Photo by Vincent Louis Carrella | www.thelighthouse.photography
Kelly Atkins is an insanely diverse vocalist who juggles various projects and bands, not to mention her role as Deputy Director of Kitka, a world-renowned women’s vocal ensemble. She makes all of this work while balancing motherhood and community involvement. We talk about how musicians can piece together a full-time career through multiple avenues.
An active performer both nationally and internationally for over 20 years, Kelly is based in Marin County, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Kelly has over fifteen years of experience as a commercial vocalist, arranger and songwriter and many of her works have been licensed for television and film.
Episode Highlights
We start by talking about her various roles supporting Kitka (07:35) and go on to discuss:
- (14:57) Singing with 20 Minute Loop
- (21:10) Life as a musician mom
- (27:17) Her experience as a vocal coach
- (32:30) The market for vocal coaching and online teaching
- (46:30) Her advice for singers who want to have a thriving career
Quotable
“There’s no instrument between you and the music – it is you. Singing is really emotional. Sometimes it starts off as therapy, unlocking this voice that a person has.”
—Kelly Atkins“Don’t assume that you only like or can do one kind of music. Make sure you’re open to singing on projects you wouldn’t necessarily think of as your wheelhouse. Be willing to step out of your wheelhouse.”
—Kelly Atkins
Mentioned in this Episode
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- The Unstarving Musician’s Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo
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- The Musician’s Profit Path: The 5-Stage Blueprint To Create Massive Growth In Your Fan Base and Sustainable Income For Your Music Career, by Bree Noble
- No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour, by Shannon Curtis
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