We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Jenkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
One of the most important lessons my career as a music composer has taught me is the importance of ‘paying forward kindness’. There are so many people that have given me time, opportunities and mentorship to help get me to where I am today and it is so rewarding to be able to do that for others. I love chatting with younger students about how to develop their careers in music and enjoy catching up with those who have helped me in the past.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Welsh composer, currently living in New York City. I am recognised for my ability to weave together sonic textures, influenced by my Celtic background. I am known best for my collaborative work and enjoy working closely with fellow musicians to maximise our creative output. My music can be found on stage, in the media and at the concert hall. I am published by Hal Leonard and Murphy Music Press. I am proud to have won an array of awards such as the Grand Prize in the International Women’s Brass Festival: WCFT Competition; the EXPO:New Works Competition, 2021, the Composer’s Cordance Generations XI: New Music for Jazz Septet, 2022, the LunArt Festival, 2022 and the New York Federation of Music Prize, 2022.

I love creating music for use in interdisciplinary art forms such as fashion, film and more, especially when the art form is trying to tell a story. I have created music for The Kennedy Space Center NASA, the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of the New York City Ballet, New York Fashion Week Runway shows, National Sawdust, BBC Hoddinott Hall, The DiMenna Center and more! As an proud alum of Howell’s School Llandaff, a premier independent girls school in Cardiff, Wales, I have enjoyed working on music for companies empower young women; including writing music for The United Nations, The Female Quotient, The Girls Day School Trust and Joy of Mom.

I am a 2022 graduate of the Juilliard School where I held the Henry Mancini Fellowship. I have returned to Juilliard where I am currently completing my Masters degree as well as coaching film scoring and music production in the music technology centre. In 2023, I joined the faculty at The Juilliard Pre-College where I teach Music Technology and Film Scoring.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am lucky enough to live in New York City at the moment so there really are so many options! Personally, I love to run and would start with a run down the Hudson River, getting a little break from the excitement of the city. Brunch in the city is fantastic – I love ‘flippers’ for pancakes. Then, after you walk around downtown Manhattan, you can’t go wrong with a trip to a rooftop bar to take in the city from a different perspective and perhaps stop by some live Jazz in the West Village.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes! Howell’s School Llandaff, GDST gave me a fantastic start! Our teachers really went above and beyond and nurtured a real sense of self-belief and confidence.

I never doubted that I could have a career as a composer as long as a was resilient and driven and sustained a strong work ethic. My school was all girls until the final two grades  and we were really encouraged to explore so many options, learning without limits: STEM subjects were particularly popular amongst my peers.

When I arrived at Juilliard, there was a very similar learning environment that encouraged you to find your unique voice as an artist and leader but to always consider yourself as an ‘artist citizen’. This is a concept that I first came across, without realising at the time, at Howell’s. This is the idea that a successful artist does not only master their craft but also contributes positively to society; this could be done through community outreach or also in the manner by which you treat other collaborators. I love to work with others and am most creative when I am feeling inspired by a positive environment; I try to curate that for others when I am working, always aiming to be inclusive and communicate well with all my team members. This usually results in creating meaningful working relationships that often develop into friendships.

Website: www.katiejenkinscomposer.com

Instagram: @katieejenks

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