My name is Kit Graci, and I’m a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and audio engineer originally from New York. I initially started with classical double bass in elementary school and quickly fell in love with the process of practice and performance. While continuing to play and study double bass through high school, I also began more seriously studying guitar and recording, which eventually led me to pursuing an audio engineering BFA at The City College of New York, which I completed in 2018. While in (and after) college, I also started touring as the guitarist, singer and songwriter of a rock band, which pushed me to rigorously hone all of those performance skills even further in a professional context. 

Alongside touring and a variety of other freelance music jobs and band projects, in 2016 I also began to teach electric bass, guitar and audio engineering in a freelance capacity. Soon, I discovered a passion for the challenges and rewards of education. My values as an instructor can be characterized most by my desire to highlight and place the student’s specific musical goals and passions first, and to build an instructional approach that makes getting there as accessible as possible. Most fundamentally, I want to encourage and help students to build their own relationship to music, and to the incredibly powerful process of personal exploration and growth that exists there.

When did you begin playing bass, and why?

My first exposure to playing bass was in my elementary school orchestra class. I chose the instrument (as a ten year old, essentially sight unseen) because my Dad had studied it briefly, who himself had an extreme influence on my early interest in music.

What other instruments do you play, and what is your experience with them?

I am also a vocalist and guitarist, skills I gained through music lessons, self-study, and weekly practices / monthly performances as part of an indie rock band.

What are your personal goals as a musician?

My personal goals in music are twofold– to constantly push my own artistic and skill boundaries as a musician and composer, and to share the power of making music with as many people as possible.

Do you have a memory of a time when a musical concept or technique really clicked?  Something you’ll remember forever?

Learning to practice conscientiously. Early on, I would put in solo practice time with a brute-force approach– just repeat the piece ad-nauseum until familiarity sets in. As I got a little older, I experimented with taking more of a proactive approach, which involved paying attention to my mistakes more seriously and doing my best to specifically work on things I struggled at, not just with specific pieces, but also in terms of my general performance standards and skills. This was an immense shift in approach for me, and changed the way I engage with both music practice and learning in general.

What is your favorite piece of advice from one of your past (or current) teachers?

When practicing a piece you’re just starting with, always start by working on it at a slower tempo! Once you build up practice at that speed, you’ll find that the true tempo is much more stable and accessible. Timeless advice for anyone learning an instrument, and a tactic that I still use constantly!

What was your most challenging moment learning an instrument

An early huge challenge for me was learning to play guitar and sing at the same time! It truly felt impossible to me while I was learning to do it as a younger learner, but of course, by continuing to practice I eventually overcame that hurdle. It taught me a lot early on about what is possible with effort!

What is your biggest musical achievement?

I’m incredibly lucky that an album I co-wrote, recorded and produced was featured by Bandcamp as a “New & Notable” work in March 2022. I am also incredibly lucky to have spent time playing shows and touring seriously, and to have played and collaborated with the extremely talented musicians and artists I met during that time.

Favorite thing about teaching?

Helping someone foster a fulfilling relationship to music, which hopefully enriches their lives in the way that only art can.

What is a piece of advice you would like to share with anyone learning music?

Embrace mistakes! When paid close attention to, mistakes become powerful informational tools that can be used to help you keep track of your current strengths, weaknesses, and what you need to work on– all of which are incredibly important when learning any kind of skill.

Personal music projects:

I first wrote music for, played in, and toured with Monster Bad, which started in 2011. Monster Bad would change personnel and rename itself to Thunder Gloss in 2020. Additionally, I release music under my own name (Katherine Graci) and also alongside my partner in the band Minmo Music. Everything mentioned above is available on bandcamp and streaming platforms.