Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Clarke.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in England, started the piano at age 6, and at 13 went to an international music school in London to study more seriously. I continued on to get my BA and MA in Music and then after dabbling in many other forms of work finally settled on becoming a full-time performing pianist.
While in London I did every imaginable gig from accompanying West End singers to Musical Directing, to teaching, to solo performances. However, it was not until I was introduced to a cruise agent by some friends of mine that I jumped feet-first into the world of cruising and performing my own show.
I moved to LA in 2014 and continued to accompany, teach, musically direct, and perform. I currently travel the world performing and have been lucky enough to visit every continent!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It certainly has not been a smooth road! Choosing life as a concert pianist has had struggles. Going to an international music school at 13 thrust me into a world where music was no longer a hobby, or just a passion, it was now a serious endeavor and competition was fierce. I primarily studied Classical music and my solo show blends popular genres alongside classical pieces. Well… Classical music isn’t exactly popular and so making my career in it has been way harder than I imagined. It really pushed me to find new ways to connect with an audience and also within myself.
I encountered severe, (and sadly still do) sexism in the workplace, at one point being told “It was to ignore the elephant in the room to ignore the fact I was a woman.” The industry is male-dominated, and unfortunately, some attitudes are still stuck in the past.
I think when traveling the hardest struggle I face is, “where can I practice?!’ It’s always the biggest stress for me, and sometimes I have to go days without touching a piano to then go straight into performing a show.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Well, I label myself as a “Virtuoso Pop Pianist” and I specialize in bringing together Classical pieces of music and then fusing them with other genres such as pop, rock, funk, and even EDM and Trap music.
I primarily work on Cruise Ships as a Guest Entertainer. This means I get to fly out to somewhere exotic, join a cruise ship, perform my show (which is accompanied by a 7 piece band) and then fly home!
I am certainly known for being a pianist that likes to push the boundaries, both in music and style. I love to blend the old and the new, the formal and the informal within music and in my image.
I am probably most proud of creating my solo shows and making a living off that. I am so lucky to be able to have a career that purely expresses who I am and what I love to do.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Hmmmmm… interesting question, lol. Well, I think I love most the broad range of opportunities and positivity that goes alongside being creative out here. You can embark on something new and exciting and feel fully supported by the artist community out here.
At least… it has to be the emphasis on looks. I find LA to be quite fickle at times, often feeling the pressure of “how hot you are, how young you are, how in shape you are, etc.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieclarkepiano/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katieclarkepiano
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatieSClarke
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgExPxj5pYjstPJp8vVzF5g
