Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Ferrara.
Hi Katie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my journey in music after joining my high school choir. I knew that I always wanted to sing, but I was very shy about it when I was growing up. I had a great music instructor named Rachel Lee who really inspired me to keep singing after I graduated. Singing with other people taught me not only music theory and harmony but how to perform on a stage. In 2005, we had a major performance at the Hollywood Bowl for Stephen Sondheim’s 75th birthday. All the chamber choirs that were part of LAUSD were invited to perform that day. It was very special for me because at the time, I was also working my first job as an usher at the Hollywood Bowl and never thought I would be on the stage.
While attending the Claremont College for a bachelor’s in psychology, I taught myself guitar in my spare time. My mom had lent me her old Yamaha from the 70s and I would look up songs to cover on Youtube to learn how to play. I also took music theory classes and studied indigenous music while studying abroad in Quito, Ecuador. I started writing my own songs too.
When I graduated, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do for work-I thought I might like to get a credential to become a full-time teacher, but the idea of becoming an artist was still floating around in the back of my head. I wanted to do better than my parents and become financially stable. Growing up, my family wasn’t very well off. My dad had cancer so we didn’t make a lot of money because he was often sick and going through chemo. I was lucky that I could attend a private school and worked incredibly hard to get there. I remember feeling like I wasn’t good enough to pursue music at the time because I started late in the game. I could not afford lessons when I was younger and missed out on being able to read music. I didn’t know how I would make money singing and I felt a lot of pressure to get a good-paying job with my college degree that I now needed to pay off.
A month after graduating, I got a one-way ticket to London to see some of my mom’s family and just explored the city, met people and tried to figure myself out. I met a music producer in a guitar shop on Denmark street and he inspired me to record, go to open mics and start putting myself out into the world. I ended up living in the UK for a whole year (and I was able to do so with dual nationality) I fell very much in love with this guy and it was part of the reason why I stayed in London for so long. However, our relationship fell apart. I kept getting fired from job and lost faith in myself. I couldn’t afford to live on my own so I went back to LA.
I got a job tutoring and didn’t pick up my guitar for a whole year. I was going to give up on singing until one day I saw someone busking on the Santa Monica Promenade. I didn’t know what busking was but learned that it’s basically when performers play on the street for tips. I went down to the city hall and got a permit and saved up for a small battery-powered amp. In 2014 I started the new year by busking on 3rd street and within 2 hours I made $100. I played all the covers I knew by heart and sold copies of my first EP When Love’s Not Around. I remember being incredibly happy because for the first time in my life, I was being paid by strangers to do something I loved. I was making more money singing each hour than I ever did working as a barista at Starbucks or as a waitress. I was making more money doing something unrelated to my college degree. It built a lot of self-confidence after being fired from so many jobs. I didn’t have to check in with a boss or work for anyone else but me. I became my own boss.
I busked every weekend in Santa Monica for about a year and saved enough money to buy better equipment. I also started playing in downtown Burbank as well as farmer’s markets in LA. I met other street artists in Burbank including George Shallhoob who painted an image of me on an electrical box on the corner of Palm Avenue and San Fernando Rd. (You can type my name into google maps and find the mural location). I started going to shows and open mics such as Monday Monday at Room 5 (now at Hotel Cafe). I met many of my long-time collaborators here including Patrick Joseph who produced my last album Break Free and EP called Dream Catcher.
I applied to busking festivals every year and have had the opportunity to perform internationally in the UK, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and very recently, South Korea. I am very much interested in these festivals because I love to travel and buskers are the most humble, down-to-earth people you could ever meet. Sometimes I daydream of moving to another country such as Spain, Germany or Korea yet at the same time, I have so much appreciation for my own city and don’t want to leave. I’ve made some incredible friends from all over the world over the years.
As I upgraded my equipment, I also became a better performer and songwriter. Eventually, I landed gigs in restaurants, hotels, venues, private parties and weddings singing and attracted several brands to work with including QSC, Yamaha, Produce like a Pro and AKG. As I recorded more songs, I drew inspiration for my songs from romantic relationships I had been in. I wrote about unrequited love and heartbreak. Then the topics started to shift. As I traveled, I heard about the struggles of people around me and wanted to write songs that serve. I became involved in performing music for charities such as Water.org, Children’s Foundation of America and West Coast Care. I wrote songs about trusting your intuition, and self-confidence because these were struggles that I went through and wanted to lift people up.
I have also participated in several international music competitions over the years winning cash prizes and awards. The money from these contests as well as several crowdfunding campaigns that I’ve run online have funded my original albums, music videos and tours. I’ve never been signed to a record label or gone on the Voice but after almost 10 years of pursuing music I am definitely still interested if the opportunity arises.
I don’t know where my career will take me next. I never thought I would be performing full-time at 34 years old however, I may start performing less as I get older and get into production and management. I might decide to still explore my interest in psychology and become a therapist. I might want kids. Who knows. I don’t think it all has to happen at once. For the time being, I am very grateful to be able to make money from my art and live in Los Angeles and if there’s something I want, I just go for it with all my energy. I hope to inspire other people to do the same. Do what makes you happy.
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?
Music has not been a smooth road, but I’ve been able to problem-solve and find solutions over the years. Like many artists, I’ve always been faced with the challenge of finding funding to record my albums, promote and go on tour. I’ve successfully run two crowd-funding campaigns with the help of my fans on the internet. I’ve also worked very hard competing in music contests to gain funding for these projects. Again, I owe much of my success to the fans and music community that I’ve built over the years.
One of the most difficult things to deal with as an independent artist has been staying afloat during the pandemic. I lost all of my live gigs within a week and resorted to streaming my shows online for a whole year. Live streaming came with its own bag of challenges. I had to learn how to use new equipment and deal with all sorts of personalities on the internet.
On top of that, sometimes it’s difficult to get paid on time from booking agents and clients. Over the years I’m very picky about who I chose to work with and also make sure to save money for economic hardships, illness, and unexpected repairs.
As an independent artist, I also wear many hats. I don’t have the sole responsibility of just playing music but I also do my own PR, social media, booking, artwork, and negotiations. It can become exhausting at times managing all of this because people want you to be available at every hour of the day. Establishing boundaries, logging my hours working certain tasks and delegating what I can has been incredibly helpful to my mental health. I think all success just boils down to time management and self-care.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a folk/pop and Americana singer/songwriter. I sing and play my own songs on guitar as well as play popular American songs from the 1960s to present. I am known for my charming, hopeful, yet ethereal vocals and unique acoustic takes on cover songs. I specialize in writing upbeat songs, singing harmony, and creating warm and welcoming atmospheres for audiences, private parties and events.
I am most proud of my ability to travel the world on my own terms. It’s been difficult at times flying with all my equipment and carrying things on public transport. I’ve worried about getting lost or not being able to make friends where I go. However, whenever fly to a different country, I find that people are actually kind and want to help.
Freedom and independence are incredibly important to me. It’s important for me to tell my own story, write about it, have adventures and empower others to do the same.
I think my work ethic, determination and unique-sounding voice set me apart from other musicians.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think that the industry standard will force artists to all self-produce their music in the next 5-10 years. I already see it happening in the current generation of musicians. Most people own some kind of interface and use a DAW to record at home. More artists are remote recording while traveling and integrating recording sessions into their tours.
I think that Amazon Music will definitely become more popular than Spotify, and artists will no longer rely on venues to play shows.
Music education courses will be more accessible to people. I also think tribute shows will become popular.
I don’t think people will buy music anymore unless it’s on vinyl or is released as an NFT.
Despite all these trends in releasing recorded music, I still believe there will always be a need for live music. Musicians will still be booked for private events and parties the same way they’ve been booked 60 years ago.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.katieferrara.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katieferraraofficial
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/katieferraramusic
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/katieferrara
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/katiekatify
- SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/katieferraramusic
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katieferraraofficial?_t=8Zd8nCrhgS3&_r=1
Image Credits
Bill Kaneko Peter Zuehlke Justin Higuchi Daniel Bossart
