We were lucky to catch up with Catriona Fray recently and have shared our conversation below.

Catriona, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

CATRIONA FRAY is an artist, teacher, and one of the co-creators and producers of Homegrown Recording & Collective. Homegrown Collective is an independent LA-based artist collective with a passion to share love and provide a creative and accepting space for artists. We compose music for TV/Film studios & local theatrical productions, host live concerts, songwriting & production workshops, private music lessons, yoga classes, & sound healing sessions. We aim to foster community through a shared mission: Awakening through Authentic Musical Expression. (www.homegrownrecording.com).

This past year, we had a residency at Hotel Cafe (performing on the Second & Main Stage) and wrote & produced a full length original musical, “Coming Home to the Soul” through the Hollywood Fringe festival. We received an Encore Award for the production.

She has original music released on all streaming platforms. Her music transcends the spirit into an earthy, soulful Gospel/Worship/Rock/Pop experience. Her overall mission is to create art and opportunities for listeners, audiences, and students to connect to their own mind, body, and spirit and to be inspired to tune into their own truth and light.

Her most recent release with recording artist & vocal coach Savannah Wilder will be “I Smell Snow” on December 15th, which embraces the magic of the winter season! Recorded and produced at Homegrown Recording.

To find out more about what she’s creating, let’s connect!: (www.catrionafray.com & IG: @catrionafray)

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

CATRIONA FRAY is a graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, where was she was a featured soprano in the UCLA ScatterTones a cappella group, traveled around the country singing at the White House, opened for Grammy Award winning Pentatonix, and filmed with recording artist Jojo in a national commercial for Freeform.

She has worked on two Kathleen Marshall (three-time Tony Award director/choreographer) productions Mamma Mia at the Hollywood Bowl and Sweet Charity as Rosie. Her favorite leading roles include the Witch in Into the Woods, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, and Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde. NYC Off-Broadway concert credits include, Swing 46, Town Hall, Feinstein’s/54 Below, (Le) Poisson Rouge, and The Duplex, where she produced, created, and starred in her own cabaret The Melody Plays On: No One is Alone to help raise awareness and donations for the local domestic violence awareness non-profit “Never Alone Again,” debuted a piece of original material “Divine Feminine Soul” in NYC, and most recently was awarded the Encore Award for a Homegrown Collective original musical “Coming Home to the Soul,” co-written/produced by herself & others within the collective.

During the pandemic, she directed/choreographed/music directed a musical revue for a children’s theater (socially distanced and masked), taught musical theater classes, and founded Catriona Fray Studios for the Performing Artist. She teaches piano, guitar, voice, acting, dance, musical theater script writing/songwriting, and yoga to students of all ages! She also received her Trauma-informed Yoga for Youth in Vinyasa and Kundalini certifications and teaches yoga, most recently, for Mental Health non-profit “A Safe Place Inside Your Head” on their IG Live, reaching over 16,000 followers.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best way to support local artists is to go out and see live shows! Become involved as a regular audience member, producer of a live event, investor in their projects, buy their merchandise, engage when they share their music/post on social media, and become a part of the creative community by subscribing and or becoming a patreon! Helping to generate a platform for artists to fully express and authentically create with financial sustainability is the goal.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m passionate about creating opportunities for artists to collaborate with each other and to have my songwriting rooted in introspection, spiritual evolution/devotion, and personal growth. Being a human can be challenging, but it’s such a gift to be on this earth and to remind each other that we are not alone! Collaboration with non-profits/philanthropic work within the community is also a driving force in my creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.catrionafray.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catrionafray/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catrionafray/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catriona-fray-62875816b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@catrionafray2902
• Other: www.homegrownrecording.com

Image Credits
Brenton Cooper (show photography), Kelsey Danzeisen (Photoshoot at Piano), Jensen Chambers (Catriona Fray Studios Logo Graphic)