Album Notes

Kathryn Gauthier: Music bio:

When I think about my musical influences, I would have to credit the old movie musicals as much as our own family gatherings. The diva image is deeply rooted in my brain, but the wonderful bond that grows out of making music together came from listening to my dad play the old country western standards and joining in with relatives around a campfire. It's that intimacy shared through song that makes performing such a necessary component to my creative life.
I studied classical voice along with the rudiments of music theory in college, and later, while attending the Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, RI, I received additional vocal training in the Linklatter technique that gave me a solid command of my instrument. While working on my Bachelor's degree in fine art at Emmanuel College, Boston MA, I performed with a female vocal ensemble called the 12 Tone. I later joined a madrigal group called the Renaissance Works and gigged with them for a few years in New England.
After being given a guitar I began to compose songs. In my late 20s I fell in love with the music of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn and began branching out into jazz. When I moved to Chicago in 1992, I followed that muse and put out a CD, First Steps, featuring jazz standards and a few originals, that received favorable reviews. It is available online at www.CDBaby.com. Chicago is a great music city and I am excited to be working here. My latest release is a collection of children's tunes; Sunshiny Day , also available on CDBaby and Digstation. I don't limit myself to one genre and my dual careers in both the visual and performing arts compliment eachother well. I have copyrighted over 100 songs and have performed in cafes, restaurants, festivals and showcases around the city, sometimes combining a performance with an exhibition of paintings.
As for my sources of inspiration, …I just never know where the next song will come from. …A chance encounter, a striking moment of beauty, an emotional experience, …some songs just happen in the moment, others may take years to flesh out. People have said my vocal style is a cross between Joni Mitchell and the Roach Sisters.
For more info and samples, check out my website: www.GauthierArts.com