We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelli Caldwell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelli below.

Kelli, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve been trying to hone the craft of songwriting for decades and there’s still more to learn. I took some writing courses in college and then completed a Master of Publishing degree, which is basically like an MBA specific to that industry. So writing and editing courses were part of the initial foundation for me. I then went on to work in marketing and in PR for Harper’s Magazine, which involved public relations writing and copy editing. I think those other types of writing, as well as the types of questions you have to ask yourself in those types of work were also helping me in the songwriting I was doing as a hobby at the time and have helped me going forward, because working out the details in songwriting requires some similar questions: What’s the story or message you’re trying to convey? What’s the objective or who are you writing this to? Do all the details within relate to or serve the message and objective, and are they appropriate for the audience — which in my case with songwriting these days is for children and the people who love them.

In addition to those educational experiences, I went to workshops with local songwriting organizations, attending critique circles, listening to a lot of songwriters, volunteering for non-profit songwriting organizations, where I got to support other songwriters and also learn from them. I have only ever taken a basic music theory course, but I’ve also taken lessons from wonderfully skilled musicians and teaching songwriters, who helped me along the way to understand my own ideas — and to be able to edit them.

Knowing what I know now, I it would have helped to take a theory and some other music related classes sooner, as well as to have given myself permission sooner to focus on songwriting more professionally. But I think that’s also part of the journey. I write songs in many different genres, but it’s writing songs for Children and parents that inspires me most and I don’t think I could’ve done that as well until I became a parent.

That brings me to what’s most essential. I don’t know if it’s a skill exactly, but I think the ability to be honest is vital to being a good writer of any kind. Honest with self and willing to be vulnerable, as well as to commit to honesty about stories about others. If it’s not a skill exactly, it is a practice. It takes practice to open yourself up even to yourself that much and even more to put yourself out there to others to be willing to be seen in that way… and to know you will be okay after they have seen you or critiqued you.

I think self doubt is a huge obstacle for anyone. It also seems to take practice to push past it, as well as to let it help you in editing. It’s often the words or phrase that I keep wondering about or don’t feel quite right that another person in collaboration or critique will point out and that’s a great signal that indeed there was reason to doubt a bit or work a little harder to make that part better. Sometimes finishing a song or piece of writing can take decades, but it’s very rewarding when the final pieces fall into place.

I also think other people’s doubt has been an obstacle to learning more or progressing… when it’s really about them and not about your work. I’ve dealt with a lot of mansplaining or people who gave feedback that wasn’t all that thought through or before they asked any questions, so their feedback wasn’t justified or helpful, and then it just rocked my confidence unnecessarily. I wish I could go back and sit beside my younger self through situations like that to advocate and let myself know who to spend time listening to.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Children’s songwriter and performer, primarily performing for kids and families as Kelli Welli in the Portland Metro area in Oregon, but also branching out with some great opportunities lately. I’m very grateful for recent praise of my first three albums and excited to share another full album soon. I also have an Americana album finished that I have not yet released (pandemic put a hold on it and I need to figure out the plan to release). I’ve also been grateful to receive some songwriting awards recently.

Along with wonderful producers Bryan Daste and Timothy James Uecker, both also excellent musicians, and Bryan an engineer, I think I’ve been able to make some smart, funny, and also very genuine songs to reach kids where they are and new parents where they need to be seen. I feel very good about that and I think our commitment to high quality production and solid songwriting, as well as to always “keep it smart” and respect children’s brains has helped us to find our audience and unique place. I think that commitment and the growth I’ve experienced and seen as we make more music is what I’m most proud of. I’m also very grateful and proud to have been named a Grand Prize Winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition and to have been awarded 3rd place in this year’s International Songwriting Competition — both in the Children’s category. I feel really good about the company of songwriters in those competitions and so honored to be counted amongst them.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Although I have put out a fair number of goofball or humorous songs for kids and families, it’s not just all fun and games. I am very purposeful in trying to reach kids and new parents where they are, to help them relate, feel less lonely, to feel seen — to reach them where they are — and to offer some relief from all the stressors out there. I’m a survivor of childhood trauma involving guns and my mother had severe mental illness, so I know extreme circumstances and I know the importance of addressing the things we need to change in the world. But through all the things I and we survived, the ability to find things to laugh about, as well as always having music as a friend, were key in helping us get through. Kids have a lot on their plates just trying to grow and learn, let alone get through whatever challenges they may have at home or school. In recent years, there’s been a huge focus on trying to turn kids into activists to help change all the increasingly difficult problems in our society… I feel like it’s too much. Of course we want to teach them to be good humans and citizens, but we also need to give them the time to laugh and be kids and feel confident in their foundations, before piling on more burdens to fix all the things the grownups haven’t yet been able to fix. So while I see a place for some of that approach, mine is to try to be a reliable and loving adult reaching out to help them find relief if they need it where they are, to be seen and to play and laugh and feel like they have a friend who genuinely cares about them.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Creativity is truly a drive. So the process of writing or creating songs is extremely rewarding in itself. Each song or story is like a puzzle and it’s really fun to start something or get an inkling of an idea and then get to find out what it will become or to work hard to shape it into what feels right.

I feel really lucky to get to participate in this creative process and to feel like it’s always going to be with me. I have a song (not really for kids) that starts: “Don’t make the assumption that I’m paying attention… I’m paying attention, but maybe not to you… please don’t get your feelings hurt, it’s nothing to do with you… I want to be with you, but I’ve got s**t to do… My mind is wandering, I’m flying far and free… I’m riding on an idea, on a dream… and I will always be here, but I will also be there… where time is slipping away… and there’s so much to say and do.” I feel like the possibilities are endless, so I have this friend in writing and songwriting that’s always with me and we’re just getting started.  

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.kelliwelli.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelliwellikids/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelliwellikids
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelli-caldwell-1454694/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KelliWelli
• Other: https://kelliwelli.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Headshots with confetti by Alia Rose.