Today we’d like to introduce you to Katrina Marie.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Many of my first memories involve singing. The passion for expressing myself in that way has always existed. I grew up in a tiny northern NH town in the middle of the woods called Moultonboro, where I was supported and encouraged by both family and school teachers to sing, record, and write songs.
Through the majority of my 20’s, I worked toward degrees in the fields of science and education and came full circle as an elementary and high school teacher. Any excess time was used to write melodies and lyrics, teach me how to play the guitar, and develop performance technique by attending open mic nights. A few years ago, I made a tough decision to leave the NH teaching world and become a performer in Boston.
My soulful vocals and novice guitar skills landed me in sticky old taverns playing covers and original music for tips and bourbon. A group of musicians called Atic approached me at one of these locations and offered to work with me on my next project, which became an album of original soul songs titled “When There Is No Color.” The album was released in 2017 and won Best R&B/Soul Album of the year from the Independent Music Awards.
After the release of the album, I teamed up with another group of talented musicians to create a band. We call ourselves KMB, The Katrina Marie Band. We play original and cover songs for audiences across New England. I’m currently writing and producing new material with the hope that it speaks to people.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been very, very bumpy! This is primarily because I have never had much money and I’ve never been involved in a social circle where I “know a guy who knows a guy.” There are really only a few artists out there who have that kind of luck, but the media spins it in such a way that makes it seem like all artists are blessed with equal opportunities.
The reality of the music industry is that most artists have to do an extreme amount of grunt work to achieve small goals and, unfortunately, these artists are working within a general culture that is not particularly supportive of artists and often takes advantage of them.
Many years of my life have been far from glamorous. I’ve scrubbed toilets for cash and found myself singing songs at 2:00 am to just a couple drunk dudes in the back corner of a tavern. But I was crazy enough to keep after my goals.
My passion for making music and connecting with fellow musicians and audience members gets me out of bed every day. I hit a turning point a couple of years ago when I realized that if I want to create a serious career out of my music, I need to start viewing the work that I do as a business. I need to identify and develop my products, create a plan to market and sell the products, and build a team of talented professionals who can assist me in this endeavor.
Translating my art and passions into a language that makes sense in a system used by the majority of our society was my first step in building a bridge from my artistic island to the rest of the world.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Katrina Marie Band is a female-fronted soul band that travels to restaurants, lounges, and outdoor festivals across New England, playing R&B, blues, and rock covers and originals. Our old school vibe sets us apart from other bands. Although we play a lot of current music, our look and sound are reminiscent of the 1930’s-1960’s.
Our versatile band performs for both public and private audiences, with the capability to create a large show with full sound and lights or a smaller more low key and intimate experience.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was constantly daydreaming and loved anything that involved the art of storytelling. I wrote about 30 stories when I was a kid and bound them with tape and neon poster board to create books out of them.
I was also athletic, playing a number of schools organized sports. I enjoyed being around people and had a lot of empathy for others but was, at the same time, quite shy and had to push myself to become more comfortable with performing as I got older.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://katrinamarieband.com
- Email: KatrinaMarieSongs@gmail.com
Image Credit:
John Libby, Katrina Marie, Dave Barber, Jon Grogins, Bob Martin, Jordan Piantedosi
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