Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself. Kathryn: I am one of those rare people that specializes in bass clarinet, which I think is one of the greatest instruments as its sound can be so mysterious and diverse. My primary musical interest lies in contemporary music and free improvisation. I also enjoy collaborating with other artists as I find that I take something away from each performance and each interaction. I released my debut CD "Open" in September, 2010, and you can find me performing primarily in Southern Ontario, Canada.
LB: How did you start out making music? Kathryn: My interest in music started when I was about 12 years old and my parents enrolled me in keyboard lessons. I loved them, as I was never any good at sports - so finally I found something that I could do well and enjoyed at the same time. When I got to high school, I was told that I had to learn a new instrument, so I chose the saxophone. Unfortunately there were not enough saxophones to go around the class, so I was given the bass clarinet as a consolation prize. At first I was disappointed, but it didn't take me long to realize that this was in fact the coolest instrument of all time and I never looked back.
LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Kathryn: Most of the artists I grew up listening to didn't really influence me musically. I was a child of the 80's! Later however, I discovered artists such as Frank Zappa, Radiohead, Eric Dolphy, and John Zorn, and it is those artists that influence me today.
LB: Tell us about your latest release. Kathryn: My latest release is titled "Open". This is my debut recording and it is fairly diverse. It features several freely improvised pieces with guest artists, two pieces for bass clarinet and electronics, and two pieces for solo bass clarinet. The last track on the album brings out my inner nerd and is titled "Evil Kirk". I composed all of the music on this album except for two pieces, titled "Ladano" and "Artoxinovix", which were written specifically for me. It is difficult to classify this release into one genre or category of music as it covers a very broad spectrum.
LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Kathryn: I perform live as often as possible and I thrive on this experience. I have performed across Canada, but hope to expand beyond that in the coming years. I think that my music is best represented by my live performances, as improvisation (and all performance in general) can be very visual. My live performances allow the audience to witness the interaction and the connection taking place between myself and those around me, which I think is an incredibly important aspect of music. I do feel that this experience is heightened when performing free improvisation as the connection between musicians is even stronger due to the fact that one does not know what the other is going to do next.
LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Kathryn: I most enjoy collaborating with other musicians. I have done many solo shows, and I enjoy them, but I get the most satisfaction out of performing with other artists. In improvisation specifically, I find that when you work with new artists, you learn something from each interaction and you take something different away from each experience. I also really enjoy the energy one feels when performing live. For me, performing music live is the greatest high possible.
LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Kathryn: You can purchase my music at the following places:
