3 x 5 Interview with Kat Bella

In Fives:
1) In exactly five sentences, give us what you feel is important biographical information about your musical/sonic background.

When I was 10 years old I was given an electric keyboard for Christmas. I played it every day and slowly I began to learn songs by memory. Eventually, I learned chords and how to piece instruments together by layers. As I entered the online community, I shared my music and people began to request custom music from me. I decided to go public with my works by putting together an online portfolio.

2) Please state, in exactly five words, your interest in music/sound.

Instilling powerful emotions in others.

3) Now please state, in exactly five syllables, how you might describe your process of work.

Record, play, edit.

In Fours:

1) Using the rhythm of the famous four-note opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (i.e. short, short, short, looong), please tell us a fact about you that we may not know.

I love to write.

2) Who are four people that have influenced your musical tastes?

My mom, my best friend, my older sister, and my online buddy Alex Weaver.

3) Name your preference: The Fab Four, The Four Tops or just good ol' Four-on-the-floor music?

Four on the floor.

In Threes:

1) Name three artists (composers, popular music, etc.) that make you feel all warm and squishy inside.

Steve Jablonsky, Jeremy Soule, and Within Temptation.

2) Name three artists that make you want to wretch.

Sheryl Crow, Kayne West, and Justin Timberlake.

3) Address either three of your listed artists (in either category) with one question each or three questions to one artist. For example: "Dear Mr. Bach, how do you have such magnificent counterpoint?"

- @ Within Temptation: “What equipment does your keyboardist use?”

- @ Jeremy Soule: “What made you decide to compose for video games?”

- @ Steve Jablonsky: “Can I spend the day with you?”

In Twos:

1) List and describe two projects on which you're currently working.

- Symphonic II: This is my second full album. It’s classical music with the potential to be a soundtrack for something fantasy related. It has many of the same melodies as Symphonic I, but with some darker themes.

- Arkalian Baldur’s Gate NPC Mod Soundtrack: This is being done for a good friend of mine who is creating a custom NPC for this popular RPG. The themes of this vary, though it has an overall adventurous sound, different tracks are being composed for different parts of the mod.

2) And how are they both going?

Well enough. Symphonic II I hope to finish by the holidays and Arkalian is a work in progress that will probably extend into 2010.

3) How do you feel they are challenging your current skill set?

Both are challenging in their own ways since the types of music being made are a little different, but Symphonic II has some sounds which are completely new to me. Combine the new sounds with the old themes in Symphonic I and yeah, I’d say that’s a good recipe to learn and grow.

In Ones:

1) Name one environmental element of the creative process that you find essential (e.g. coffee, a certain chair, etc.)

Volume. I need for the volume to be as high as possible while recording. I love being immersed in the music I’m making. That’s how I know if I’m doing a good job. If I’m not immersed, the song’s a dud.

2) What is one area in which you hope to improve your work?

I would love to expand my equipment to add some more variety to the sounds I create. Having the capability is one thing but having the means to exercise that capability makes for great music…or anything really.

3) What is one thing you would like people to know when listening to your work?

I’ve never taken a formal music lesson in my life.