As an artist, trying to define yourself can be like trying to cage the wind. Creativity doesn't play by the rules of language, and sometimes the only thing to do is let your passion take you where it may.
For Carol Kay, that meant throwing herself wholeheartedly into the strange, beautiful world of music.
Carol knew early on that her affinity for music was going to be a life-long love affair. At the age of 4, she began piano lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, where she discovered an endless wellspring of interest for all things musical. Over the next sixteen years, she fostered her talent under the wing of classical teachers - yet she found that her natural tendency to venture outside of conventional musical boundaries put her at odds with the formal setting.
By the time she turned 15, she had composed her first piano piece. Having fallen in love with songwriting, she chose to pursue a Bachelors degree in Music at York University before going on to complete a Masters degree in Music Composition at the University of North Carolina.
In 2014, Carol released "Kiss Me To The Moon", a country-tinged album that showcased a capability to blend novel songwriting with dynamic, heartfelt atmospheres. Kiss Me To The Moon went on to win the prestigious Grand Prize for Country in the 2013 John Lennon Songwriting Awards. Several of the songs on the EP were also nominated for an American Songwriting Award.
While some are content to pick one domain and improve solely within it, Carol's passion has driven her to heighten her proficiency in all corners of the musical landscape. She has written hundreds of songs, some of which have appeared in HBO and MTV TV shows. As a composer, she has penned music for a range of indie films, several of which have been nominated in film festivals. Her knack for musical innovation also extends to the studio: years of studying music production as a hobby led Carol to become fluent in the many aspects of audio recording. She has gone on to produce for numerous indie artists in collaborations that would result in award-nominated songs.
"Some days I teach, everyday I learn."
Along with working on her second album (due out later this year), Carol Kay has continued to work as a private music teacher, having taught dozens of students over the last 8 years. PYT Music acts as both a music school and a production studio for budding artists.
In a soundscape that is inundated with the fleeting trend and the cheap cash-in, Carol is a beacon from an older time. Drawing upon the sentimentality, beauty and creative spirit of past musical pioneers , her songs act as anchors that tie us to the core of what makes music so daunting and powerful.