Q&A with Katie Blomarz-Kimball!

I recently started asking my cool friends questions about their careers, in hopes that they could shed light on some of the practices, physical items, or ideas that enrich their lives as musicians. Today’s interview is with one of my favorite musicians and one of my favorite people, Katie Blomarz-Kimball. Katie is relentlessly kind and generous, and she is a downright mean musician. I had the pleasure of joining her for a college workshop a few months ago, and it was so wonderful to watch her in a band-leading role. For a few hours, I didn’t see my gentle, dog-loving, Star Wars nerd friend Katie. I saw a commanding leader with actionable insight into how to improve a performance. I hope you have the pleasure of watching Katie lead a band someday, but until then, enjoy these answers. Oh! And did I forget to mention that Katie is the only woman nominated for Best Jazz Instrumentalist in this year’s NIMA awards? Click here to check out the ballot and cast your vote.

Name: Katie Blomarz-Kimball

Primary instrument: Upright/Electric Bass

Secondary instrument or other musical skills that factor into your career: Background vocals, arranging, charting, scribing

Bands or artists you’ve played with in the past: I have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with artists such as Lauren Daigle, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Tommy Emmanuel, James Nash, Jack Pearson, Kandace Springs, Clay Aiken, The Barefoot Movement, Abigail Flowers, and The Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra.

Can you describe what your career looks like right now? I have most recently been doing a mix of in town work and touring. I have transitioned into a couple new career pivots in the last year or so and it has allowed me to play more hired gun style gigs with a wide range of artists. It has also allowed me to pursue some collegiate masterclass style presentations, which has been a very exciting addition. I work in a wide range of genres including jazz, folk, bluegrass, Americana and even some pop!

A song everyone should know/learn/study: “When It Rains” by Brad Mehldau

A practice technique, habit, or specific exercise you recommend: Sight reading! Never stop implementing it into you practice time.

An app that helps your musicianship or career as a musician: I use a drum loop app called “Loop Drum” to help practice to and/or get ideas for tunes to write. I also use ForScore on a daily basis for chart organization for all the artists I am working with.

A piece of gear or physical equipment that you like as a musician: The Noble Bass Preamp DI has changed my gear set up. I can use it with any of my basses, upright or electric, and it makes them all sound incredibly big.

A piece of financial advice for musicians: Don’t be afraid to have a side hustle! Teaching, serving, remote work, anything that will make you feel more stable if you need. Having an opportunity to have a Roth IRA and invest in the market has been one of the smartest moves I have made.

General advice for young or beginner musicians: Always have fun with your craft. Don’t burn yourself out from the thing you love because someone told you the only way to be successful was to shed 9 hours a day. Keep loving what you’re doing.

General advice for other professional musicians: It is so easy to be kind. No matter who you are or who you’ve worked with, you can be kind.

A type of work you’ve grown out of: I think this can be a cyclical thing. Sometimes I prefer to do more in town work for a period of time, but then I get bored and want to be on the road again. I like to kind of keep trying new things and stay ever evolving. One day I might grow out of something, but I don’t mind when they come back around.

A type of work or a specific gig you hope to do in the future: I would love to MD for an Americana/folk artist where I get to tour on both upright and electric and sing harmonies.

A gig you’re well suited for? A gig you’re not well suited for? I feel like I crush upright in a folk/Americana setting. I pride myself in adding upright to groups that may otherwise have had electric. I can fill out a sound in a group really well with an upright.

I am not well suited for a soul/funk chops gig. I am a “meat and potatoes” type player and am not an overly flashy player.

A high and low of your career in the last 12 months: I actually had an incredibly rough start to 2024, feeling like maybe my time in music had run its course. Very slow start to the year and feeling a little like what could possibly pick this year up? But I have bee able to do some bucket list items this year! I played Bonnaroo and the Opry for the first time this year. I also had the pleasure of starting what I hope is an on-going tour with YOU (Abigail Flowers) to different colleges sharing our knowledge of jazz and the music industry as a whole!

A habit or habits that help you do your best: I am a charts girlie. I would rather have charts at the ready and know that I am prepared than rely on my memory/ear. If I can prepare ahead of time I know I can put my best foot forward and not be guessing on the gig.

A musician in your genre who inspires you: Daniel Kimbro is one of my favorite bass players. He is Jerry Douglas’ bassist and makes such an impact in his band. Daniel crosses into all genres with his playing. He is a monster in the Americana world and kicks ass playing jazz, too. I aspire to play like he does!

A musician in a very different genre who inspires you: Chappell Roan’s career has absolutely skyrocketed in the last several months. It is quite amazing to see someone who has worked so hard and has now blown up overnight. It’s hard to not find her music addictive!

A Nashville musician more people should hire or work with (other than me, of course): Marshall Biever is one of my absolute favorite guitar players in Nashville. Her groove and ideas alone are unmatched. Her band, Together Breakfast, molds all the complexities of instrumental music but makes it so fun and approachable. Hire her for all your guitar needs!

A non-musical hobby or interest you have: I have always been into painting. Growing up I didn’t have many friends so I would just sit at my kitchen table for hours painting landscapes. I still love it to this day and love to do it as a stress reliever!

Hey, it’s me, Abi! I wanted to add a couple notes based on conversations Katie and I have had in recent months. The first is that Katie encouraged me to get back out there attending other people’s shows. It was hard to do that while I adjusted to being a parent for the first time, but now that my family has more of a rhythm to our lives (musician pun), it’s a great time for me to basically reintroduce myself to my musical community. Someone told her (and then she told me), “people hire the last person they saw.” If you aren’t getting called for gigs, it might have nothing at all to do with your skill level! It may just be that someone else is going to shows and staying top-of-mind. This encouragement has really helped me get back out there after a long period of mostly working/recording from home.

Another thing I want to highlight, which she actually mentions here, is the financial advice. Katie has had a job for as long as I’ve known her (somewhere in the range of 8-10 years now). Whether her musical schedule is bursting at the seams or it’s a slow season, you can find Katie serving beer and hot dogs on a Wednesday afternoon. I’ve always struggled with the (self-imposed) idea that if I can’t make all of my money from music, it must mean I’m not good enough. Katie is an incredible example of how untrue that is. In her case, she is a very well respected and in-demand player. However, her part time job offers stability that reduces stress in slow seasons. Because of her attitude and reputation at work, she is almost always given the time off she needs to prioritize gigs. And I’ll just say… Katie is financially healthy, if you catch my drift. I don’t think all musicians need part time jobs, but Katie is a shining example of how the part time job can actually enhance your musicianship by offering financial stability and a social community that doesn’t depend on your chops.

That’s all for today! Let me know if you have questions for anyone featured on this blog series and I’ll be sure to follow up. Also, let me know who you’d like to hear from in the future!