Katie Schaan

An old man who heard Katie Schaan singing away as a toddler in her mother’s arms in a grocery store gave her $10 towards her music career. She’s been making music ever since. When a tiny cello was put into Katie's three-year-old arms, she never questioned it. In fact, it felt so natural she just assumed all kids her age were attending multiple music lessons a week. Her operatic voice training began shortly thereafter and before she’d even graduated from high school, Katie had performed extensively in her hometown of Victoria, BC, even stepping into the role of vocal soloist with the Victoria Symphony conducted by Timothy Vernon. But in every moment when she wasn’t immersed in her classical training, Katie was unabashedly listening to pop music and soaking up its sensibilities. It wasn't until she was studying opera at McGill University, though, that she started to write her own songs. She broke free from classical conventions in any way she could, taking up everything from urban gospel to jazz, and writing her own tunes at the guitar and the piano. While maybe unassuming in stature, she sings with a voice that's bigger than what you might expect; big enough to fill conc... more...