Transcript 0:00 [upbeat music] I have for a long time now said that music is a bridge, and that it allows me to connect with people I wouldn't normally have the opportunity to meet. 0:11 And I find that often when I'm sharing music, the stories that come from people's experience with the music come to their heart, and they start sharing. 0:23 And so strangers become friends in just a very short amount of time. Welcome, Kelsey. How you doing? Hi. Oh, I am wonderful. How are you, Joe? I'm great. I was gonna introduce you Kelsey Lee Cate. 0:40 Yes, and that would be correct. [laughs] But, but, um, I inherited the last name Cate when I got married. Ah. And- or I should say I, I- Yeah... changed my last name. 0:52 So when I was looking up, uh, Kelsey Cate, there's actually a musician in Tennessee, and she releases more country-style music. She's got- Oh... red hair. And so- There you go... 1:04 before I got married, I was Kelsey Lee Music, and I figured someday I'd get married, so I just kept the Lee, 'cause it's, it's a nice distinguisher. [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] Well, thanks for filling in that gap. 1:16 But listen, I'm really happy to have you on, and, uh, we can talk about how we got to know we- know one another. 1:22 Um, but, um, I think one of the things that I really appreciate about your work and then you as a pianist, a composer, and your YouTube work, is the, the, the fact that you're really a connector. Mm. 1:38 And what I wanted to do to start out the episode is to dive into your why statement. Can you, can you share that why statement with us and tell us where it came from? Oh, I'd love to. 1:52 I have for a long time now said that music is a bridge, and that it allows me to connect with people I wouldn't normally have the opportunity to meet. 2:03 And I find that often when I'm sharing music, the stories that come from people's experience with the music come to their heart, and they start sharing. 2:15 And so strangers become friends in just a very short amount of time. 2:21 And this has happened over and over, not only now in person, but also online during livestreams, and even sometimes in the comments of social media posts or videos I make, and that's, that's, uh... 2:33 But there's a lot of neat detail and color that continues to come, but the music is a, a really unique way. In fact, when I was probably 14 or 15, we had a group from Zimbabwe come and stay at our house. 2:52 And, um, this one lady was talking to me, um, her name is Pastor Hal, and she said, "I see you walking on music notes to other places and to other hearts." And I've never forgotten- Wow... 3:05 that, and I think that's a very, a very astute way to describe how I feel. I think some would call that pro- It gives me more boldness to go into places, too. Yeah. Yeah, I think some would call that prophetic. Indeed. 3:17 Indeed. Yeah, but I also, I, I, I saw you online several times. You're, you're into livestreaming big time. Oh, yeah. What's, what's the name of your, your YouTube channel? 3:31 So my main YouTube channel is Kelsey Lee Cate, Cate with a C. Okay. And, um, that is my- that's the host YouTube channel. 3:40 And then my livestream that I started in June 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, um, is called Thursday Night Live, and it's kinda sister name I tried out for a while was Peaceful Piano Live, but I think I've moved back to Thursday Night Live. 3:57 And it's usually around 7:00 Pacific, and it's fun to look back and see all of the different iterations since I first began. And we moved houses, we've, we've created the studio twice now, and- Mm... 4:09 and it's been a really special experience. So there's been a lot of ch- changes and transitions, one of them obviously being from, uh, coming from the pandemic, as you just t- said. 4:20 But also, I mean, you started out doing a lot of live performance in malls and other venues, right? Mm-hmm. Yes. Well, I don't know how far back you want me to go, but, um- All the way if you want. I'm just playing. 4:33 [laughs] Well, growing up, there's al- there was always music in the house, the piano in the home. 4:38 And my siblings and I play, we, we would play in church together, and then also in our house there's a violin and a cello, and then guitars, and I have a hammered dulcimer. We've got different woodwinds. 4:52 So we just love to try different textures and playing together, so that was my start. And, um, I actually learned how to improvise sitting next to our worship leader after church, and everybody was packing stuff up. 5:05 And I was probably 10, and I remember she s- she came and sat on the left side of the piano, and she said, "Kels," her name's Andrea Baker, love you, Andrea. 5:16 And she said, "I'm gonna play something in the bass, and then I want you to just, to just play whatever you want." And so she did a little chord progression, and I started playing along. 5:25 And I remember feeling so excited and also amazed that I could make my own music, and so that was... I was making music from when I was really little. We listened to a ton of music all the time growing up. And then 5:41 I was, uh, I was in classical piano lessons all the way from five till j- uh, middle of high school, and all the while doing, um, being involved with worship team. So learning how to play with other musicians- Mm... 5:56 listening for the sweet spot [laughs] of where- Mm-hmm... where does the piano belong in the midst of a- all of the other instruments. 6:01 And then also incorporating the, the- The sound of the whole band as a pianist, trying to have that be a puzzle of how do I try to- Mm-hmm... incorporate those elements when I'm a solo pianist? 6:13 And then I started, um, playing for, in restaurants, and particularly one of my favorites was playing at the SkyCity Restaurant up at the Space Needle. Oh, my gosh. 6:26 And that I did for a, a good long time before the restaurant closed for renovation. And, um, 6:33 yeah, so there's, there's other parts of the story, but what I'm currently doing is still one of the, my favorite gigs at Bellevue Square Mall in downtown Bellevue. Yeah. 6:44 So, so again, you're, you're outside of, uh, Seattle- Yes, yep... and that's where you're connecting- Mm-hmm... in from. Yes, from Seattle. And been there, you grew up there? Grew up there? Yeah, more or less. 6:56 We grew up in the country, Carnation, and, uh- Okay... then moved to Bothell. So Bothell, Everett is where we are. Oh, okay. Yeah. So classically trained. [laughs] And I think it's real interesting you're talking about, 7:09 uh, learning to impro- improvise. 'Cause lots, lots of classical musicians never go there. [laughs] Or, or they don't go there as much as one might think. Mm-hmm. It's a different kind of a thing. It is. 7:22 And, uh, having the grounding and being able to read and understand the structure and, and the harmonics, harmonic nature of music is important, uh, to be able to improvise. Not mandatory, but it sure helps. 7:37 Um- Mm-hmm... but I know, you know, like you're, you know my wife Barb as well, and she was classically trained on piano and, and voice was her major instrument in college. 7:46 Um, and it's something she hasn't done that much of, but she can read well and, you know. But it's a different, it's, it's sort of a different kinda gifting, I think. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. It's, it's a, um, 8:02 it's an interesting box to fall in where that would actually be my default. 8:08 Sometimes when I was practicing, I would get lost playing a scale, and there would be some sort of interval that just touched my heart, and then I started playing with it. Mm-hmm. 8:17 Or I would, I would be playing with a, um, an arpeggio sequence or something like that, and all of a sudden I was just following the creative butterfly, and then I'd hear, "Kelsey- [laughs]... that's not practicing." 8:29 Come back. Come back. [laughs] Yep. But- I love that... I, [laughs] yeah. 8:35 But what I noticed was that, um, through also being able to understand meter and different patterns and such that are very present in classical music, and structure, and, and telling a story through the music, that really helped me when I was working on my own compositions too. 8:57 So I do love to just flow. I love a chord chart. Mm-hmm. 9:02 And just a fun little tip in case any of your, any of your listeners or viewers are, um, interested in learning jazz, check out the app iReal Pro, and it is an awesome fake book i- that's amazingly customizable, and it's a great tool for anybody that wants to get into standards. 9:21 And there's a whole lot more as well, but that's something I've- Okay, we'll-... learned a lot. [laughs] We'll put that in the show notes. Thanks for sharing that. For sure. 9:28 So let's spin back to this, again, this connecting with others using music as a bridge. Mm-hmm. So I'm just curious, I mean, that's such a interesting turn of words. Mm-hmm. Music as a bridge. 9:43 I think we kind of know intuitively what that means, but how did that come to you? Do you remember? Was it all at once, or did it just sort of over time? I've noticed playing in public allows me to also watch, 10:00 and [laughs] I see a lot from the piano. And I, I have the opportunity, especially where I play, they don't want you to have music in front of you, so it's a nice clean aesthetic. 10:10 So I'm playing by heart, and often, and I'm w- the most common setting I'm picturing for this is Bellevue Square Mall, but sometimes also in the lounge of Canlis Restaurant down in Queen Anne. 10:23 And, and there are opportunities that I've had to, to connect via eye contact from a far distance and, or, or across the room at a private event. 10:36 And there's an exchange that happens where they can tell I, I see them, and it's pretty special. There's, there's a moment where, 10:50 at least my hope is, they feel seen, that they feel known, noticed. And what I love is that being open and being approachable as much as I, I can be, um, it encourages folks to come up and to actually connect. 11:07 And, uh, there's, there's a, been a lot of really special stories that have happened from that. In fact, some people from the mall, for example, will walk up, and they'll share, "Thank you for playing that song. 11:19 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' reminds me of my grandmama." Oh. 11:22 And they'll share a story that just brought up that emotion, and sometimes there's tears, and it's just beautiful to pause everything and to hear that and hear their heart and to connect. Mm-hmm. 11:34 And really, music takes a backseat often in those moments, and in the best way. It is, it is a, um- I would say-... the road... yeah, so I would use the word a catalyst because- Yes... 11:46 I, I have a scientific background as a chemist, [laughs] and so I, the term catalyst means something. [laughs] And I think music is a catalyst in that case of connection because how many of us can remember, 12:00 as you just talked a- about that woman who came up, when you hear a tune, it's like it's a different pathway to a memory. Mm-hmm. And it, it provides a rich-... connection to that memory. Mm-hmm. 12:16 Um, I, I find this happens probably to m- many people at Christmastime. You know, when I hear certain Christmas music that play constantly in my home, Andy Williams' Christmas album. [laughs] Oh, yes. 12:30 I kind of wore that out. Uh, even as an adult, I can smell pies cooking. I can smell- Oh... turkey. I can smell all the things- I love that... around the holiday season, right? And, um- Yeah... 12:46 how many of us have listened to certain pieces of music and been brought to tears, you know, over it? Mm-hmm. And so it's extremely powerful, but I would say it's not often 13:03 that musicians really lean into that space. Sometimes y- you can go and take it, take it in a show, and there's definitely performance going on, but how much of their, is there connection? 13:17 And I think that that's something- Mm... that comes through on your livestreams, to be honest. Mm. Just watching the chats come up, and the people responding to you, and you turning and responding. 13:26 [laughs] Um, and, and- Mm... the improvisational gift you have, [laughs] you can turn your attention to them and, and make that connection. Hmm. Thank you. Thank you. 13:37 One of my favorite little elements of that that happened, um, this was July and August of, of, uh, 2020. Yes. Um, Canlis decided to do, uh, provide a livestream alongside their suppers that they were selling. 13:55 And they were, they were so ingenuitive, everything that they did during the pandemic. And they're, they're a wonderful, uh, h- upper echelon restaurant here in the Seattle area. Come visit. It's such a beautiful area. 14:07 Joe, you and Barb, we'd love to have you. And, um- Yeah... 14:11 I remember during one of the livestreams, there was the sweetest comment from a Frank Guanco, who said, "My little girl Meryl is here" in the chat, "and she loves your shoes." 14:23 And that is how a sweet little story, little friendship happened. Began, really. And years later, just a couple 14:32 w- months ago, they brought their whole family, Frank and his wife, and then Meryl and her brother Holmes came. And so Frank and Sarah were watching their kids standing by the piano at the, at the mall. 14:43 And, and Meryl is much taller now, couple years later. And, and she... What, what I love about moments like that is being able to, to give other young musicians an opportunity that I had growing up. Yeah. 15:00 And I remember Joe going to Nordstrom, and, uh, there's a pianist there. Her name's Laurie Zee. And I was probably nine, and I was holding a new Build-A-Bear I just made under my arm. And I stopped and listened. 15:14 And my mom and I were alone. It was a, a mom-daughter date. And, um, I remember how special I felt that Laurie took the time to talk to me. 15:24 And she looked me straight in the eyes, and I don't remember what we talked about, but then Mom asked, "Do you have a CD?" And she did, so we went to the counter, and we bought it, and she signed it for me. 15:36 And I remember, I mean, I, I listened to that CD a lot on my little CD player on the bus. I thought I was so cool, Joe, with my earphones listening to solo piano. [laughs] As a fifth grader. 15:49 But, um, that, that moment of giving, uh, being able to, to be that inspiration for so many precious young ones, um, and I loved how that story started on the livestream, and then they came to connect in person. 16:04 And I've- Hmm... I've stayed connected with their family and thanks to, to their father Frank, and being able to, to, to stay present. 16:13 And I, I love to tell people that come, especially from a place in public where the mall is just you, you walk by and you're surprised by music. And I say- Hmm... "I also livestream, and so if you want, you can say hi. 16:26 Let me know your kiddo's name in the chat, and I'll, I'll say hi on camera." Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's connection. Yeah. [laughs] Oh, yeah. I love it. Yeah. That's great. 16:36 And, um, course I know, I know that there's a story similar to this, and it kind of is how we got connected. Hmm. And it's through Michael Gettel. Mm-hmm. And your participation in his last, uh, album- Mm-hmm... 16:51 playing on the piece, was it Rise- Yes... that you played with him on? Yeah. Um, do you want to take just a couple minutes? 'Cause this is you- Mm... as the little girl, littler girl, smaller girl. Oh, yeah. 17:02 [laughs] I'd love to. Young one. [laughs] Yeah. Well, my folks bought a CD of his on one of their early anniversaries. 17:11 And I mean, Joe, we grew up always listening to his music as a family, and it was part of our dinner routine often would be his, his CDs or road trips. 17:21 When I think of driving in Eastern Washington at night with the stars, it, some of his music from Return, his Return album, or dinner, Cozy San Juan Suite. You, friends, you gotta check him out. 17:34 Last name G-E-T-T-E-L, Michael Gettel. And I remember I had a Click Wheel. Do you remember the, the iPods that had the wheel? Yes. And if you- Jog wheel. Yeah. Yeah. 17:45 So I would, for one of his songs in San Juan Suite, for example, the first one, Sous le Baie, I wanted to learn how to play that. 17:53 And so I would, I would constantly carefully rewind, and then I'd hit it a little too hard, so I'd go back to the beginning. 18:00 So I got really good at the beginning for a long time, and then I started learning how to emulate more of the chord structure and the patterns. And so 18:10 a lot of his music- And his, his crazy, was it left-hand ostinato- Yes... patterns or- Yep. Yeah. Left and right, for sure. There's different- And right. Yeah, that's true. [laughs] Yeah. 18:20 [laughs] And so I remember some of the chord progressions as well that- I mean, I learned so much from him listening as a kid, and I remember laying on my tummy, getting my ear as close to the speaker as I could- Mm... 18:34 with his, his music that had animal sounds, that had whale calls. And it was so mysterious, and it added to that musical experience. And I actually just talked to Michael about this recently- Mm... 18:45 that it was a very tailored track, that particular Whale Song, to sing with h- with his music. It was just amazing to, to now talk- Yeah... to the artist. 18:56 And so I remember growing up, um, there, it, the, the whole culture of interacting with a pianist is very different. You know, you had the label, the art that was released, and maybe- Oh... 19:07 you got to meet the pianist and they signed it, like with Lori Z and me, eight-year-old me. But I found Michael on Facebook when I was probably 23, and I just fan-girled, really. I send him- [laughs]... 19:18 sent him a message and just said, "Hey, Michael, I want you to know how much our family has really appreciated your music," and I shared how he's helped me to learn how to play by ear. 19:30 And so that was just, that was the beginning of connecting, and then years later, um, I, in a bold moment, started sharing some of his music on my livestreams and saying- Mm... 19:44 "I love, I love this song," and I started interpreting it in my own way. And then, I think this must have been in 2020, um, Michael started dropping in the livestream. And so I saw- [laughs]... 19:56 his name popping in, and I was like, "Oh, my gosh, he's here." Uh-oh. [laughs] And so it was so fun, and my parents were in the chat. My grandma was in the chat. 20:04 And it was such a special moment to, to watch this connection happen, and my parents got to also thank Michael personally. 20:14 And so then I asked him, when I released my first album, um, which was around the same time, beginning of 2020, if he would be willing to review it. And so he did. Mm-hmm. 20:25 And what was the, what was the name of the album? So this album is called Poema: Stories From the Piano. And what does that mean? You said, you shared this with me. Yes. Poema means work of art. Ah. 20:37 And, um, and my, I'd love to share my heart for the album, too, if we have time, and, and the message with it. Yeah. But, um, it was just, it was a surreal experience for Michael to, to take time listening to my work. 20:52 Mm. And also, there's a part of me where I was like, "Oh, I hope I haven't taken any of his music. I don't think I have." [laughs] Luckily, no. But, um- Yeah... 21:01 it was really special, and I, I have his endorsement- Yeah... on my website. So then we stayed connected, and he invited me to collaborate with him on Rise. 21:09 And this, that song is part of an album that is the first that he's released in about 20 years. Yes. And it's called The View From Here, and it's just wonderful. So wonderful. Yes. 21:22 I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael, um, before that. Of course, Michael, Michael and I met on a worship team at a church in Colorado. [laughs] And I remember him sitting down as a young man, 21:35 playing crazy stuff- [laughs]... before the service, and just- Surprise... just going, "Where is this coming from?" Wow. And, uh, yeah. 21:43 So, um, I'd like to think that he was well on his way moving towards that, uh, album project, but I, I'd like to think our conversation helped a little bit. I don't know. [laughs] Michael will have to let us know. 21:57 [laughs] Yes. Let us know. But listen, you un- you uncovered something I wanted to, to dig into. So in terms of connecting with your audience, I think there's several different ways you... 22:08 or, or maybe several different types of people and types of connection you make. Mm-hmm. 22:13 I was thinking about this, and I think obviously there's people who just enjoy listening to you play on your livestreams or, or in public, in the mall, or wherever that may be, restaurant. They just enjoy it. 22:28 Um, they're not musicians. But they're in the music appreciation crowd. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, and I see that on your livestream. I see the comments. I think there's another category of people who are maybe aspiring musicians. 22:41 Mm-hmm. And then- Mm-hmm... the, the final category that I'd like to sort of tick through these, have your thoughts on these categories, is the, 22:50 uh, f- people you've done collaborations with, and we just talked about one of those, and that's Michael, but you've done so many others. So c- can we start and just kinda unpack those different groups and- Mm-hmm... 23:02 what's it like for you to connect with them? Sure. So, um, the interesting thing about livestreaming is I have no idea who's gonna be coming in. 23:14 [laughs] And when I started multicasting, that took away the ability for me to see the names of people coming in- Yeah... like when I first started on Facebook Live. So that has its benefits and drawbacks. 23:25 It was definitely a benefit when I saw, "Ooh, Michael's in the chat," right? You know, at the very beginning. But, um, 23:32 what's interesting about not being able to see is I have a large network on Facebook, for example, where there are many professionals in the area that can pop in and out, and I've had, over time, professionals saying they appreciate what I'm doing. 23:49 They appreciated this and that, and they, they recall things, and I had no idea they were even there or listening. Mm. I can't, I don't know unless you're in the chat. 23:56 So, um, but I would say that has really allowed me to just dig more into that main goal of connecting. And so- And one of my favorite groups to play for actually are those who are the music appreciators. 24:13 And, um, I didn't- I don't know if I've mentioned this to you yet, but I was originally a music therapy intended student at Seattle Pacific University- Mm... before changing. 24:24 And I decided instead of doing more of a clinical route using music as a, to achieve non-musical goals, I wanted to use music to achieve non-musical goals in more of a butterfly fashion, so more, more free, and I could connect with the appreciators and have those one-on-one conversations in a more relaxed, free-flow manner. 24:44 So the music appreciators, whether they're in the chat or sometimes at Bellevue Square, they'll pop into the livestream when I'm Live Till 5, 'cause sometimes I turn on- Oh... 24:54 my phone, I put it to the left of me at the piano, and I give folks a window in to the shopping center, into this beautiful nine-foot Steinway grand piano. And it is such a fun window to open. 25:08 In fact, once I think I had five countries with me during the livestream. And, um, so the amateur pianists and those who are aspiring, um, are really fun, too, because they ask questions. 25:22 They, they make the chat more lively. They are interacting or they're saying, "Ooh, I wanna try that chord progression. Thanks for giving me the detail." 25:28 And so it's really nice to be able to be a resource for folks that have questions. 25:34 Hearing that creative process, in really my heart, and I would say for, I'm, uh, my message is often with Poema this desire to just simply celebrate the innate creativity that we each have. 25:48 And so my hope with that work and my message, my life message is, is that we would each be inspired to create and freed up to create the way that we are uniquely designed. 25:58 So I've been kind of playing with this brand of Create Like You as well- Mm-hmm... 26:03 in the middle of the livestreams, and encouraging amateur pianists and also creatives at large to think about the ways that they flow, the way that, that they're creative. 26:14 And I believe a lot of those are in the musical appreciators camp, but they wouldn't necessarily think of themselves as creatives. 26:23 But I've had some really sweet conversations with folks who have said, "You've inspired me. I'm gonna try piano," or, "I'm gonna try guitar- Yeah... or painting." And it is so- Yeah... that is awesome. Yeah. 26:34 You know, I just wanted to jump in. Um, as a, as a believer, a person of faith, uh, I believe that we are made in the image of God, and God is a creator. Yes. Yes. And so that's part of who we are. 26:50 Our identity is all, we're all creators. Mm. And as you said, it doesn't necessarily have to be music, but we all have something to bring out- Mm... o- of ourselves, and sometimes it stays bottled up. And so- Mm-hmm... 27:04 being part of that muse or that inspirational, uh, energy or person who helps bring that to the fore is a beautiful thing. And I do see- Mm... 27:14 uh, y- you, you also mentioned that during your livestreams sometimes you talk about what you're doing. So it's not just so people would understand who haven't joined you. It's not just performing the whole time. 27:26 You stop and say, "Now, I'm ta- I'm doing this. See if you notice this," or, "I'm gonna try this now." Mm. And I think that's very engaging, Kelsey. I think it really is. Um- I'm so glad- So, yeah... if we help. 27:38 [laughs] Yeah. And so what about the collaborative group? Yeah. So there have been some really neat 27:46 out-of-the-blue ways that I've connected with these people, and actually I even thought of more folks after I sent you my notes, Joe. Mm-hmm. And, um, there have been some that I've met on Facebook. 28:00 John Albert Thomas, he actually became a business coach of mine, and he's also a solo piano artist. And, um, Christoph Pagel and I met, and he's... Christoph's from Germany. 28:14 This is a, a actually more of a recent collaboration as of last, um, holiday season, and we connected on one of my social media pieces. I'm not sure if it was a TikTok or a YouTube video. It might have been YouTube. 28:26 Actually, it was a special livestream I did. I remember that now. 28:29 And, um, I was over at a friend's house, and they had a grand piano set up and, and he had multicam angles that he was doing, and it was a really special one. 28:38 And he, Christoph said something about wishing he could do more, but it's just, it's, it was crazy during pandemic and kids at home and all that. 28:47 So it went from just having a casual art- artist-to-artist, you know, chat in DMs to, "Hey, what if we try doing a collaboration?" 'Cause I saw that he had a story. 29:00 And with the Create Like You message that is definitely a passion project of mine, I have been also trying my hand at recording my own conversations where we have, we have chats, and I have some of these, uh, if you're interested, my friends, um, on YouTube- Mm... 29:18 on my KelseyLeeMusic or KelseyLeeKate, um, YouTube channel, and that you can listen to. They're, uh, the, the little bucket or playlist is called Create Like You podcast. 29:29 And so on, during that show with Christoph, I asked f- for him to share his story, and I actually asked him to record himself playing some excerpts of his music. 29:41 He, um, had asked me when we first met if he could send me some CDs f- that were in a factory in the States that were going to get destroyed. So I said, "Absolutely, I'll take po- possession of these CDs." 29:54 And so then I thought, "Well, why don't we do a creative collab where we sell a bundle of my CDs plus a couple of yours? 30:02 We'll offer a couple different packages, and then we'll bake in to the podcast interview some clips of you actually playing some of these pieces. And then in between... 30:12 listening and watching you play, I wanna hear the story behind the music. So that collab, Joe, was really fun because I got to, um, really try my hand at, at different types of creative editing. 30:26 And then also, I told him for the folks that purchased, that, that these folks would be writing, um, the folk- the people that they want us to autograph the CD for. 30:38 And so then I had Christof hand write his autograph, take a picture of it, and send it to me, and then I printed it and added that too. So it was as, as connected or as personal as possible. Nice. 30:50 So that was a really fun collab. [laughs] Yeah. Yeah. That, that's great. We're- of course, we already talked about the Michael wonders. Any, any others that come to mind you think'd be interesting to share? Yes. 31:01 There's a pianist that I met at the Space Needle, Jason. And, um, Jason Lux, L-U-X, is his, his artist name on YouTube. 31:10 And we stayed connected, and he was actually the one that invited me to play at Canlis a couple years later. And he has a very large YouTube following, uh, a big following on Spotify music. 31:24 And so he loves to do creative collaborations with folks. And so couple years ago, we were just improvising at a piano store in, uh, Bellevue, Washington, Classic Pianos, and I worked there for many years. 31:36 And we just decided to hang out and record our own take on Edelweiss, plus Favorite Things, so those two together. And surprisingly, years later, that video has gotten some... 31:51 It's, like, over 270-some thousand views- Nice... and amazing, meaningful comments. A lot of folks asking for the music, and we're just like, "Well, we, we didn't plan any of that." 32:02 [laughs] We probably should've transcribed it. But, um, so that was really fun and, and he's, he still plays at Canlis and we, we stay connected. In fact, I've- I have some of his lights here. And, um, 32:14 uh, last year, he invited me to do a dueling pianist live stream with him from his studio, which was really fun. 32:22 And, um, that was probably a, a definite creative highlight that I'd never tried before of a live stream with another musician. So that's really cool. That's really interesting. So- [laughs]... 32:35 let me ask you this question. Um, you've gone through these transitions. Obviously, you've moved through the pandemic, did a lot more on, on, online, and that's- Mm-hmm... 32:48 borne a lot of fruit, a lot of connections for collaborations. And, and you've really shared your gift with so many that way. Um, what are you currently transitioning in in terms of new projects or new endeavors? 33:04 Are there things that you're leaning into? I'm kind of aware of a few things, but I, I just wanna give you some time to talk about it. [laughs] Sure. So I would love to lean into 33:17 that passion project of Create Like You, and to, to... 33:23 Really, my- what I love doing there is interviewing and, um, introducing other amazing folks that have inspired me over a coffee chat, and actually share that wisdom with my other community members that would be really wanting to hear that. 33:40 And of course, there's collaborations that come with that. I would love to do more music videos. I would love to connect with other videographers, and I have ideas for creativity. 33:50 In fact, I have my first official music video, um- Nice... almost ready to release, and it's the Poema title track. 33:58 I shot it half at a gorgeous home and then half at a coffee shop, and with a painter actually, which was very fun. So, and then also, something that I've just been really wanting to do more is actually house concerts. 34:15 And, um, house concerts essentially are such a beautiful way to connect with folks in a smaller setting, they're friends, they're family of the host. 34:26 And I have the opportunity to really connect more deeply with these folks and, and to, um, to share my story. 34:36 And there's been some really special vulnerable moments as well where they, they share some of their heart and their journey. So that is something I would love to figure out how to do more. 34:46 And actually, David, my husband, and I were on a walk the other night, going through these beautiful homes and these neighborhoods, and I thought, "Man, wouldn't it be fun to just knock on the door of 20 houses and say, 'Hey, do you know somebody that has a beautiful grand piano? 34:59 Would you like a house concert in your home?'" Uh-huh. So I'm trying to figure out how to, how to do that more. 35:06 Um, and then also, in addition to house concerts, I would really love to start recording custom songs for people. And I've done this a little bit, 35:19 being able to record music for folks that I'm able to put on my Spotify, all of the different channels, but they have a really unique role in helping me to, to choose what to record. 35:31 So if, if any of your listeners are interested to follow along in that, the easiest way really is to add yourselves to my email newsletter, which you can find on my website. And, uh, 35:44 there's, there's gonna be more that's coming, and of course, I'll be posting about this on social, but also, not e- not everybody wants to be on social media. Yeah, that's true. So, yeah. And you do... 35:56 I, I think you have had, in addition to all of that, which sounds really cool, [laughs] and I- [laughs] This house, house concert stuff is, is interesting. There's a lot of people. 36:07 I've been in a lot of homes where there's been beautiful grand pianos and, and maybe they were purchased originally for one family member who's no longer with them, and- They're just not getting played. Mm-hmm. 36:17 And it brings a lot of joy back into the home to have someone come in and, and do just what you're proposing. But you also have shared some guides and sort of instructional stuff from time to time, have you not? 36:31 Oh, yes, I have. I've explored with that, and I used to, um, I, I love to coach adults because it's a different ballgame than coaching students, where you have a particular curriculum that you're using. 36:47 Um, but instead, working with adults, you, you kind of work backwards from their goals and help to break up, um, the, the steps and the process. And I've, I've done coaching on Zoom, I've done in person in my studio. 37:01 Folks have come. But, um, more recently I've been doing tips videos, and I, I've, I've tried my hand at doing some of that, where people can just watch on YouTube. 37:12 I did a scale map challenge this spring where I, I wanted to show the beauty and the fun there is in actually playing with a scale. And so I, I created a little guide. 37:22 That was the first time I've actually made something that people can download. And then I, on social media, did five days where there was a, a little exercise per day. And you... 37:32 If you scroll down my feed, you'd be able to find them. [laughs] So- Oh, gee... yeah. There's probably, there might be more challenges of that nature, but, um, that's, that's something new I'm interested in continuing. 37:44 Oh, it's a lot. You got a lot going. Yeah. Um, so let me ask this question, 'cause I think it's a good way to kind of bring together various different things we've talked about. 37:53 Um, and that is kind of the advice question. What advice would you give to someone who... And let's, let's target this to people who maybe are aspiring musicians. 38:03 And what advice would you give them if they're sort of starting their journey that you have learned some things along the way and wish you had known- Mm-hmm... when you started? Things that 38:17 is this unspoken source of tension is this expectation to reach a particular unattainable standard for oneself. And I could just speak to my own expectation of that. 38:34 And some of it's founded on the opinions of others. It, it, may- maybe I've heard. It, at least for me, I heard, um, folks that I really look up to share, "Oh, I don't like this or that." 38:47 And I'm thinking, "Well, that's what I do." You know, for example. [laughs] Or, um, or different things that I would hear on t- on, um, teaching videos or whatever of, of, of a critical nature. And I 39:04 would really encourage other people to, to nip that in the bud, to, to take your own 39:14 journey seriously, and to figure out ways to, to connect with the way that you write, the way that you express. 39:23 And then, um, like with, with the importance of having vegetables, good protein, good fats, like your macronutrients, you could think of, of appropriate music theory and learning all of the, the musculature of music. 39:40 That is really good and important. And to that structure, add your skin, add your color, add your expression. So- Add your voice... there's many ways to do that, but- Yeah... yeah. 39:55 Kind of that idea of finding your own voice musically. And- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm... yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's, that's great. 40:03 And I, I think this comes up with almost all the conversations I have around transitions and finding your gifts and putting your gifts into the world. 40:13 And, you know, and it's listening, being careful what you listen to- Mm-hmm... in terms of feedback, um- Yeah... those, uh, tapes that, that we have programmed into our, our, our heads at, at a young age. 40:32 And, and lots, lots of times it could be people who love us and mean, mean well and are trying to look out for us. Mm-hmm. But they're, they're kind of, uh, can be limiting. Mm-hmm. 40:43 Then we have our own limiting beliefs and the whole topic of the imposter syndrome, right? Yeah. 40:50 And being afraid of how what you do is gonna land, rather than focusing on just your, your own creative process and- Mm-hmm... getting a little bit off of the outcome. Mm-hmm. Be a little bit more in the moment. 41:05 Um- Mm-hmm... yeah. Couldn't agree more. And I don't remember whose song this was, but I always think about this, this fear factor. 41:16 There's that song by, I can't remember who it was, but it's, the line is, "Get up and dance," you know? Mm-hmm. About get up and dance. And it's this idea that you've gotta step out in life. Mm-hmm. You know? 41:31 You have to take some risks. If you take no risks, you know, then you're c- really limiting yourself. Mm-hmm. And we all fail, and failing is part of the growth process. Absolutely. 41:48 If we didn't have any, any, uh, fertilizer, the- there would be far fewer nutrients that we could- [laughs]... draw from. Detritus- Or mushrooms, whichever you prefer. Or mushrooms. Yeah, exactly. [laughs] Yeah. 42:02 That's very wise. Yeah, limiting beliefs are, are, um... I think maybe the final piece I would add to this whole thing is, um, 42:11 the, the very necessary part [laughs] of being a modern musician is developing one's relationship and mindset with regards to tech and social connection. 42:24 And if there's anything I wish someone told me when I was first starting all of this is to write in big, bold letters on like a piece of- You know, construction paper, put it up on your wall. It is not too much. 42:39 [laughs] You can eat whatever, you know. Uh, you can eat the, the elephant one bite at a time, and you can do it. And it can- Yes... 42:47 if you're just making your goal to be 1% better with every upload, I cringe and laugh at some of the stuff I posted years ago, and that's great. It shows the, the progression. 42:57 And each piece of content you release is like a journal statement for that time, and you can look back on it. 43:04 And you are successful if you are fully invested in that moment where you are, and then take your next step, and then your next step. Yeah. And you can learn anything- Yeah... with tech. If I can do it, anybody can. 43:16 [laughs] Truly. Well, I feel, feel the same way, too. But yeah, that, that's a great message on mastery comes through all these small moves. Yeah. You know? Small, incremental moves compounding over time. Atomic habits. 43:32 And atomic habits, yes. That's James Clear, right? James Clear, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um, powerful message there. Well, listen, Kelsey, where... 43:42 Now, you've talked about it several times, but let's just use, let's give the monikers, and I'll drop this in the show notes. But, uh, Kelsey Lee Cate, @kelseyleecate everywhere? 43:56 [laughs] Yeah, I would say the easiest- And then your website is- Yes Yeah, go ahead So kelseyleemusic, K-E-L-S-E-Y-L-E-E music.com would be your best bet, and then you can find all the links there to social. 44:09 You can find the link- Great... to my newsletter. Um, and I would love to connect with you. Feel free to send a DM, join my livestream sometime. I'd love to see you. 44:19 Well, and then, uh, for anyone watching this, drop comments in, in the, in the notes below. Mm-hmm. 44:26 Let us know, you know, uh, right there what questions you may have, and, uh, we'll be, we'll be looking for, for those responses and follow up with you if we can. Mm-hmm. So thanks again, Kelsey, for being on the show. 44:39 Really appreciate it. Oh, Joe, it's such a pleasure. Keep bringing your gifts into this world. Thank you. Thank you for the pleasure of being invited to come and speak to your audience here at Titans of Transition. 44:50 And you, you really just, you do such an amazing job of pulling wisdom from many different sources to your listeners, and I'm really honored to be among them. Thank you. Thank you. 45:03 [upbeat music] Hey, thanks for joining me today on Titans of Transition. I hope you enjoyed the episode. Please check the show notes for additional information.
