Katelyn

This is me.

My name is Katelyn. I’m a 18 year old freshman year college student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, which is affectionately known to many people as Music City. Not only is living in Music City absolutely grand, studying the music industry at one of the top music business schools in the nation is amazing. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Audio Engineering Technology and am minoring in accounting. Such a weird combination, I know, but I plan on pursuing a Master Degree in Business Administration some day.

I am extremely passionate about the performing arts. I play music, sing, and dance. I took formal piano lessons for 10 years beginning when I was 7. I played French horn in middle and high school. In high school I was in marching band, pep band, concert band, and jazz band. My senior year one of my biggest dreams came true, and I was drum major. Ever since I saw “that girl in white in front of the band” one Friday night at a football game when I was 3, I knew I wanted to be her. I was her, and I hope I had the same effect on some little girl one Friday night under the lights. My senior year I also had the privilege of being a dance captain for theater. My freshman and sophomore years I was also in show choir. Unfortunately, a new administration saw the need to take show choir off the electives curriculum. Thus began my dream of being an advocate for the performing arts.

During high school, I was also a class representative on student council, President of Leo Club, a member of Beta Club, National Honors Society, & National Society of High School Scholars, Future Business Leaders of America, and Key Club. I graduated with honors and a 4.0 GPA.

I am from a small Tennessee town that most people don’t even know exists. I know that I’m meant to live in Nashville, but it sure does feel good being able to get in my car and go to the country whenever I feel the need. Oh, and yes, I do have a thick Southern accent. Please, tell me to slow down and enunciate words if you need to.

Belmont is my dream school, and I am so incredibly blessed to be here. I worked hard at everything to get here, and I’m so thankful to say that I am a Faculty Scholar and was awarded a $15,000 scholarship.

I absolutely adore music. I love everything- country, rock, oldies, pop, instrumental, indie, electronic, jazz, seriously anything. My favorite country band is Lady Antebellum. My favorite rock band is a tie between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Skillet. I suppose you could split them into Southern Rock and Christian Rock respectively, and they would be by favorites in those categories. I love Norah Jones and any artist with a soft jazz vibe like her. I also love soundtracks, especially ones that are 80% instrumental. My favorite soundtrack of all time is from the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers; it was composed by Michael Kamen, my favorite composer. I love music.

Michael Kamen is my arranging/composing inspiration. If I could write music like that I wouldn’t believe myself. I would have probably fainted if I would have gotten to meet him before he passed away. Hillary Scott (from Lady Antebellum) is my singer/songwriter inspiration. She has an incredible voice, and I love all of her songs. If I’m ever fortunate enough to meet her, I’ll have a hard time remembering that I’m trying to make it in the music industry as an engineer, and I will completely have to restrain myself from acting like a total fan girl.

I have an incredible group of friends here at school and at home. Hannah, Lauren, Caroline, Philip, and Katelyn (my long lost twin who spells her name like me, has the same middle name as me, and loves Lady A just as much as I do) are absolutely wonderful, and I’m so glad they’re my best friends. Callie, Ashton, Taylor, and Rachael are my best friends back home who keep me sane and are always ready for their big sister to come home at any given point.

My heart is currently away at sea with my boyfriend Matt, my handsome Navy man. Our story is a long one. I hadn’t seen him since the summer before 8th grade. It had been 5 years, and we got to see each other one weekend when he came home on leave before being deployed. I saw him off at the airport, and I didn’t even cry. Two days after I saw him off, he said he wanted me to be the girl who waiting at home for him. 7 months is so much better than 5 years.

I watch, Pan Am, Pretty Little Liars, and Glee religiously and can quite often be found stressing about how I will ever watch episodes when I have something going on when they’re on. I can also be found watching music videos and random funny videos on YouTube… only occasionally though.

I have migraine headaches at least once a month if I do not watch my eating and sleeping patterns and keep my stress under control. Luckily, I have finally managed to keep the stress and sleeping under control. The eating part is coming along; I just have to tell myself that skipping entire meals is not okay. So before you tell me to “Just take an Advil,” know that taking an Advil won’t work sometimes.

So know for some random things that do not fit into orderly paragraphs:
I have red hair and the temper to match; it’s both a good thing and a bad thing. I have a guilty addition to frosted animal cookies. I make lists for everything. I do not like sharing my SunDrop with the rest of the United States. I love free concerts and benefit concerts. I am going to my first official bought-the-actual-ticket concert on November 11, 2011 (11-11-11); it’s a Lady Antebellum concert. I saw Skillet at a youth conference in 2009 and was right in front their former guitarist, Ben Kasica; I could literally touch his effects pedals. I also got his set list for the night. I color code my notes and clothes. I love organizing things even though they rarely stay that way. I love planners and keeping my life organized although I do like spontaneous things at times. I have been to all states in the US except Hawaii, Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and South Carolina. I recently took up ice skating. I love going to dirt track races. I love Sweet Cece’s cake batter flavored frozen yogurt with Reeses bites mixed in.

I live my life by Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” God is my Creator, Father, Counselor, my Everything, and His Son is my Savior. My heart has planned out things I’ve dreamed, longed, and thought about, and He has put many of those dreams somehow into reality. I may not have gotten what I wanted how I wanted, but I achieved it nonetheless. I know He’ll continue to guide my life as He sees fit. Following my heart is the perfect plan since He’s in it anyway.

Photo credits for this page:
Microphone
Piano
Sound Board