Meet Kim Scott | Multiple #1 Billboard charting jazz and classical flutist

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

Hi Kim, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued an artistic and creative career because I’ve never imagined doing anything else in my life. Music is passion! Creating music and sharing it with the world is the most gratifying thing I could ever do. As a classical and jazz flutist, I’ve spent many years honing my craft, learning the music business, sharing my talent and knowledge with young, aspiring musicians, and setting high goals for myself in the field of music. Also, as a person of color and a female musician, I’ve taken notice of the importance of my role in the music industry as well. It’s important that I represent those demographics in the best light and that I show what’s possible when you pair passion with purpose and a strong work ethic.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others is that my training is in classical performance even though I am a jazz recording artist. My first love is classical music and I still play with a professional orchestra to this day. I’m the piccoloist of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. What makes my jazz music unique is that I blend both the classical and jazz styles in what I write and perform, which is a very interesting sound. I’m really excited that listeners and fans have gravitated to this sound and that they find joy in my music. I’ve had several songs I’ve written go #1 on the Billboard charts. In fact, my 5th album entitled, “SHINE!” was the #1 smooth/contemporary jazz album on the global charts and the title track was Billboards “Song of the Year” in 2022.

Getting to this stage in my career has not been easy, but it’s absolutely been worth it! I believe the years of devoted practice in the practice room, great teachers and mentors, good business decisions, and commitment is part of the reason for my success. Ultimately, my success is from God who is the author of my story. I give him the most credit for blessing me with the gift/talent of music and for lining up people in my life to help cultivate my talent and career. The challenges I faced early on were simply a part of the process. Things like trying to get airplay, trying to be considered for shows in a male-dominated jazz industry, were all small hurdles to conquer. I’ve learned that in order to overcome I have to remain consistent by putting out quality music, making sure my brand represents me well, and that I “kill it” every time I hit the stage!

As for what I want the world to know about me and my brand/story? I want them to know that I work very hard at everything I do and that I don’t take anything for granted. I want them to know that I truly love what I do and have the passion and work ethic to continue producing at a high level. I want them to know that I am grateful for their support of my music and career, and that I’m so glad that my music brings them joy and hope!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
That’s a great question! I would make sure that their visit is a well-rounded representation of my city! I’d take them to get some of the best southern cuisine at Niki’s West, a famous meat and three, then I’d take them down to Museum of Art and the Civil Rights Museum downtown to check out our city’s history during the civil rights movement. We’d travel through downtown, midtown, and uptown to see Regions stadium, CityWalk, and Vulcan. We’d then stop for some barbeque at Jim n Nick’s or Dreamland, where they still serve slices of white bread for you to dip the barbeque sauce in! Mmmm….I’m getting hungry thinking about all of this! We’d then hang out and catch some live jazz and eats at The Perfect Note in Hoover. Sunday is for church though, so I’d bring them with me to New Rising Star Church, affectionately known at The Star!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to three people; my mother, my high school, and my undergraduate flute instructor. My mother was my first music teacher! My mother, Belinda Floyd, is a trained classical pianist and a retired music educator, she always shared her love of music with me and my two brothers. She started me on piano and violin at an early age, exposed me to symphonic music and other genres of music, and encouraged me when she realized I’d fallen in love with music. Once I picked up the flute in 5th grade and became obsessed with it and music, my mother was the ultimate supporter and nurturer of my gift. All the way through graduate school she attended almost every concert and recital I gave and many of them she captured in video.

For high school my mother encouraged me to audition for a fine arts school in Birmingham, Alabama; the Alabama School of Fine Arts. It was there that my trajectory took a definite shape as I began taking private flute lessons weekly. I took classes in music theory and music history, I played in an orchestra for the first time, and was surrounded by other young people with a passion in the arts. I excelled there and it prepared me for the full scholarships I received to obtain my undergraduate music performance degree from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, and my masters in music performance and music pedagogy from Oklahoma State University.

Lastly, my flute teacher in undergraduate school, Sheryl Cohen, was instrumental in preparing me for a career in music. She was the first person to tell me the world is my oyster and that the universe needed me. In fact, she was the fist person to say to me, “You’re a star!” Her devotion to me as a teacher is commendable and she certainly went the extra mile to ensure that I made good decisions during undergraduate school that would set me up for greater success. Even to this day, Dr. Cohen is a mentor to me and the many flute lessons I had with her transformed my playing. The many conversations I had with her transformed my thinking as well.

Website: www.kimscottmusic.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kscottflute

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-scott-5447b9a4

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kscottflute

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimscottmusic

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@kimscottmusic

Image Credits
Tracy Davis Spraggins Photography Danny Austin Photography