied all throughout high school and majored in jazz vocal performance in college. I don’t think I knew it at the time but looking back I can identify first hearing the intersection of harmony, rhythm, and melody of jazz to be addictive. I just loved it!
My mother was a teacher and my father a minister and so the tendencies for leadership and teaching in me were very natural as well. I felt a strong pull toward teaching and I knew that graduate degrees in performances would also allow me to pursue opportunities to teach in higher education. I completed the terminal doctoral degree in Jazz Vocal Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music and immediately got a teaching position in Los Angeles. After moving around and living in New York, Tokyo, New Orleans, back to Miami, my husband and I landed in southern California and remained there for 11 years. I was teaching, playing and performing in the jazz community, working too, as a session vocalist for film and television. In 2013, my mentor at the Frost School retired and I was asked to apply for his position as Program Director of the program I had graduated from twice, the Jazz Vocal Performance program. We moved back to Miami and I stepped into that position in the fall of 2013 and I have been there ever since.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not a smooth road! A life in music has many twists and turns and surprises of all different kinds. My husband and I are both musicians and so we have constantly made decisions based on the goals of two people and the future of two careers. I wouldn’t say that it has been a struggle but communication, commitment and compromise have been key ingredients to making this work for 30 years.
A life in music and the arts isn’t easily defined and doesn’t have a map or instructions. The journey looks different for everyone and therefore you are writing the playbook as you go with each decision you make. That can be frustrating and scary not knowing what is coming and when. But I believe when you maintain your skills, stay open to opportunity and keep focused on your art you’ll be presented with the experiences, jobs and gigs that are meant for you.
My career as artist and educator has taken me all over the world and I’ve had the chance to live in and experience so many different places and make music with so many different people. I wouldn’t change any part of it. It’s all about the journey which impacts the creative soul.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a musician; a vocalist and pianist and professor of studio music and jazz at the Frost School of Music. I am proud of this journey mentioned earlier that is rich with so many amazing experiences through music. I’m so fortunate to have found a partner in my husband Steve who supports my dreams and gives me the space and time to ‘soar’ when I need to. I am proud that we have been able to keep this partnership going for almost 30 years. It’s been an amazing ride and again, one that neither one of us would change.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with talented student musicians at the Frost School and alongside such amazing and creative faculty. Over the last 12 years I have feel I have been able to expand the jazz vocal performance program and artistically take it to the next level. I am proud of the students coming out of this program and excited about their artistry and the music they are making.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
There are so many lessons learned and they all have so much value and validity, right? One of the most important things I have always maintained in my head and in my heart is to ‘keep it about the music’.
When faced with decisions about personnel for my band, or decisions about material for performances or album projects or even when I’m in the educational space of teaching, I always work to ‘keep it about the music’. This focus keeps the ego and intention in balance and most situations will resolve the way they should and often effectively and positively. Most importantly, the music and art remain authentic and genuine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://katereidmusic.com
- Instagram: @katereidjazz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katereidmusic
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/katereid
