New Show announced!
Hear ye hear ye! We are two weeks away!
Fri August 29, 2014: Musedy Tag Team, Rando Bando, Kat & The Mp3 at The Black Swan Toronto
Musedy Tag Team (Kat & Arlene)
Rando Bando
(An eclectic assortment of comedic performers who delight and offend in relatively equal measure!)
Kat & The Mp3! (That’s me!)
Please join us for a night full of Music Comedy! We’re also gonna do some musical improv and YOU could be a part of the action!
Suweeeet! Come one, come all!
WHERE: The Black Swan – 154 Danforth Avenue, Toronto-3rd floor
WHEN: Friday August 29, 2014; Doors 8:30 Show 9:00
HOW: Pay What You Can (Suggested $10)
KATNIP: Life Tips by Kat!
Sometimes I get fan mail and advice requests. It warms my heart like a soft flame on the underside of a roasting marshmallow, turning it softer and sweeter by the succulent second. I am extremely flattered and motivated to help. So I strip down, tilt my glass(es), and get down to straight talk.
Here is a question I received this week.
QUESTION:
My daughter is going into high school and really interested in the arts. Do you have any advice for her?
KATNIP:
I think there are three important pieces of advice I would stress to anyone hoping to make art for a living:
1) DO YOUR ART and never stop, explore all kinds, be open and free. Say yes to many things until you learn what you absolutely want to say no to. Then say no to those things that don’t serve you so that you have the time and energy to spend on those things that do serve you best. Spend time with yourself so you are available to allow inspiration to come in and fill your well through “the channel”. Be aware of how your art affects others but do not do it merely to please others. Your art is a unique expression of you, and only your voice can hold the true tune. FAIL as often as you can because it strengthens your resolve, and many mistakes are gifts. Don’t overanalyze. Feel and do.
2) LEARN THE BUSINESS if you want to do art for a living. You must believe that art can be a lucrative career as much as accounting, law, medicine and most other dang thing can be. You must take it seriously and know the business side to either manage yourself or ensure that you’re not taken advantage of by someone managing you. Know how to make money in your field.
3) SHARE YOUR ART, your skills and inspiration with others, because art is above all an important form of communication and a calling not to be kept quiet. If you can inspire someone else to create art and encourage them to follow their own path, to shine their light upon the world, then the world becomes brighter, bolder, more beautifuller. That is in itself a form of art and a source of immeasurable pleasure!
Hope this helps!
Anyone have something to add?
🙂
P.S. Please send all requests for Katnip: Life Tips by Kat to me directly because my assssistant is a little off.
Four Winds Unite!
(Heather, Meghan, Arlene & Kat)
Artwork drawn by Ava Hill
The Four Winds Collective united to rehearse for this Sunday’s show at
Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir at The Central in Toronto!
Here is some proof.
Of course, you’d never know Kat was on the cajon
because she accidentally hit delete on the picture instead of send. Gah!
<— Arlene, multi-instrumentalist, here with geeetar and uke.
Meghan is also a multi-instrumentalist. Here she is with her beloved bass. —>
<— Heather, known for flouting, ukeing and tickling keys.
[insert colourful high-angle shot of Kat sitting atop the cajon and winking with laughter as Arlene pushes the button on the iPhone. It really was an artistic awesome shot. Imagine something like this but really cool and with a cajon.]
Here we are together…. for optimum enjoyment!
Come see us Sunday night at the Cabaret!
We’ll be playing our #1 Hit, going down in the annals on a post-it note. 🙂
Please note that Marcy Rogers is unable to attend the Cabaret, so Four Winds and Brandon Pitts will be entertaining you… along with a plethora of Open Mic talent! Come sign up and share your talent with us! See you this Sunday July 13 at The Central 7-10pm. 🙂 xoxox Kat
She’s Listening II success: funds raised for Ovarian Cancer Canada!
She’s Listening II was a great success last week; they listened and we raised applause and funds for Ovarian Cancer Canada.
Thank you to my wonderful co-horts and beautiful friends (from left to right) Angela Saini, Jessica Spezziale, Heather Hill, Melanie Peterson
Photography: Cate McKim
And thank you to Life With More Cowbell for this recap of the show!
What exactly does Ovarian Cancer Canada do?
Ovarian Cancer Canada is the only registered Canadian charity solely dedicated to overcoming ovarian cancer. They provide leadership by:
- Supporting women living with the disease and their families
- Raising awareness among the general public and health care professionals
- Funding research to develop early detection techniques, improved treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
Ovarian Cancer Canada is funded by donations of the generous public and they could use your support. If you’d like to help, there are many ways to get involved; check them out here. Among the ways: you can donate directly, volunteer, create an event such as She’s Listening, participate in a hike, dance or walk. The annual Ovarian Cancer Walk of Hope happens this year Sunday September 7th in cities all across Canada. Find one near you and register on the website.
Keeping giving, everybuddy!
Let’s fill the world with kindness and hope.
love Kat xoxox
She’s Listening II!
She’s Listening, and so is The Harlton Empire! They mentioned us in their blog!
The Harlton Empire promotes creative works by independent artists in the arts/entertainment industry and you should definitely check them out; learn about what’s going on in the community and make contact if you’re a lover of the arts!
Also you should definitely come check out She’s Listening II this Wed June 4 at 8pm at The Cameron House Toronto!
Yippee!
xoxox
Upcoming Events: Sunday May 25: Climb For Cause
I am very proud to be a part of this fundraiser! I’ll be hosting and singing a couple ditties!
Tom Gancarz is on a mission to raise funds to provide clean water in Tanzania’s community, and he’s doing it in a unique and elevating way! Please check out the story here, connect and support any way you can! Climb For Cause
“THE WORLD IS A BOOK AND THOSE WHO STAY AT HOME READ ONLY ONE PAGE.”
WonderFest is coming!
Sunday April 6 at The Revival Bar we’re having workshops and networking and concerts, oh my!
See artists like: Madette, Brendan Albert, Alissa Vox RAW, Ashley Martinez, Rosita Stone, Candice Sand, Dan Curtis Tompson, Vanessa McGowan, Sarah Jean Villa, Emily Nowicki, Dorothy Knight, Niki Andre, Ernie Vicente, Emilia Heather Hill, Meghan Morrison, and of course Arlene Paculan and Kat Leonard!
Hope to see YOU there too!
🙂
The Four Winds at The Beautiful & The Damned tonight!
It’ll probably look a little something like this:
To hear us you’ll have to come out! Hope to see you tonight!
Four Winds at Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir!
It’s happening! Finally the Four Winds Music Collective blow onto the LVCN’s stage like a hot winter breeze! Sunday December 8 at The Central Toronto 7pm. It promises to be a stellar night at the Cabaret– which is usually the case at LVCN– as we join Matt Gerber, TOPoet as well as a potpourri of open micers! Hope to see you there!
You remember who the Four Winds are, right? Meghan Morrison, Heather Hill, Arlene Paculan and moi! It’s true!
Four Winds: A songstorm of musical forces intertwined for the greater good!
www.ArlenePaculan.com
www.KatLeonard.com
www.MeghanMorrison.com
www.HeatherHill.ca
The Four Winds Collective share their gifts of music as they gather to play a concert fundraiser at the Church of The Good Shepherd Sunday September 29, 2013 2pm-4pm. Who are the Four Winds Collective? Kat Leonard (KatLeonard.com) has training in Science, music, theatre and The Second City. She performs feisty comedic pop. Arlene Paculan (ArlenePaculan.com) was trained at Randolph Academy and Royal Conservatory of Music, and performs soulful jazzy pop. Heather Hill (HeatherHill.ca) trained at Royal Conservatory of Music as well as New York City and plays piano pop rock. Meghan Morrison (MeghanMorrison.com) is a mover and a shaker. She started a successful music jam podcast and is an art rocker who plays Celtic groove music.
The Four Winds Collective is a songstorm of musical forces intertwined for the greater good. They travel together with their dynamic live shows in an aim to draw together a community to share joy and inspiration through music and storytelling.
Catch us Sunday September 29th 2pm in Wyebridge, Ontario!
www.KatLeonard.com
@Katbandoo
KAT LEONARD (Kat & The MP3) 