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MUSICIAN DEFIES FEMALE
CLICHÉ
There is a cliché going around the music industry, and it
often begins with the phrase, "female singer / songwriter."
It is a sad cliché because it skews the line between the Joni
Mitchells and the Mariah Careys of the world. It is for this
reason I would describe Kate Schrock as an artist with one
hell of a voice.
Schrock's elusive, penetrating voice bellows like a proverbial
torrent of life's experiences. Laying down some of the most
thought-provoking lyrics to come out of the recent evolution
in the rock era, Schrock taps the wells of spirituality, love
and the people who often walk pithily in between the two.
According to Schrock the ideas for her songs can come from
anywhere.
"I'm inspired by feelings I get from other people, life events
and a lot of contemplation," she said.
Schrock, a native of Maine, said that she began writing songs
because she was able to say in a song what she couldn't otherwise.
"Music was always my second nature and helped me relate to
the rest of the world and not be so shy," she said.
Today, Schrock seems far from being a shy girl and more like
a master of the "Do It Yourself Age." She is the owner of
the Kakelane Music label where she has produced three of her
own CDs: Refuge, Shunyata and her latest release Dames
Rocket due out this month.
The title of Schrock's second CD is a Hindu word meaning
"enlightenment". Enlightenment is a completely appropriate
description, especially if you pay close attention to Schrock's
innovative piano playing, which is probably only comparable
to the likes of Tori Amos. Schrock's lyrics, however, show
glimpses of influences like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.
In her song, "Heaven" Schrock tells the story of a trio of
individuals who are forced to deal with their own plight in
life. Schrock doesn't just lead the listeners through the
song, she paints a vivid picture of a girl from a war torn
country, a night shift factory worker who paints pictures
of Jesus and another girl with scars the size of Kansas.
It may be inevitable that Schrock is labeled a female singer
/ songwriter, but her talent speaks far better of her than
the running cliché in pop music.
"Women musicians should not all be lumped together because
they share the same gender. I think the surge in the popularity
of women in music was inevitable. There have always been
women in music - great women," said Schrock.
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