When she was growing up in the Parkland area in the 1980s, Kristin Connell learned to enjoy music from her parents — from her father who is a trumpet player and her mother who played piano. But they were more classically trained. Connell was the odd ball in her family. She had an interest in music, but not in a structured environment. Then, as a teenager, she discovered the guitar.
Eventually, learning to play the guitar inspired her to write and play folk and blues music, a style that allows her to express herself soulfully. In 2005, she released her first CD, “Second Chances,” which is an acoustic mix of folk and country songs that she wrote.
I met up with her in downtown Puyallup and inquired about her way of creating music.
Jay Bates: I’ve noticed that there is a kind of musician who goes by the title of singer-slash-songwriter. As one who composes her own songs, is it important for you to be known as a singer/songwriter, as opposed to a singer alone?
Kristin Connell: Absolutely, because there is a real craft to songwriting, and it’s really hard to write good songs. It’s hard work. It’s like being a writer, it requires time and effort and understanding of melodies and arranging of music. That’s not to say that singing isn’t as difficult as songwriting, but it’s a different kind of difficult.
JB: What do you think it is that distinguishes the singer/songwriter as an artist from that of singer alone as an artist? When you say it’s a different kind of difficult, what is the difference of difficulty?
KC: Writing distinguishes that. As a singer, if all I’m going to do is sing and I pour my heart into that, then that would be my focus, trying to translate what the songwriter is saying in the song with the most feel and effort you can to tell the story. As the songwriter, you write what the story is. And to be able to do both, be the singer and the songwriter singing my own songs, I would do what I would do. If singing was my main job, that would be harder.
JB: And what seems difficult about being a singer is translating the song through your voice?
KC: Right, because every singer has a unique style. If I was going to pitch a song that I wrote, then I would have to hire the right singer. Sometimes I’m not the right person for the song. So being known as a singer/songwriter is I’m singing what stories that I’m telling. But if I was just a singer, I wouldn’t fit all songs very well necessarily.
JB: Your melodies remind me of a serene mix of country and folk, but your lyrics communicate a deep and earnest yearning for comfort, security, and love — of someone who has essentially paid her dues. With that mix, which comes first for you when you write these songs, the lyric or the music?
KC: On my first record, I write the songs with the music and lyrics combined. Like the song, “I Did My Time.” I wrote that when a friend of mine went through a divorce. We were instant messaging and she said, tongue in cheek, “You should write a song called, ‘I Did My Time.’” We were laughing about it, but it was a painful laugh because her husband had just left her and she was in pain. I walked through that with her as her best friend. So on that song, I had just the idea. It was a very funny song title about a very serious subject. But I took that song and sketched out a melody and they came together, the music and lyrics, they came together on that one.
JB: How do you see the two parts — the lyrics and the melody — working together to create a single song?
KC: It has to relate to what chord is happening underneath. It creates a mood. A lot of times I’ll hear a melody in my head. Or if I’m just noodling around on my guitar or piano, I’ll hear a melody. Sometimes I’ll just start singing vowel sounds and something will come out of that. Sometimes I’m singing stupid and random things, and I’ll find one little phrase. Sometimes magic happens and you discover a hook and catch phrase. And sometimes it’s more of a concentrated effort, and you have a melody and have to fit words to it.
JB: We’ve spent more time talking about the songwriting part of your art, but the singing is of equal importance to your work. You said that as a singer/songwriter, you are the performer of your own story. What do you try to do as a performer to bring out your qualities as a songwriter?
KC: Becoming a better guitarist to support your singing is always a good thing. And my voice has gotten much more mature in the last few years. The one thing that I’ve learned to do is just sing, to let it out and find the soul of the song. As a singer, you’ve got to learn what you can do with your voice, and I’m still learning. Like Bonnie Raitt classic at that, because she does not have a huge range, and you don’t have to have a huge range. But it’s what you do with what you have that makes the difference. There’s two things that help you be successful, and that is having great songs and a unique voice.
Truly, Kristin Connell’s voice is unique, and her songs express themes of personal importance. She can be seen performing live at local venues and coffee shops. Or you can find more about her at her Web site, www.kristinconnell.com.
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Kristin Connell:
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> Favorite Book: Emma, by Jane Austen
> Favorite Albums: Tapestry, by Carole King
> Choice Dining Experience: The Powerhouse
For more information
Kristin Connell will appear as part of the next live performance of A River & Sound Review at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Puyallup Library. To learn more, visit www.riverandsoundreview.org.
Jay Bates holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University. In addition to hosting the literary entertainment program, A River & Sound Review, he writes fiction and humor and teaches high school English. He is also a proud graduate of Puyallup High School. For more, visit www.riverandsoundreview.org.
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