I had the wonderful privilege of interviewing the local Southern California band, Ki. I cannot tell you what an honor it was to spend an afternoon with them last month. I had the opportunity to get to know them better and the light that shines from this group of musicians affected me deeply. I left the interview with a sense of belonging because they are so incredibly down to earth, grounded and loving...not to mention the fact that they are insanely talented. I am so excited for them as well because they were nominated for the 25th Annual San Diego Music Awards under the "Best New Artist" category. The awards take place October 5th at Humphrey's by the Bay starting at 7p. Attend a show and you will see for yourself that this group is going places in their musical career. Check out their music at getkimusic.com Meet the lovely goddess and lead singer, Kiley Halpern. She is an extremely talented vocalist and she also plays the ukulele and the rock flute. She has been a performer since she was five years old and she expressed during the interview that performing is something that she understands, which is why she has done it for so long. She makes singing look effortless because she is that gifted musically. Her melodies are soaring, complex and very lyrical. She has a lot of energy and presence on stage and it is easy to slip into a "blissed out" state of mind when seeing her and the band perform because of the pure joy and energy that emanates from her heart. With Kiley being the lead singer, of course, she gets the role of ring leader during a show and she gives it everything she has up on stage. She is an inspiration to be sure. Every member of the band has the same quality of being. They are all very passionate, humble and loving people. She has worked very hard to hone her skills and her vision for the band. I am so very honored to know her. In the beginning stages of the band's development back in the fall of 2012, it was a duo with her and Erik Pierce, the lead guitarist. They were both completely devoted to making their own original music and in a very short time they wrote over 45 songs together. They were a very driven duo and they also utilized and mastered many musical skills in the realm of writing, recording and musical engineering and production. Later, over the past few years the band has evolved into a full five piece rock group. That process took time, but they organically came together and it was no accident. After interviewing them I was left with a very strong impression that this is a group of musicians that has a remarkably balanced skillset as individuals and as a team. Each person has the unique qualities of musicianship, comradarie, risk taking and perserverence. They collectively imagine becoming a top charting musical ensemble and they all have the heart to accomplish that goal. Pictured here left to right: Curran (drums), Tony (keys, guitar, mandolin, vocals), Erik (lead guitar, vocals, sax) and Ben (bass and vocals). Their amazing song "By the Sea" that was released in March of this year. Reviews from itunes. I just love this bunch! The band has been performing in the area for several years. Initially, as I mentioned before, it was Erik and Ki, but since that time they have grown into a full five piece rock group and they also have a fabulous co-manager Lynnia Shanley, pictured with them above. Did I mention that they are like a family? Chuckle, chuckle. It is impossible to overlook the love that is present among this group of people. And the fact that the band and Lynnia have such a positive purpose, to create, perform and share music that uplifts others, makes their energy one that you want to be around. They have branded their mission statement in a simple message they like to use on their merchandise. That message is "pure energy. share a little." Their love of music and love for each other shows the pure energetic power they all possess as a cohesive whole. In my opinion, the music itself is what draws you in because their sound is polished, lively and instrumentally diverse. Once you hear their music at the onset of a show, you are engaged. Then, after the visual aspect kicks in watching this "family" of inspirational musicians interact with one another on stage, you feel simultaneously intrigued and at ease in their musical world. You can enjoy the journey they take you on and leave with a sense of purpose that maybe YOU want to go out and make a difference in the world in some way yourself. pure energy. share a little. As you can see from this photo they also give back to the community. They were a featured band in Cancerstock, an event that took place this past spring, which raised money to help children with life threatening illnesses. They are always looking for ways to contribute to the community. They are a group of people committed to sharing their "pure energy" and love for others. I truly admire their commitment to excellence not only as musicians, but also as human beings. In my interview with them they talked extensively about how they have a passion to do their best at all times and to give everything they have to succeed. I believe they can accomplish that goal because they live to give and are not just concerned with "making it" one day. I told them that I actually see them as a group of "spiritual teachers" in a way because they have such optimistic energy and an articulate goal of making a difference with their music. With the charity work they have done as well, it's easy to believe that one day they will in fact be shining stars. In my eyes, they already are.
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November 2019
Owner, Lead BloggerHello, my name is Karen Vazquez. I have lived in Southern California for over thirty years. I realized about four years ago that it was time for me to give back to this wonderful community by supporting local SoCal businesses, performers, restaurants, spas, boutiques, fitness studios, farmers markets and more. My support shines through here by highlighting these fabulous local SoCal spots. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, PInterest and LinkedIn. I will be featuring many local destinations in the area that have been my personal favorites for years and am currently recruiting guest bloggers to expand the voice of LoSoCal. I have had guest bloggers in the past, but aim to incorporate local SoCal bloggers on a regular basis as a fun, creative and collaborative way to connect with the community here. Essentially, LoSoCal is a community blog, and it is meant to be resource to locals in this area and visitors from around the world. Please like or follow LoSoCal on the social media business pages and tell your contacts about the blog. Thanks for stopping by... ©️2020 LoSoCal and Local SoCal Lifestyle. All rights reserved.
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