Thursday, December 12, 2013 • 45
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
Making Music Her Mission Teen’s Christams CD Will Help Children’s of Alabama
By Ginny Cooper
W
Journal intern
hile 17-year-old Katie McGettigan has been told by several people that she has been blessed with a beautiful voice, you might not find the John Carroll Catholic High School senior in the spotlight very often. And that suits her just fine. With no desire to be the next big thing on “American Idol” or “The Voice,” the Meadow Brook resident instead chooses to use her voice to help others. McGettigan has recorded and released a Christmas CD to benefit Children’s of Alabama. The “Christmas Memories” CD so far has generated more than $1,000 for the hospital. McGettigan said she has been singing for as long as she can remember. “My parents put me in music class when I was 2, and I just never stopped singing,” she said. McGettigan’s love of music keeps her very busy, she said. She is president of her choir at John Carroll, involved in Birmingham’s Red Mountain Theater, takes voice lessons at Amy Murphy Studio in Mountain Brook and participates in a variety of activities with her church, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. “She’s so busy, we hardly ever see her,” her father Dan McGettigan said, laughing. McGettigan said she looks to other musicians for inspiration as she sings. “Natalie Weiss is so inspiring to me. She was a musical theater major at Penn State, and she’s probably the most talented person I’ve ever heard,” she said. As for Christmas music, McGettigan prefers Michael Bublé’s album, “Christmas.” “It’s my favorite Christmas album,” she said. McGettigan’s recording career began when her parents, Dan and Susan McGettigan, wanted to share her gift with relatives in different
parts of the country who did not have opportunities to hear her sing. To make this possible, her father made a Christmas CD to send to their extended family. He purchased 100 CDs and mailed them to family and friends. Soon after, he began receiving calls from people requesting copies, so he had more CDs produced. But the calls continued. “It was getting very expensive,” Dan McGettigan said. Last year, a recording studio contacted McGettigan and suggested that she should make another CD and market it rather than paying so much out of pocket. McGettigan agreed to the CD only if a percentage of the money would go to a charity. Though she loves to sing, McGettigan said that sometimes the recording process could be challenging. “I hate listening to myself! Having to sit there and listen to it replay in my head so that I could fix everything was really hard,” she said. The album, which features Christmas classics such as “Silver Bells” and “O Holy Night,” showcases McGettigan’s clear, perfectly pitched voice. She is accompanied softly by a variety of instruments and percussion. After a visit to Children’s of Alabama, McGettigan realized what she could do with her God-given talent. “I love the work they do there (at Children’s),” she said. “I love kids, too, so it just seemed like a good spot.” Her father called the hospital, which was embarking on some new fund raising programs. “Although we had never tried it before, we loved the opportunity to work with Katie on this project,” said Emily C.I. Hornak, director of corporate partnerships and cause marketing at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. McGettigan plans to make appearances and perform at the hospital to promote the CD. John Carroll Principal Charlie McGrath said he praises Katie for her
From left: Emily C.I. Hornak of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Katie McGettigan and John Carroll Catholic High School Principal Charlie McGrath with some of the proceeds of McGettigan’s CD that she donated to Children’s of Alabama.
Katie McGettigan, a senior at John Carroll Catholic High School, has recorded a Christmas CD to benefit Children’s of Alabama. “Christmas Memories” features several holiday classics. Photos special to the Journal
work with the hospital. “Part of our mission at John Carroll is to help every student discover their God-given talent,” McGrath said. “By using the gifts that God has given her, Katie exemplifies the type of person who through her sense of conviction and faith in God can help bring about a just world.” McGettigan will attend college in
the fall, and though she is currently planning to attend the University of Alabama, her decision is not final until she finishes auditioning for other schools. She plans to pursue a degree in either musical theater or music education and said that she will never stop singing. “My favorite part about singing
is looking into the audience and seeing that one person that you’re really touching,” she said. McGettigan’s Christmas CD “Christmas Memories” can be purchased on iTunes or at Alpha Church Supply in Homewood. For more information on Katie’s CD, call 9810934. ❖
Mike A. Keller, DDS, PC Pediatric / Adolescent Dentistry Dr. Mike Keller, friends & staff are happy to recognize November members of the NO SUGAR BUG CLUB
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