Katie Maker Martin knows the value of community support. A Kalispell native, Martin said she found her passion for music and the drive to pursue it thanks in large part to the encouragement she received as a budding performer.
“I really love the community of Kalispell,” Martin said. “They’ve given a lot to me and supported me in pursuing my goals as a musician.”
And last week, the accomplished soprano found several ways to give back to the people who helped her through school and supported her as she fought and overcame cancer.
A 2003 Flathead High School graduate, Martin finished her undergraduate work at the University of Montana in 2007. Life’s possibilities were starting to line up for her, with plans to marry her high school sweetheart, Sam Martin, and an acceptance to the Thornton School of Music at the University of California for graduate work.
However, Martin’s higher education plans were put on hold after an investigation into some lumps on her neck revealed Hodgkins lymphoma, which is a type of cancer originating in the body’s white blood cells.
She found herself making plans to get married while also undergoing cancer treatment. While the combination initially seemed daunting, Martin said both events put the other one in perspective.
“It seemed like it would be difficult, but the wedding helped me deal with the cancer,” Martin said.
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Vocalist Katie Martin, left, talks over a piece of music with piano accompanist Maryruth Fallon during a sound check before her voice recital at the First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell. |
And having cancer made her relax about typically stressful wedding preparations, keeping her from becoming a “bridezilla,” Martin joked.
“It taught me to look at life with a sense of humor and a sense of purpose,” she said. “Not everything has to be perfect.”
The support she received during her sickness was also important, Martin said, and at least one source of support came from a very familiar organization: the Kalispell Area Music Teachers Association (KAMTA).
Martin said KAMTA has given her seven scholarships over the years, providing financial help when she needed it most. KAMTA treasurer Marcia Siblerud said the organization provides about $4,000 to $5,000 in scholarships to local students each year.
“Most of the people we award to are college-age voice majors or voice minors,” Siblerud said. The organization also helps pay summer camp tuitions.
During her visit last week, Martin was the adjudicator at KAMTA’s 11th Annual Fall Vocal Festival, which happened last Saturday. She also put on a voice recital on Nov. 12, and gave 100 percent of the donations earned from the recital to KAMTA.
Siblerud’s connection with Martin goes deeper than KAMTA. She was also Martin’s vocal coach in high school and she has known Martin’s mother, Francie Lipp, for years. Martin credits Siblerud with encouraging her to pursue music as a career.
“I really did push her, because she has so much talent,” Siblerud said.
And since her mother is a singer as well, Siblerud believes Martin began honing her vocal skills as early as possible.
“Her mother is a wonderful singer as well and was singing when Katie was in the womb,” Siblerud said. “She’s probably been singing longer than she’s been on this earth.”
Lipp, who teaches music at Russell Elementary and kindergarteners at Edgerton, said her daughter has indeed been singing most of her life. At age 4, Martin sang “I Love You Truly” at her aunt’s wedding and has been going ever since, Lipp said.
What sets her daughter apart from other singers is the special relationship she has with music, Lipp said.
“There’s a lot of qualities about Katie I love but when it comes to her singing, she’s a very honest singer,” Lipp said. “It’s such an honest presentation that you just know it’s true communication.”
Lipp also noted that KAMTA played a large role in her daughter’s success. Knowing that she had the backing of her local music community went a long way, Lipp said.
“They‘ve just always been there for Katie and for other students in our valley,” Lipp said. “They really are an amazing group of people that are so dedicated to the good quality of music, plus nurturing and helping our young people grow.”
Martin has been cancer-free for three years now and her life is back on track. She earned her master’s degree in music and vocal performance from the University of Southern California in May, only a year behind her original schedule, she said. She is applying to several doctoral programs and hopes to be a college-level teacher someday.
And regardless of where she ends up, Maker Martin has a deep foundation to lean on, both from her family and the local music community.
“There are a lot of venues that she is looking at in the future,” Lipp said. “I’ve got a lot of love and respect for Katie.”