Katie Walker

Since 2006 Katie Walker’s transportingly beautiful soprano voice has enraptured WomenSing audiences. First featured in Beatus Vir by Antonio Vivaldi, she has continued as a frequent, beloved soloist with the group and loves to perform the diverse repertoire of music offered each season.

Katie WalkerAs if her musical contributions to the chorus were not enough, Katie has been invaluable behind the scenes. She has written many articles for the website and has designed programs for the annual Gala. In addition, Katie stepped up for several years as the Marketing Committee co-chair and served on the Board. She also headed up a dedicated committee that reexamined and reworked WomenSing’s mission and vision statements.

In 2009 Katie volunteered to work on the WomenSing website redesign and has been the group’s webmaster ever since. “These days,” she says, “I get the most pleasure from creating eye-catching web pages. I really enjoy finding great graphics and laying out the page so it’s well-balanced and attractive.

“Volunteering on the website gave me the opportunity to get experience doing the kind of work I wanted to do for pay. Working on the project was a fantastic learning experience and helped boost my confidence. Through past Marketing chair Robin Harper, I got several freelance jobs and I met people who helped me find even more work.”

Katie now has a full-time job managing training and documentation for a technology company. “The network effect!” she exclaims. She works mostly at home, which allows her to be available to her two teenagers.

In 2013 Katie traveled with WomenSing to Montana’s Missoula International Choral Festival. “The Missoula trip was fantastic on so many levels. It was the perfect blend of performance, concert-going, socializing, and sight-seeing. I would love to participate in another festival where there’s an opportunity to perform with and hear other top-notch choral groups.”

Katie extols the benefits of participation in WomenSing. She enjoys being part of a community of “amazing women” and working with director Martín Benvenuto, pianist Paul Caccamo, and other gifted musicians. Her family attends every performance, and her children have come to value and to support her in this activity the way she supports them in theirs. Moreover, “it’s important for them to see their mother pursuing a rewarding interest outside the family and work.”

Recently Katie and two other singers began hosting an annual pay-to-play dinner as a fundraising event for WomenSing. “Last year we decided to add karaoke to the mix and it was such a blast. I can’t imagine a more enjoyable way to spend an evening – good friends, good food, crazy music, percussion instruments, and a bin of dress-up clothes. Spaces are still available for this year’s dinner!”