“It’s not easy. But it’s possible,” she smiled, thinking about her brief journey. And considering the accomplishments this 18-year-old has amassed so far, her words - like the music she performs - already has the ring of a seasoned professional.
Growing up in Louisiana, Kate Stanford found her path early. “I grew up singing,” Kate remembers, “I’ve been at it since the age of six. My parents tell me they can’t even remember a moment in my life that I wasn’t singing. I sang in church choir, All State Chorus, talent shows - everywhere I could.”
Of course, her passion for singing did not go unnoticed. And it wasn’t long before her parents signed her up for classical voice training.
The next few years were an adolescent blur of school and musical scales, classrooms and concert stages. It was a time of maturing and discovery, when Kate learned not only about homeroom and on-stage harmony, but also about destiny; especially when she visited a particular ‘home’ that seemed to have ‘room’ for everyone - her family’s local church.
It was in Baton Rouge where her education and inspiration combined. It was there, in God’s House, that Kate Stanford’s love for words and music matured and took on the ring of a seasoned professional.
The combination of it all ultimately led to Kate Stanford’s amazing ‘coming of age’ debut EP, “Bloom.”
Produced by Tedd T. (For King & Country, Tobymac, David Crowder Band, Avalon,) Zach Hall (Newsboys, God’s Not Dead, Five Knives, Heather Headley,) Chris Bevins (Phillips, Craig & Dean, Jaci Velasquez, Mark Schultz) and The Infinites (Nickelodeon, FOX, ABC, NBC, Disney), “Bloom” features a diversity of seasoned producers. But it is Kate’s voice and perspective that shines; offering a diversity of words and music that communicate the growing pains that have shaped her blossoming life and music.
“Bloom” is very ‘coming of age,’ Stanford offers, “It encourages people to find themselves and to grow into who God has made them to be.” And the track, ‘Holding On’ “...feels really nostalgic. It reminds me that when I feel down and I’ve lost my purpose, I can turn to God and remember that HE is my purpose. I find that in HIM!”
The collection also features Kate’s first-time co-write composition, “Undivided.”
“...Everything is telling us that we are divided,” the artist explains, “racially, culturally, politically. We need to realize that we are actually more alike than we are different. The thing that binds us together is our faith and our common hopes and dreams. So, as I sat down to write this song with The Infinites, that thought was really in the forefront of my mind.”
However, the most surprising blossom in Kate’s collection, ‘Bloom’, is her first single “I’m A Believer.” In fact, the composition has such a lyrical declaration, it caught the ear of movie producers and was chosen to be featured in the motion picture “Palau, The Movie,” celebrating the life of evangelist, Luis Palau.
“When I heard that song, I knew it was special. The first words drew me in – They’re not just lyrics on pages. I talk to God and I listen everyday – the lyrics paint the picture that the Bible is God speaking to you, guiding you through life.”
These days when University of Texas at Austin student Kate Stanford says, “It’s not easy. But it’s possible,” she is not just referring to her Double Major, or her off-campus activities opening forMark Schultz, Jaci Velasquez, Salvador and Veritas. Or writing, on-the-side, with veteran composer Cindy Morgan; Kate’s words refers to her musical purpose: helping others find God’s House - that ‘home” with enough “room” for anyone who is ready to bloom.
Kate Stanford is indeed blooming. Like the music she performs, she already has the ring of a seasoned professional.
Learn more here.
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