Brad Shepik. Courtesy of the artist.
photo by Lori Paulson
HIP HOP BEATS, VOCAL PROWESS AND A TOUCH OF FLUTE KATIE KATE (MU ‘09)
MAKING MUSIC BRAD SHEPIK (MU ‘88)
If you are savvy to the ways of the Seattle music scene, chances are you have already bumped into one of its hottest up and coming young talents, hip hop producer/MC and Cornish alum Katie Kate (MU ’09). After all, it’s kind of hard to miss her when
Music has always played a big part in Brad Shepik’s life. Since high school, the Seattle native and Cornish alum dabbled in numerous instruments including the alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, double bass and guitar while starting up his
she can be seen on some of the Northwest’s biggest stages. Whether you are hitting up the Sasquatch! or Decibel music festivals, or even Seattle’s renowned Bumbershoot, Katie Kate’s compelling vocal rhythms and sophisticated electronic beats can be felt for miles across the Puget Sound. However, as formidable and dynamic a rapper and vocalist as she has become, Katie Kate’s story might surprise you.
own rock and blues bands. Using money earned from his paper route, Brad frequented record shops to pick up albums from iconic jazz and blues musicians Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk or anything that looked interesting. Brad and his friends even started to book gigs, playing school assemblies, talent shows and parties developing a popular repertoire including favorites Mack the Knife, Cheap Sunglasses, and Blues Brothers tunes.
Born Katie Finn in upstate New York, Katie was what many consider the typical “band geek.” Primarily a flutist, Katie never liked the idea of being limited to just one thing. So, with music imbedded in her soul, Katie armed herself with whatever instruments she could get her hands on. “I was totally that nerdy music kid in school, ever since I can remember. I was in every ensemble I could manage to elbow my way into—I even played tenor sax in the jazz band (somewhat poorly). I was insatiable. [Music] was a way for me to escape, something very natural that made perfect sense to me and always had.” With a dream of a music career in her head, and living in New York, Katie had an armada of schools and programs almost at her front door. The problem was, the typical music program just didn’t fit her style. “Between New York City and Boston alone there were many, many excellent universities... [and] I would have to audition on flute as my principal instrument. The problem was, I didn’t really want to be a concert flutist. I went on several auditions that ended in tears because the adjudicator could tell I didn’t want to be there. I had a huge variety of interests and skills, and I was so discouraged that the schools near me seemed so... linear.” Waiting for a program to want to see every side of her, Katie finally discovered Cornish. Story Continued on Page 16
However, realizing that he spent all of his time around music, Brad decided that it was going to be almost impossible for him not to commit to being a full time musician. That was when he discovered Cornish. “I was spending all my free time practicing and playing—I wasn’t going to be satisfied if I didn’t pursue it and learn more about how it was put together. Early on, the thing that was attracting me was writing music of my own. I applied to Berklee, NEC and Cornish and ended up receiving a scholarship to Cornish. It was a great opportunity to study with people like Dave Petersen, Jim Knapp and other faculty that I’d seen performing around Seattle ... It was probably when I decided to go to Cornish that I committed to being a musician.” Upon finishing his music degree, Brad moved to New York. Though his first couple years out of school were tough, they ended up being some of his most productive. “When I first moved to New York, I hardly played gigs for a year. I did a lot of odd jobs to pay my rent, but it was still a very fruitful period because I was doing a lot of semi-regular sessions with likeminded musicians, reading and writing our own music.” Those casual sessions, though, eventually coalesced into groups that started out playing little gigs around town. Eventually, they moved Story Continued on Page 16
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