We recently connected with Kat Gaffney Jellicorse and have shared our conversation below.
Kat, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I originally started out doing musical theatre and allowing other people to write the script for me and my career. I had always written my own music but was genuinely convinced that it wasn’t that good and that no one would want to listen to it – to say I was terrified is an understatement! But through the coaching of a friend who had made a similar transition, I was encouraged to take the risk of putting together a one-woman show that fused together my theatre background with some of my original music. I treated it like the story of my life and wrote a script for it using theatre songs, pop songs, and some of my own original songs. When I first started putting the show together, I was pretty convinced it would only be a few close friends in the audience, but on opening night we had completely sold out the venue to the point that there were even people standing in the back! I was completely amazed by the success of that show and that is really what gave me the courage to make the move into performing more of my own music.
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 the daughter of two musicians, so it was no surprise that I inherited musically creative genes. Growing up, instead of keeping a diary like my other friends, I would write what I was feeling into songs. It was just something I always did and I don’t really remember a time that I didn’t write songs. However, I was also incredibly shy as a young girl and so instead of singing my own songs, I found my confidence on stage through performing in musicals. I went on to get my Bachelors in Musical Theatre and it wasn’t until my mid 20s that I finally found the courage to start sharing my own music. Since then, I’ve been to Nashville for writing sessions, have released my own music as an independent artist, and sold out shows in New York and LA. It’s been pretty incredible to feel like I’ve been able to take true ownership over my art and my career. My current project is growing my YouTube where I write parodies of popular songs and turn them into Christian songs.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Something that I’ve learned over the years is that I really am able to be in charge of my own career and the path that it takes. Growing up doing musical theatre, it’s very common to be told to anticipate failure because your career is always in the hands of the person behind the table. I’ve had to really unlearn the habit of assuming that I’m going to fail because I am a creative. Words like “starving artist” get tossed around so carelessly in my opinion, but the reality is that if you treat your art like a business and are smart about how you go about it, it’s not impossible to make a living doing what you love. It’s also not entirely necessarily to make your entire living off of your art either in order to be considered a truly “successful” artist. I love the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert because she delves quite deeply into that topic.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve learned that I feel better as an artist when I am writing songs for a bigger purpose than just to build my brand or grow my own name. I want the songs that I write to encourage, comfort, and uplift people. My debut EP, Song in the Night, which came out in 2019 is all about navigating mental health struggles as a Christian. My goal with that EP was to remind my listeners that they are not alone – there is a God who loves them and who will walk with them through the valley.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/katgaffjelli/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBAWAamb1_anyAYX6s4TyJA
Image Credits
Will Jellicorse