Brittany Hapney“Who am I?…I’m a mom and a wife doing everyday things, all while chasing my dreams. I never feel as alive as I do when I am singing.”
Surrounded by music her entire life, Katelyn remembers how much her father loved music. She would listen to his rock and roll radio stations in the car as he quizzed her about which artist was playing. She loved it. She loved the lyrics and the words – to her they were poetry.
Although the folky-blues singer lives in Raleigh, N.C., Katelyn calls Parkersburg, W.V.a. home. In a town known for its exuberant sports fans, Katelyn found a fan base of her own. She believes in the power of a small community, and the support that comes with it.
“Growing up in West Virginia, when you come from a smaller town, it influences your childhood. You can’t leave the house without being surrounded by people you know, and people who care about you. The community was so tight-knit that it gave me the confidence and ability to pursue my dreams,” she said.
Recently, Katelyn, who had never auditioned attended open auditions for The Voice. The cattle-call style auditions span over a two-day period where contestants pre-register to audition in the morning or afternoon wave for either day. Katelyn had to audition in a room with ten other contestants in front of a producer for the show before receiving a callback for further rounds of auditioning before she was selected to make the trip to L.A. where she auditioned in front of the famous panel of judges.
“I had no idea how many steps and layers there were to the audition process, and I was amazed at just how many incredible singers come and try out. Each step in the audition process that I progressed was an honor because of the caliber of musicians I was auditioning with,” she said.
Katelyn sang “Breathe (2 AM)” by Anna Nalick and got Christina Aguilera to turn her chair. She says she was excited to be working with the singing sensation on “Team X-Tina,”
“Christina is a completely different artist than I am, and it is good to be stretched out of your comfort zone, so I believe she helped me see other sides of myself as a singer that I might not necessarily come across on my own,” she said.
Since word broke of Katelyn’s audition, she says the outpouring of support and well wishes have been completely overwhelming.
I want to do what I love. Music is not a means to an end; music is the end.
“I have been astounded and overwhelmed by the level of support I have received from people in every season of my life. I read every comment, tweet and message, and they all make my heart warm. It truly means the world to have so much encouragement from so many supporters,” she said.
For as long as she can remember, Katelyn has been involved with music. She remembers sitting in the back seat of her parents’ car and making up different words to the songs on the radio. She continued singing in fine arts competitions and choir through school, but didn’t really strongly start pursuing her dream of music until she was 15. She picked up a guitar, and the music came naturally.
“I started writing my own songs, not good songs though,” she laughs, “I played through high school and college.”
Katelyn, at the encouragement of her husband, recorded her first album/EP called She Can Feel It last year and it is available on iTunes.
“That was my first time recording my own music, and to hear your songs come to life in the studio is an amazing experience,” she said, “I am a creative person in general, but I really, really love creating music. I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
Once considering herself a studio artist, Katelyn has learned to love the stage. She believes that connecting with the audience is beautiful, and now it is one of her favorite parts of being an artist.
Her other favorite part come from being a songwriter. After finding her voice as a writer, a task that Katelyn considers difficult, she began to truly love the process. She hopes that her songs remain focused on the vocals and the lyrics – so people can really connect through her music.
“I want to write music others can connect with, and speak for them when life brings moments that words fail to describe. My music is about honesty. People can relate when they can tell the music was born from a place of vulnerability. It’s so powerful when it’s honest,” she said.
Katelyn plans to keep connected with her fans in the area through shows, and continuing her dream of connecting with as many people as possible through her music.
“I want to do what I love. Music is not a means to an end; music is the end,” she said.