Music

Emotive intelligence, place-setting compositions and a gorgeous silky voice are Kathleen's greatest allies. Powered by a quiet urgency, I imagine most of her songs as the backdrop for cathartic moments in dramatic film or love stories performed on the stage

- Ryan Spaulding, Boston Music Critic 'Ryan's Smashing Life'

When I was four, I told my mom I'd like to play the harp. Instead, I found myself on a different instrument, under the instruction of a rather severe Russian piano teacher, all hopes of being a harpist slithering down the drain. But despite my terror of disappointing my teacher and an ever-increasing sense of doom as I failed to learn to read notes on the page, I fell headlong and hopelessly into love with music.

Secretly, I memorized songs so I wouldn't have to struggle with what seemed like an incomprehensible mess of marks on the paper. I was a constant disappointment to my instructor. But as I grew into an awkward teenager, the piano became my escape and my therapy. In junior high, I switched to violin; in high school, I starred in musicals, and in musicals, and in college, I began playing guitar and songwriting. Although all these years later, I'm still a clever fake at reading music, I feel privileged to be able to make music my profession. 

Since my college days, I've sung for Disney Studios (1999), been a professional songwriter (Days of Our Lives, General Hospital), a worship pastor (Summerland Church 2018-present), and a band leader (The Paradise Road 2015-present). I've also toured with Shaun Cassidy (Magic of a Midnight Sky Tour 2019-2023), and have sung with the Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra (2024) and was privileged to take part in a tribute album in honor of David Crosby (Santa Barbara Records 2025) and sing at the Granada Theatre with the Santa Barbara Symphony (2025).

Because I have a strong background in musical theatre and classical music, I love beautiful melody lines and emotional chord progressions. Some of my favorite musical influences include Rufus Wainwright, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Joe Hisaishi. On the other hand, I deeply connect with the groundedness of Americana music and its commitment to storytelling and place. My music falls between these two categories and reflects my love of history, folk tales, and California.