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

Kathy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I think I began my creative career at the perfect time for me. I was 29 when I first decided to try performing and gigging as an Indie-pop pianist and singer-songwriter in my city, Memphis, TN. I think as a society, we put pressure on people to begin creative pursuits while “young.” There’s certainly nothing wrong with beginning a new creative pursuit as a child/teen/early-twenty-something-year-old. However, the right time is whenever YOU feel ready to take that leap, and for me, that was at the age of 29.

I started private classical piano training at 7. I spent my childhood in California training quite intensely and winning nationwide classical piano competitions. I also played in school bands and orchestra pits for musicals. Throughout those years, I never felt like my instrument was that appreciated or “cool enough.” I envied the guitar players and drummers for the attention they got and it grew difficult to enjoy playing my instrument. Additionally, all the intense private piano training and competing burned me out to the point that the moment I started college at UCLA, I stopped playing music altogether.

While on campus, I exercised my creativity by founding a performing arts outreach club providing students at low income secondary schools opportunities to study theatre and music. The success of this organization led me to join Teach For America in Arkansas after graduation. While teaching high school in rural Arkansas, I was exposed to Memphis, TN’s vibrant musical scene and creative community. Additionally, I had taken a trip to Chicago during that time and had gone to the dueling piano bar, Howl Over The Moon. That was the first time I saw my instrument as cool, fun, and actually appreciated. I wondered right then if I could also, one day, perform in a piano bar, play and sing pop and rock requests, and even write and sing my own songs.

Almost immediately, I was confronted with an onslaught of limiting beliefs; while I knew I had the piano prowess to play in any style, I doubted my abilities to sing well and to perform in a way that was entertaining. Additionally, I felt as if I was already too “old” to begin anything new (I was 23 – I chuckle now at that thought!) Thus, I silenced that voice for six more years. Until one day, I found myself freshly out of a long-term relationship that really burnt me out, In that moment, I realized I had to prioritize myself and my own goals, which meant finally pursuing my creative desires.

So, at the age of 29, I got the courage to put myself out there, network with venues and other musicians, teach myself to sing, learn a bunch of pop songs I was previously unfamiliar with, and try writing my own music and lyrics. 4 years later, I’m thrilled with where my efforts have taken me; I’ve since had a residency at a local piano bar, performed (both solo and with a band) at a variety of bars, restaurants, and listening rooms across Memphis, recorded and released original music, composed original scores for for local theatre productions, and created and produced a music video that was a finalist in the Indie Memphis Film Festival.

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

I am an Indie-pop pianist, singer-songwriter, band frontwoman, and composer based in Memphis, TN. I perform a variety of gigs in the Memphis area including: piano live request shows, singer-songwriter circles, band gigs, and private parties. The most fulfilling part of what I do is writing and performing my own songs. My original music blurs the boundaries of genre and style, with traces of pop, rock, vintage folk, theatre, and classical. When I write, I try to showcase my classical piano prowess blending it with witty, imaginative lyrics and haunting, expressive vocals. My original songs have been described as “mesmerizing,” evoking the feeling of being on a stormy island, in a colorful nightmare, or in a dramatic storybook. Over the next couple years, I plan to perform these songs on nationwide tours.

I released my first single “Strange Child” in 2022. I also made an accompanying music video to the song, which was a finalist in the 2023 Indie Memphis Film Festival. “Strange Child” is a piano-powered, theatrical, folk-rock tale retelling a nightmare I had as a child. The nightmare takes place on a movie-set-like landscape and features a mystical witch, innocent animals, and my younger self. As the song progresses, chaos ensues when the witch gets a subtle eerily fiery attitude and decides to wreak havoc upon the poor creatures around her. The song is powered by my piano and vocal narration, and showcases an eclectic mix of instruments, giving the song a uniquely eerie, colorful, rock feel. “Strange Child” can be streamed on all platforms and has an accompanying music video (available on Youtube) which stars an all-women cast and features a moving aerial silks routine also performed by me. I was very honored and humbled to have worked on that project. Since then, I’ve recorded 4 other tracks that I am looking to release together as an EP in this upcoming year.

Living in Memphis has been a huge inspiration for my creative journey. The city is filled with creatives from all walks of life who are incredibly welcoming and encouraging. Being in this supportive community has been instrumental in nurturing my own creativity. I’m honored to be making music today.

As far as services, I’m available for the following:
Live performances, from a solo piano to a piano-fronted band, playing original songs and covers;

Original commissioned compositions for theatre productions, film, tv, etc.;

Recording work

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The biggest resources I would have loved to have had earlier are guidelines on how to pitch myself to venues, radio stations, press, etc. I’ve realized there’s not always an obvious way or clear-cut guide for going about these communications. So much of my learning to do these things has been through constant trial and error and, in fact, I’m still learning as I go!

A specific personal struggle I’ve had in pitching myself is describing my music’s genre. I’d like to think my sound doesn’t have a heavy resemblance to any specific genre but rather, a versatile mix of styles and sounds. But I’ve learned over time that using specific words to describe your style can make a difference. It can provide a way for bookers and fans to better understand and relate to you and thus, open doors for more opportunities.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

It might sound cliche, but I firmly believe in the saying that being good at something is “1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.” Oftentimes when people hear me playing and singing and see me really working a crowd, they will come up to me afterwards and remark “wow! You’re so talented! I wish I could do that too, but I have no musical talent/I’m too shy/I can’t sing, etc. etc.” But I honestly believe intentional hard work and dedication are the most important qualities to being a successful performer.

I did not come out of the womb a natural performer. My piano training required intense hard work and discipline. I also was not born with a super magical powerful voice and stage presence. I had to work really hard at all these things and continue to do so.

Unfortunately, we live in a society that is quick to decide when someone is or isn’t worthy of pursuing an art form based on perceived natural talent alone. I, too, felt a lot of limiting beliefs about myself for a long time. Growing up, I was incredibly quiet, shy, and socially awkward and certainly did not believe I could ever be performing front and center, much less singing pop tunes or my original songs. Besides my classical piano recitals and competitions, I only really ever played in the background in large group settings or as an accompanist for soloists who were seen as the “true” performers.

When I finally decided to give myself a shot performing as a solo pop pianist and singer at the age of 29, I had to challenge these limiting beliefs. But more importantly, I knew I had to put in the work to ensure my technique was up to par. One of the first gigs I went after was my piano bar gig which required me to play and sing audience requests on the spot. That meant practicing playing piano in a rock’n’roll style which I’d not previously done. That meant hours and hours of learning a bunch of pop and rock tunes that most people grew up listening to but I had not (my parents immigrated to the U.S. from China and thus, I was not exposed to a lot of U.S. pop culture at home). I was very self-conscious about my voice and had never publicly sung solo up til that point, so I deliberately sought vocal technique training on the internet and guidance from friends who were more seasoned singers. I eventually invested in a professional vocal coach. I would also videotape each of my performances for constructive self-critique afterwards, noting moments where I could finetune or try something different. As an introvert and someone who can be awkward talking to people, I would write out a script for what to say to the audience at certain points in my performance to encourage crowd engagement. On top of all that behind-the-scenes prep, I was regularly pushing myself to network, get my name out there, and book more gigs which, as an introvert, is extremely challenging! Performing and networking come far more naturally now, but when I look back at countless logs of my notes and progress over time, I can tangibly see the amount of dedication it took to get to where I am.

All this to say, I really hope any non-creatives wanting to pursue something artistic will just go ahead and do it! If their goal is to pursue it professionally, I hope they’ll feel inspired by their own hard work and dedication driving them to success above all else. Life is too short to delay doing what you want to do!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kathyzhoumusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kzmusique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kzmusique
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzq0m9mVRb9cK-lKzGFexnQ
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/track/75MVBRoZwVmGrbXHrTBj47

Image Credits
Photography Miyabi Ted Partin Photography