Kate and Cathy began playing music together nearly thirty years into reunion. They first played after reading the first draft of each other's side of their memoir, which they had not shared with each other until it was complete. At that point, something shifted, and music which had always been too painful to access before, came open to them. 

While these recordings are raw, we share these songs because we feel that not only the lyrics help tell the story, but the blend of our voices together. 
A traditional song that was part of the birthmother's family, but never known to the daughter until reunion.
A mother's promise to assure her daughter that even in absence our hearts were entwined forever.
An adoptee's reaction to reunion, with the birthmother's response.
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Better times will come, by Janis Ian

During the pandemic, Kate and I have moved our music outside and at a safe distance. We still try to play once a week or so, but often things (like weather, kids' homework or life) get in the way. This was one day that it worked. A week or two earlier, Kate taught me a song by Janis Ian called Better Times Will Come which was written at the beginning of the pandemic as a call for hope and it became the first song we would play during our practices together. It was something that centered us and helped us focus on the good things we have. Steve grabbed his phone and took this video.

We wanted to share it with you, as Janis Ian shared with all of us, to amplify the call for hope, love and belief that better times will come. 

Writers who play

We performed at the White Eagle just a few days after our first show together. It was an event for the American Writers Conference with an open mic for writers who also play music. It was a blast!

song story, ARTICHOKE MUSIC, 3/24/2019

Last year, after reading each other's sides of their memoir's completed first draft, they began playing music together and writing songs that were inspired by the sharing of each other's stories. Kathleen Cathleen, Song Story is a performance that evolved out of that experience. The performance includes original songs performed together interspersed with spoken word that reveals a mother and daughter's journey through relinquishment, adoption, reunion, and reconciliation. ​

We performed our musical reading adaptation of Kathleen~Cathleen called Song Story at Artichoke Music on March 24th, 2019. It was thrilling (and terrifying) to have the tickets sell out in just a couple days. We were fortunate to have our first performance together be with such a loving, supportive crowd. ​