Former high school teacher and current rock singer Kate Mann is making her way down the West Coast to add to her list of loyal fans. After what she describes as "an awakening of sorts," Mann put down her red pen and picked up a guitar, and has been touring and recording ever since. She was born in New Mexico, but currently lives in Portland, Ore. She is coming to Arcata to rock Mosgo's out on March 22 at 8:00 p.m. Her soul-filled sounds will make a perfect way to enjoy the endings of spring break.
LJ:Describe your music in five words.
KM: Acoustic desert gypsy rock (I know its only four words, but sometimes less is more)
LJ: How did you get started with music?
KM: My mom told me that when I was little, she would play Bach on the piano and then hear me whistling the melody around the house. I took piano and flute lessons when I was a child, and played in band and sang in choir in middle school. I even went to college on a classical voice scholarship. I got my first guitar when I was 22 years old and taught myself a few chords, started writing songs.
LJ:: What does music do for you?
KM: Music is one of the only things that makes sense to me. In terms of writing music it allows me the expression of whatever feeling or emotion I'm experiencing in its truest, purest form. I can create that with both the words and the mood the instrumentation evokes. In terms of listening to the music of others, when I hear a song that resonates with me it makes me feel a connection with the musician.
LJ: Why are you coming to Arcata?
KM: Arcata is the first stop on my Western States tour. I played several shows in Humboldt County last fall, including some farmers' markets, and really loved the town. I made some friends and can't wait to be back.
LJ: What feelings do you want your music to bring up for your audience?
KM: If my music brings up feelings in general, I feel like I did my job. We have so many opportunities in our culture to anesthetize ourselves to feeling deeply, and I think that is sad. I rarely tell people the specifics about what a song I wrote is about, because I find that people relate the words to things they might be going through in their own lives.
LJ: What are your career goals?
KM: My career goal is to keep playing music. I hope to be on the road as much as possible, and I hope to keep honing my writing, singing, and guitar playing. I used to be a high school teacher, and the lifestyle of a musician suits me much better.
LJ: What is your weirdest quirk?
KM: I'm a morning person. I think that's pretty weird for a musician.
LJ: What do you think is the most beautiful thing in life?
KM: Living.
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