“Give it up, kid. Take it back where you found it.”
That’s what many people told Kat when she bought her first drum set at the age of 17. Barreling through the negativity, Kat picked up a pair of old, splintered drum sticks, and hasn’t put them down since.
Through blind discipline and positive reinforcement from key family members, she persevered and practiced relentlessly. She even sacrificed her dresser in her bed room and replaced it with a DW Chameleon drum set, placing towels on the cymbals so she wouldn’t wake up her older sister (that didn’t work very well).
As Kat progressed, she performed with many local groups, where the musical styles ranged from Punk Rock to Latin Jazz to Jam Band music. “Why are you playing with these guys?…” she would often be asked. “Because I’ve never played this style before and I want to learn,” she would say.
New York City and the Drummer’s Collective
As she matured, Kat studied at numerous higher learning institutions, majoring in music and communications. Ultimately, she settled on the Drummer’s Collective. At this prestigious music conservatory in NYC, she rubbed elbows with many noteworthy professors, such as Jason Gianni and Pat Petrillo. She learned the ropes of what is expected from the drummer and how to internalize certain feels, patterns and approaches to music from all over the world. It impacted her profoundly, being one of the most fulfilling experiences of her life.
Kat also understood that in order to gain a better understanding of the style being played, one must also perceive it from the listener’s perspective. She used her knowledge of ballroom dancing and transitional, classical dancing to gain insight on what the audience expects from the band performing. This gave her an edge once she broke into the illustrious, yet competitive, music scene in New York City.
Starting out as a musician in a competitive atmosphere like NYC provided many adventures for Kat. She became friends with several fantastic musicians and rubbed elbows with New York Hard Core’s finest. Finally, NYC became her ally.
Her esteemed mentor, Ron Thaler (Alicia Keys), would be proud. Currently, she is endorsed by Soultone Cymbals and Dark Horse Percussion, subbing, recording and performing all over the nation.
Not bad for a Texas-born Jersey Girl . . .
Currently, she performs with the Bloody Muffs under the moniker “Kat Kaos” and teaches regularly along the Jersey Shore. An Englishtown, NJ native, she lives with her doting husband and 3 beautiful daughters, each of them talented in their own right.
