Artists are never brought into the spotlight out of thin air. With the new age of the internet, it is possible for videos to go viral overnight. But one video does not determine whether or not someone will become a real musician. It takes a great deal of time and dedication for any musician to move forward in the music industry. And it’s never easy. Every artist has their story to how they ended up to where they are now, but oftentimes we don’t recognize the amount of effort it took to get them where they are now.
18-year-old Kara McAtee is no stranger to this reality. She often thinks about how she has the potential to “make a break” like other artists do, but she realizes how challenging that can be. Music has been a big influence in her life. She has been intrigued by music from the start and can’t imagine living without it.
“I loved it always, ever since I was little,” she said.
At the young age of 6, McAtee started playing the piano. She then went on to learning how to play the guitar when she was 13 and finally took on the ukulele at age 16. McAtee has been exploring different instruments. She even wants to learn how to play the violin at some point in her life. She recognizes that there is beauty in each instrument and how they each contribute to music with their different sounds.
For the time being, she generally plays cover songs at local restaurants in the St. Louis area. McAtee has the issue of finding her own uniqueness and style while performing other songs but has trouble making it unique to herself.
“With covers, it’s really hard because I know how it’s supposed to sound,” she said.
Nevertheless, McAtee finds a way to show off her individual talents when she performs. She has a regular gig at Quintessential Dining and Nightlife in St. Charles, Missouri where I went to watch her perform for a few hours. A small stage towards the back of the restaurant allowed her to be seen and heard in the background without disrupting conversations at the restaurant tables. McAtee had an electric keyboard and an acoustic guitar that she brought with her. A tip jar was lying at her feet while she performed so that fans could contribute if they pleased. There were a few donations given throughout the night, but mostly dollar bills were filling up the jar. It wasn’t exactly a raving concert with die-hard fans screaming at the top of their lungs. But for McAtee, these small performances seem to suit her well for the time being.
I observed her from a close distance by sitting on the edge of the small stage. Her skill and experience with the instruments, especially the keyboard, was highly noticeable. Her fingers moved effortlessly across the keys as she played the notes from the songs. She played recognizable songs from a variety of genres, including soul, R&B, country and pop music. Her voice sounded experienced even though she is still young, and she had a wide range that allowed her to sing at very high and low pitches. She moved her body with the music and was often smiling. The way she performs makes you realize just how much she enjoys it.
While playing “Ex’s & Oh’s” by Elle King, she pressed the keys with energy and determination. Below the keyboard, one foot was pushing down on the pedal, and the other continually tapped on the floor along with the music. Like she stated before, it can be hard to perform covers while also making them unique to yourself. But McAtee found a way to do it even if she didn’t realize it herself. She slowed down the original tempo of this particular song and added her own emphasis on certain notes by going higher than Elle King ever did. Not only did she change it up a bit, but just by watching her I could tell how connected to the music she was by her mannerisms or the joy on her face.
The customers in the restaurant enjoyed the performance. I saw that they would often take a break from their conversations and just listen to the live music in front of them. One couple even got up and started dancing while McAtee performed “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. The two people were happy and laughing as they were dancing to the song, and McAtee had a wide grin on her face as well.
All of the songs that she sang at her performance a Quintessential seem to have emotion in the way she sang them. “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson, “Let it Rain” by Bruno Mars and “Location” by Khalid were a few of the songs performed by McAtee that night, and she put effort into every word of those songs. I could hear it in her voice and see it through her expressions. You could tell that she was having fun but also having a personal connection with each song she sang. She even took it back a few years by playing “Let it be” from the Beatles.
“I’m taking it old school,” she said as she pulled up the sheet music for the song.
A great deal of the songs that she plays have a soulful tune to them. Even though she is singing covers, the way she performed felt very intimate. It was almost as if you can feel the emotion in her voice.
When she played at this restaurant, people came up to her and said how wonderful and talented she was with her music. Her reactions to the compliments were gracious and humble. While McAtee was taking a break from performing, a woman came up to her asking for her information and praising her talent. McAtee face lit up as she received the compliment, but even more so when the woman asked if she would be willing to perform at a wedding. After the woman received a business card and left, McAtee told me it was not the first time someone had asked her that question. In the past, she has enjoyed being able to use her talent to make others happy on their wedding day. She wants to reach out to people and connect with them on a personal level in the future but would also like doing it on a smaller scale.
“I see myself traveling a lot, doing music [in] small little towns everywhere,” she said.
While signing to a record label is not currently in the works, she did take an opportunity to record some demos in Tennessee. But she expressed how she did it not for the money but for the experience. She wanted to see what it would be like to record in a real studio.
“Recording in Tennessee was so cool and was always a goal of mine, but it was also nerve-wracking,” she said. “I’ve never recorded in a professional studio, so I was a little reserved and anxious. But it was fun.”
There is also a possibility that some brand new songs could be recorded in the future. Right now, she is working on writing her own original songs that will add more individuality to her music career.
“Everything I write down is usually from personal experience,” she said. “I feel like that’s what makes it more raw and emotional.”
Writing music is a way that artists share their personal moments and experiences with the world around them. And considering the fact that technology has come a long way in recent years, it is easier than ever to share music with the world. With online sensations such as Justin Bieber or Sean Mendez, McAtee knows there are more possibilities to get out there and maybe get noticed.
“Online helps a lot,” she said. “YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. All that stuff.”
She takes advantage of social media and has uploaded videos of her covers on YouTube. The problem is that there is such much talent, and it can be overwhelming. Trying to find a way to beat the competition will not be easy and will take a lot of work. McAtee knows that if she wants to become a star then she will have to dedicate a great deal of time and effort into her music in the future. That is one reason why she has a “Plan B” in her career. McAtee is currently studying business management at St. Charles Community College in Missouri so that she has something else to fall back on in case her music career doesn’t work out in the end.
“I’ve always found that everything in life has an aspect of business in it, no matter what it is,” she said. “I think everyone should have a little knowledge about business since we all deal with transactions, the economy, finances, and people.”
She can potentially use her business degree to her advantage in the future because the music industry requires a lot of knowledge in that area.
“When talking with different people about what could help my music career, all people say is ‘learn the business side to it,’” she said. “There’s a lot of people with talent, so you have to be smart about how you advertise yourself and how things work. The music world is all business besides the music itself.”
McAtee is still young and trying to figure out exactly what she wants in life. At the age of 18, she has her whole life ahead of her. She wants to travel, graduate college and get married. She has ideas of how she can take her music career to a new level even if they haven’t fallen into place yet. Even if her plans for the future don’t necessarily involve being a superstar, music still has an important place in her life.
The big dream is often to become as famous as possible. But sometimes McAtee is satisfied with where she’s at now, and that can be one of the greatest accomplishments in life. McAtee cares about the little moments in life, which is one of the reasons why she is happy with her current situation. She enjoys the atmosphere where she plays because she influences people in small and personal ways.
McAtee puts herself in these smaller situations and thrives from being admired without having to be the center of attention. Sometimes she doesn’t need the big spotlights to be happy. Just having one person tell her that she is doing a great job brightens her whole day.
That’s what’s different about McAtee. She will work towards becoming a great artist and putting herself out there, but it won’t be the end of the world if it doesn’t work out. Some might say that if she doesn’t give it her all then she doesn’t deserve to become famous. But in the end, it’s about what makes you happy. Most artists are constantly traveling on the road and don’t get the chance to spend time with the people they love. For McAtee, life has many opportunities and experiences. She doesn’t want to miss out on what the world has to offer her. Traveling is a big dream that she has but going on tour wouldn’t necessarily be the same as when she traveled in the past for a completely different purpose.
“I went to Haiti on a mission trip to an orphanage,” she said.
She spent time taking care of the children living there. It left a mark on her heart that could only be achieved by being there in person. McAtee enjoys having that personal experience with others and being able to make a difference. But if she were to become a world-famous artist, then she may not be able to give herself and her time away so freely. Time is precious, and once you sign yourself to a record label, McAtee realizes she would almost be giving up that freedom to use her time as she wills.
It’s not that McAtee hasn’t had the opportunity to jump on the chance to make it big. She discussed how looking into record deals has been a past experience that she considered. When she was 16, she met with an A&R administrator to talk about her career and potential record signing. But at that point in her life, McAtee made school a top priority and wanted to focus on that before anything else. Life in the music industry is not always filled with black and white decisions where you either get what you want, or you don’t. McAtee considers all of her options and priorities when deciding what’s best for her.
“I’m not 100% sure if I see myself signing to a record company, but I’m not opposed to it,” she said.
She is still so young and bright. She has a whole life ahead of her still and wants to figure out what she truly desires before making any big decisions. If McAtee decides to try and go big, she realizes that there are risks. She can put in all the effort in the world to become famous, but the question is, will it be enough?
“It’s so awesome that there are so many different people with the same love for music and talent,” she said. “But there are so many people with the same talent who want the same thing. You can get out there… it’s just… you know, are you going to get higher than everybody else?”
Rather than constantly worrying about being the best or rising to the top, McAtee finds happiness in immersing herself in music for the pure love of it. For now, her music career is going through the motions. But like any other human, she has other issues that she is trying to tackle in her own personal life.
“I’m a perfectionist,” she said. “I’m very hard on myself… so kind of just getting over that I guess.”
Perfection is not the only she wishes to work on. McAtee is still trying to overcome a fear of stage fright when it comes to public speaking.
“I don’t like talking in front of people,” she said.
But as for music, it places her in a different world. When she is in her element, she maintains focus on what’s in front of her. Stage fright takes a step back when her love for music overpowers that fear.
“When I’m singing and performing, I just block it off,” she said.
McAtee is just like any other person out there. She may be 18, but she is still learning who she is as a person. Through all of this, she is smart enough to know what she wants, and she is strong enough to do it. But it wouldn’t have been as easy without the help and guidance of some very special people. When I asked where she gets most of her support for her music, she responded, “It’s going to sound so cheesy, but my parents [and] my brother.”
Her father was there that night at Quintessential. He had helped her transport all the equipment there, set it up and stayed the whole time while she was performing. Having her family around to support and encourage her makes a world of difference in her life.
So what defines a real artist when it comes to music? Is it the amount of money they make, or the number of fans they have? Is it the collection of songs they’ve produced, or the number of hits that make it to the Billboard Hot 100?
Because McAtee hasn’t made it big yet, does that mean she isn’t a real artist? Doesn’t her dedication to music ever since she was young until now count for something?
One may argue that she is not brave enough to go after a music career, but that is not the case. On the contrary, she has the courage to do exactly what she wants to do without feeling pressured to take on something that may not be right for her. McAtee loves music, but she also loves many other things. She is learning at college and staying close to her family. She has friends here who she spends time with. It’s not that she is choosing one thing over the other, but instead, she is finding a way to enjoy all of them without having to give one of them up. And at this time in her life, that is all this musician needs.