Photo by Mike Abell
By Francais Healy
Some of these questions were gathered from members of the audience the night of Kelley Hunt’s performance at JCCC, while other questions I developed myself.
Q: Was there a single event that you felt sprung you into a fully fledged career?
A: Huh… I don’t think there was. I think it was more of gradual process that began when I was very young, I just knew that music was who I was. But as far as perpetuating a career, in the public eye I think that started back in high school when i was asked to be in a band. I didn’t sing in the band at first, but one night their singer didn’t show up, and everyone turned to me.
Q: How did you pick the styles of music that you play?
A: I really didn’t pick it, it picked me. What we hear around us really influences us.
Q: Who would you cite as influences to your music?
A: I think as far as piano players go, everyone from Ray Charles, Johnny Johnson. Mildred Fauls from a gospel perspective. New Orleans style Professor Longhair and Tuts Washington. From KC, Jay McShann, a kill player known world wide. As far as singers, the women in my family really are my biggest influences. Any singer fully invested in what they were singing influenced me. The biggest thing that holds this all together is simply if I felt moved on a visceral level by their work.
Q: What did your time at KU teach you that maybe you didn’t already know about music?
A: I went to KU for two and a half years as a music comp major and I was a voice major for a semester. One of the biggest things I got at KU was great focused voice training. The experience of moving away and being on my own in a new town for the first time helped me as much as anything. The competition at also KU really helped me, which is what I really needed more than anything.
Q: Do you have any personal connections with the JCCC campus that the readers of the ledger would be interested to learn about?
A: I feel a connection to it just from my friends who work and attend there and the performances I’ve done there.
Q: Seeing as you’re on the road a lot, I’m sure you have many interesting stories about things that happened while out on tour. What’s the best story you can share with our readers?
A: So many different things have happened to me. Playing in Lake Lugano in Switzerland at Blues to Bach, first night at Lake Lugano I was jet lagged and had been up for almost 24 hours. The moon was over the lake and about 5000 people were in the audience and all I could think was this was so surreal. It [the performance] was being broadcast live. While we were playing, I could slowly see people getting into it and by the end people were crazy and even rushing the stage. The next day I was interviewed on the radio, and the first question I was asked was “Tell me, where do you get your passion?” and I loved that reaction. The production and the staging and the lighting was all first class there.
Q: What did you think of the crowd on the night of the performance at JCCC?
A: I thought they were incredibly responsive, I was a little concerned because during the day it was oppressively hot so I’m glad it all came together. We were really happy with the response and I was glad to be there.
Q: If you could instantly learn to play any instrument (obviously that you currently don’t know how to play) what would it be?
A: Violin. I’ve always wanted to play a violin. I see it as another voice. One of my friends gave me a violin as a gift and I’ve had one lesson so far, but I definitely want to learn how to play
Q: How do you feel has music education helped your music evolve?
A: Tremendously. It gave me confidence when I was younger. Don Grant, my great music teacher in high school, pushed me to go to KU, to get out and go sing in a solo format. He helped me hone my skills as a performer. His teaching was the reason I went on to KU. I didn’t understand I had that within me and he did. Also Mary Burke Norton, the piano player that taught me how to read music, but also taught me how to keep playing by ear. They both pushed me hard but not too hard.
Q: If you could tell your fans one thing they might not know about you, what would it be?
A: I really love what I do. I love being around people and the performance aspect and meeting people, but when I’m not in career mode, I’m actually a very quiet and private person.
To see more of Kelley Hunt you can go to her personal website www.kelleyhunt.com. Locally Kelley Hunt will be performing at 7p.m Friday, Oct. 10th at the Waterfire KC Arts Festival and at 8:30p.m. that same day at Knuckleheads, both events in Kansas City, MO.
Contact Francais Healy, staff reporter, fhealy@jccc.edu