Katarra P.

Katarra is a singer/songwriter, musician and producer from Saint Louis, MO. She has performed in venues locally and across the nation, from jazz lounges to concerts to festivals. With Soul, Jazz and Classical influences, Katarra has grown to become a staple in the St. Louis Music scene one stage at a time. After teaching herself to play the piano as a child, Katarra started writing and composing music around 12 years old. After teaching herself Mozart's 'Turkish Rondo' by ear via a small keyboard at 13, Katarra learned and incorporated music theory as second chair clarinetist in the Gateway Middle School Concert Band, led by conductor Irwin Brick. At Gateway Institute of Technology High School, Katarra was formally re-introduced to Music Theory through an AP Class taught by Music Teacher and Pianist Gary Scott. During her senior year, Katarra auditioned for and joined the Opera Theatre ‘Young Artists in Training’ Program, taught by classical vocalist Jermaine Smith. After receiving extensive vocal training, Katarra began learning and performing classic Italian Opera. It was during this training that she was discovered to have an ability called ‘absolute pitch’, a rare ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone. In 2009 Katarra was accepted into Webster University where she studied Business Administration and Music. Diving deeply into their Jazz curriculum, she grew as a musician and composer while also receiving further classical training in Voice. In 2010, Katarra began professionally recording original works and compositions in Fruity Loops Studio, a popular Digital Audio Workstation. After learning the program, she began producing original beats as well. It wasn't until late 2016 that Katarra began her career as a professional live performer; after battling a lifetime of debilitating stage fright, Katarra joined a local open mic and collective called ‘Lyrical Therapy’. Within a group of 14 members, Katarra was able to blossom as a musician, singer, bandleader, poet, lyricist and overall performer…leading to a snowball effect of performance opportunities around St. Louis city, such as: an 18 month residency with The Kranzberg Arts Foundation. She received national opportunities as well, such as: a 3 month activist music residency in Miami, FL with WeAreFarfetched, the Dream Defenders and Center for Third World Organizing. Since then, from 2017 to the present, Katarra has made a name for herself as a multifaceted artist and has since become “a staple in the St. Louis music and arts community”. From gaining her first recorded project to the public in 2019, to performing at Tishaura Jones' Inauguration as the First Black Woman Mayor in St. Louis and empowering St. Louis business women at TedX STL Women in 2021, to opening a sold out concert for the Grammy winning group Boyz II Men in 2023, Katarra has empowered her community to strive for authentic creative expression, regardless of their background, race, sex, or mental health…one stage at a time.