Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karen Laura Peters. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Karen Laura, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

During the early days of the pandemic, when many of us were reassessing what is most important, I realized I wanted VERY MUCH to release music into the world. I started prioritizing writing and finishing songs. Trying to learn how the recording process works. Reaching out to long-distance producers.

I began to send a core group of friends my songs every few weeks. I needed their belief and encouragement. Just by listen to the songs and responding with some sweet emojis, they offer their support and that helped me able to face challenges and move towards my dream. Creating my first EP, Of The Embers, was a really tough process for me because I had no idea what I was doing. Each step was NEW and I learned to trust myself and my artistic vision through that process.

There are seeds inside all of us. Seeds of potential that need support, resources, encouragement and tending in order to blossom. The kindest people are the ones who can see and express belief in someone else’s dreams and unrealized potential.

Karen Laura, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a PNW based indie Singer-Songwriter and Cellist. While training to be a professional cellist at Oberlin College & Conservatory, I fell in love with experimental music and folk music and began writing my own songs and performing with folk groups. After a few years, I joined a singing strings band called Her Treehouse. My bandmates and I were featured in NPR’s All Songs Considered blog in “Our Favorite Desks in the Wild From the 2019 Tiny Desk Contest.”

While performing in WA and CA with Her Treehouse, I began writing, co-producing, and recording my first EP, Of the Embers. I released my debut song “I Won’t Go,” with its honest lyrics, grooving drums and soaring horn lines. Soon after, I released my debut EP featuring an ethereal and reflective song “Fireflies” and driving “Crack in the Sky.” In 2024, I released a heartfelt single “Duet” featuring rich storytelling and lyrical cello lines.

My music is often described as genuine, honest and sensual. My collaborative nature and gift for sharing my heart create entrancing and captivating performance experiences. I am a storyteller and experience creator who invites audiences into connection and feeling.

I perform, record, and collaborate often with other PNW musicians and am the Co-Founder of the WA based music organization, M O M E N T U M.

Momentum is an organization that helps musicians feel inspired, connected and empowered to build momentum on their music journey. We host in-person skill building masterclasses and monthly meetings to help musicians build confidence and to improve access. I founded Momentum with fellow musician, Tara Chugh. We are both motivated by creating more educational opportunities for musicians and contributing to a strong local music community.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Creativity is something that lives inside every single human. Some people develop it and prioritize it more than others but creativity is a human right and need. I think our first step as a society in healing our relationship to creativity is understanding how fundamental and vital it is to our wellness, both individually and collectively.

Creativity and artists give us all the music we listen to, all the movies we watch, all the t.v. shows we binge, all the art on the walls of an office, all the new car designs, the technology of an iphone, the brillance of an amazing meal at a restaurant. Creativity is what makes our lives pleasurable, fun, connecting, and memorable.

As a society, we don’t do a good job of valuing artists and creatives. People often have to sacrifice a lot in order to pursue artistic pathways. There is an imbalance in the amount we use the output of creatives and the amount of care we show in exchange.

I feel this every day. Financially, emotionally. physically, it takes a toll to be undervalued by the collective. There are so many amazing micro ecosystems that build up artists, show value and emphasize reciprocity. But we all live with a dominant culture that influences us, whether we want to think so or not.

What can society do to support artist and creatives? Value and invest in arts education of federal, state, and local government levels. Make pursuing a career in the arts as financially sustainable as becoming a lawyer or dentist. Financial investment is the language of our society saying “We value this!” So let us invest in the arts!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Music is an amazing way to connect, both inwardly and to the world around me. I have always loved making music with others. The joy, surprise and intimacy that comes from playing music with others is a continual gift.

Recently, I co-wrote a song with two friends, Tara Chugh and Michael Lauckner Thomas. The song, “I Didn’t Know What I Was Missing,” will be released in March 2025. This was the first time I have co-written a song with two other people and recorded it for release. It was such a delightful and surprising process! I love the fact that three brains, hearts and sets of hands came together to create this song. I love that I’m not sure who wrote which lines or which chord progressions. There is something about the alchemy of collaboration that give me a feeling of belonging, connection, and wonder.

I hope to do more of collaborative songwriting and recording in the future!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.karenlaurapeters.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaurapeters/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@karenlaurapeters
• Other: www,momentummusician.com

Image Credits

Nick Blodgett Photography
Devin Dahlke
Patrick Gaurano
Tara Chugh