Katy's Story

I was born and raised in Northern Utah, the oldest of 4 kids. My mom likes to tell a story about me as a baby:
When I was about 3 weeks old, I made the magical discovery that I had a voice! I experimented with a few different sounds before settling on "hoo-hoo-hoo" and my parents watched in delight as I sang.

As I grew, my singing ability branched out to include lots of other sounds and notes and by the time I was two, I was singing full songs.  I loved music of all kinds, especially when my dad would play the piano. I would sit with him in rapt fascination as I watched his hands fly over the keys. He would often sit me on his lap and place my tiny hands on top of his and tell me the names of the keys as he plunked out familiar children's songs.

As soon as I was big enough to reach the keys on my own, I played that piano as often as I could. (And drove my parents nuts in the process, I'm sure!) 

When I turned 5, my paternal grandmother became my first official music teacher. My mom drove me to her house once a week for lessons, but I was obstinate and stubborn and a terrible student! I didn't want to do things her way and I thought learning to read music was a big, fat waste of my time! Fortunately, my sweet little grandma didn't give up on me and after a lot of patience (and some good ol' fashioned bribery) I settled down and learned my quarter notes and crescendos.

Suddenly a whole new world was opened to me. I could actually read music! No more plunking around for hours, trying to figure out how to play the songs in my head. They were written down! Huzzah!

I continued taking piano lessons from my grandma until I was 10 and she moved away. After that, I kept playing and studying on my own and trips to the music store for new sheet music became a favorite treat. I joined a local children's choir and thoroughly enjoyed performing with them.

When I was 11, my mom approached me with a new musical request. My 5-year-old sister Leah had started taking violin lessons, and her teacher said it would be helpful to have someone else in the family learning with her. I'd never really considered learning the violin, but I agreed to give it a try. We had my Great Grandma Elsie Fern's antique violin pulled out of storage in Virginia and shipped to us in Utah. We had it expertly restored, and I began taking lessons alongside my sister. 

To my great surprise, I loved it! My teacher was wonderful, and she taught us a wide range of music, from classic Suzuki songs to old-timey bluegrass and Irish fiddling. My mom unearthed her old guitar and started playing along with us, and soon enough my other siblings, Jenna and Haven, learned to play too. Before we knew it, word spread that we played and sang together, and we started getting requests to perform. Thus, the Wildflowers Family Band was born.

We played hundreds of gigs, from corner cafés to Saturday farmer's markets to big festivals and concerts, and even took our instruments with us on a tour of Western Europe. I will never forget playing my violin under the Eiffel Tower while an impromptu barn dance started around us - that is, until the Paris police came and chased us off! (Apparently, we needed a permit...)

In between gigs (and Parisian police chases), I had begun to offer music lessons. I started teaching at age 13, charging a whopping $5.00 per lesson. Time passed, and as my skills improved, so did my teaching abilities. I was having so much fun sharing my music with my students! I've always said that the best way to learn something is to teach it and I am living proof of that.

I taught piano and violin for a few years, then began getting requests for voice lessons. I continued to study music both on my own and through various private teachers, collegiate programs and local orchestras. I learned conducting and composition and branched out to the viola and cello. Music was my life, and I loved every minute of it.

In 2009, I moved to Southern Utah where I met the love of my life. I was organizing a large community Christmas concert, and I was on the lookout for performers. I had music for a men's quartet, but only had three singers. I put the word out that I needed a bass, and a friend mentioned that she knew a guy who was a professional performer at Tuacahn, and said she would give him a call. The stars aligned and he agreed to join the quartet. I'll never forget when he walked into that first rehearsal - tall, handsome, gorgeous green eyes, the whole nine yards. Then he opened his mouth and started to sing, and I decided immediately that I had to keep him! We have been married 14 years now and have 6 beautiful children. One of the great joys of my life is singing with him and we pounce at the opportunity to perform together (even if it's just for the kids while we make dinner). Dane regularly stars in local theater productions, and I like to join him on the stage whenever I can. He is also a voice teacher and currently works as a science and music teacher at a youth crisis center here in St George.

Music has brought a beauty and a richness to my life that I will always cherish. I love being a music teacher and I'll tell anyone who'll listen:

I have the best job in the world!