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

Hi Kym, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I have been a creative artist my entire life. I am surrounded by artists in my family and never knew what life is like without art. I began playing the flute at the age of ten and received a college scholarship to attend a university to study becoming classical musician. As an adult I continued to play music in local community bands (Sunshine City Band) which played every Sunday at Williams Park, and a community symphony that rehearsed weekly at a nearby church. Being an artist means being open to life and letting things unfold, watching, taking it in, and making something creative and beautiful from that experience.

There comes a time in every artists life when we question what we are doing. Sometimes it means you need a break from art, and other times it could mean you don’t have the luxury of space or time to do what you normally do.I. believe for me, this happened when I became a mother. As a parent and teacher, I was busy filling their lives with meaningful experiences. So for a while, music and art were in the background, as I raised my daughters. I began to create experiences for my children that were artistic, and fun, and in that sense, I was still an artist, I wanted to give my children the mindset to be creatives too. Now that they are grown, they too are artists and I am so proud of their work! I officially became a full time artist once I retired, bouncing between music and painting.

Kym, 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 have been a classical musician for 20 years and was finding myself feeling like I needed a new challenge. I was invited by Ken Gruber to join his band and thought I was invited to be the organizer/manager. I realized once I showed up that they wanted me to be a lead singer. Only problem was, I had never been a singer before! I am a flautist and musician, but not a singer!I thought, oh well, here goes, and began singing with this band for about three years. That lead to me being in other projects and becoming more experienced at singing. I eventually started Pink Streets Music with my husband, the band manager. we have worked very hard to be as flexible as we can to provide music for all types of occasions. Private parties, corporate events, weddings, venues and celebrations.

Pink Streets offers a duo, trio and full band music and lots of fun on stage! My little brother ,Darren Shaw, is the drummer and so there are always pranks and laughter during rehearsals and gigs. Jason Wilson is one of the best bass players in the area and has a keen sense of style that makes him a talented and unique musician. We have serious talent in this band and we love working together and playing music as a team.

I was born, raised and retired in St Petersburg Florida. I taught for twenty years at the high school I graduated from a few years ago. Being a true native of Florida has become a rarity and something may people have found surprising. Although there are not many, I have found some people that share this unique and special experience. My band name is to celebrate how lucky we are to be natives of such a wonderful hometown as St Petersburg.

Pink Streets was selected as the name of this band as a tip of the hat to my hometown of St Petersburg. I wanted to make sure that the cultural and historic significance was positive for all people and created a sense of pride and inclusivity for St Pete residents. The small residential area in south St Pete can claim the Skyway Bridge as their view from their back door, and has a Native American Burial ground, a park and last but not least, cotton candy colored paved streets. The name is synonymous with unique, inclusive and interesting and became the instant choice.

I am extremely proud of the fact that we work very hard to not only make our music sound great, but that we place a huge emphasis on having fun too. Being a great musician is fine, but making the crowd feel excited, and giving them an opportunity to escape from the stress of their life for just a little while makes me feel we have done our job. We make sure that the folks are entertained and knowing they can always look forward to Pink Streets fun and quality music to them

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I decided to retire from teaching high school, it was not the timing I had planned. I had planned on working for few more years and then retire. Many people had to pivot during COVID and for me it became an awakening.
I decided that I was going to transform a negative to a positive. I decided to target a goal on something amazing and positive and not allow my fears and disappointment to freeze me into isolation and darkness. I decided to learn to play the guitar from scratch. I decided to start my own band. I decided to explore painting and create a series of paintings for two shows, which led to many shows! I decided to pursue art and music and to begin claiming that I was a full time artist. What might seem surprising is that out of all of these things I was learning, perhaps the hardest of all was learning to claim myself an artist. I had been a mother, a teacher, a caregiver, a wife, and so many roles but claiming myself as an artist seemed self centered. I fought the inner dialogue and allowed myself to indulge in this transformation. I learned that claiming I was a full time artist ultimately allowed my creativity to open up- even more. I had arrived at another of my lifelong destinations, this one, of being an artist. I look back at my many roles without regret ,for all of my life goals and accomplishments have led me to each new chapter, all of which have brought me such happiness and peace of heart.

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

I love making art and creating feelings on canvas, or with music. I find the most rewarding experience is when I have created something that resonates with someone and brings them joy, peace, love or emotional resolution or inspiration. I have found that music can bring people to tears, and joy. Playing music to encourage, or to remember something meaningful and bring that person to feel a certain peace of mind is success for the artist. To create a painting that conveys certain feelings or a memory and holds that space with that energy is always special for the artist and art lover. For me as an artist, I am always looking for a connection and creating and sending that through my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pinkstreetsmusic.com
• Instagram: pinkstreets_music
• Facebook: Pink Streets Music (group)
• Youtube: Pink Streets Band

Image Credits
Photo credits: David Rugerri