About Kelsey

MUSIC IS A BRIDGE.

 

Wherever she shares music, Kelsey Lee Cate especially enjoys moments with those who take the time to engage with her. “I love it when visitors become friends who share how the music has impacted them, perhaps by reminding them of a loved one, or even by simply giving them a little fresh air.” 

 

Through sharing music and her other creative endeavors, Kelsey hopes to impart peace and joy as well as fresh inspiration to those who are looking to express their own unique creativity. She loves to encourage those who want to learn to play music, and hopes to inspire students of any instrument to keep their learning journey fun! 

 

Kelsey has regularly performed in esteemed Seattle venues like the iconic Space Needle, The Bellevue Collection, and Canlis, and has also been a beloved artist of the Ten Grands Seattle show in Benaroya Hall for several years. (And YES, that was her David proposing to her during the Ten Grands 2018 show, for those curious to know!)

 

These days in public, Kelsey mainly plays on the beautiful Steinway grand piano at Bellevue Square Mall in downtown Bellevue a few times each month from 1-5pm. 

 

KELSEY'S ORIGINAL SOLO PIANO MUSIC

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Also a composer and recording artist, Kelsey released her debut album of heartfelt melodies, "Poiéma | stories from the piano" in December 2019. This music (and more!) is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Pandora, and other music streaming platforms. To explore and support Kelsey's musical endeavors, a simple "follow" on your favorite music streaming platform is a great way to show her a little love! She's so grateful to all who listen and share her music with their loved ones.

 

Kelsey is a Whisperings Solo Piano Radio artist.

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JOIN KELSEY’S COMMUNITY!

 

Get to know Kelsey and stay connected with her by joining her e-newsletter! Here, she shares her performance schedule (in person + online), announcements and future creative developments with her community. You can also connect with Kelsey on Instagram and Facebook! 

 

BOOK YOUR SPECIAL EVENT WITH KELSEY 

If you’d like to explore booking Kelsey to perform for your special event or house concert, please visit this page.

MORE ABOUT KELSEY'S MUSICAL BACKGROUND

 

Kelsey fell in love with music when she was very young, and was improvising songs even before she learned to read! At age five, she began classical piano training, and learned to balance form and technicality while developing her own voice as an artist.  Growing up, her family always had music playing in the house, and she spent a great deal of her childhood playing songs by ear. She also was captivated by the beautiful nostalgic melodies of jazz standards and the lush harmonies of classic musicals and old Disney movies, and enjoyed making her own arrangements.

 

It was this love for improvising that led Kelsey to keep working at her own compositions, spending time “noodling” before and after her classical lessons growing up, in between worship practices at church, at home with friends and family during the holidays, etc. In junior high school, Kelsey began playing for weddings and other special events, sometimes playing with her sisters Courtney (violin) and Cayley (cello). They were lovingly dubbed, “The Keogh Trio,” and still enjoy playing together years later. In fact, Kelsey invited them to record the wedding dance song she made for David on their wedding day!

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She later explored the field of music therapy for a year at Seattle Pacific University, and decided to incorporate much of what she learned there into the way she interacts with others through performance and content creation. 

 

Music truly is a bridge, and a powerful way to connect heart to heart with others. To feel through music, to emote through melody and harmony and chords, where even words fail. To bravely speak the stories that are our own, and especially to treasure those we hear from others.