What can I say about all that is Kristina Koller. She grew up in Yorktown but forayed into Peekskill often, as she found it to be “a second home” where she could hang out and listen to musicians. In fact, her first gig was played in downtown Peekskill at local restaurant 12 Grapes. (which is now home to Ruben’s Mexican Café) Koller is almost 28 now, and she moved back home to Yorktown during the pandemic, after living in New York city for six years. She describes her feelings about living in New York city as a “love-hate relationship.”
“I think my anxiety came from New York City”, says Koller, as she laments about the claustrophobic living spaces and the high cost of rent, in addition to low-paying gigs.
After returning home to Yorktown, Koller has since moved to Peekskill, where she resides since a little over a year ago. And Koller has hit the ground running. She immediately began planning and organizing a s music festival which she named, “The Feel Good Music Series.” Last year was the festival’s first year and it was a huge success. She’s doing it again this year, although it will take place over one weekend (June 25th and 26th) instead of being sprawled out over six weeks like last year’s.
Additionally, Koller is working with Arts10566 on the production of her music series, and each day of the festival will open with educational programming by Arts10566. Koller is very adept at forging community connections. In addition to booking musicians, food trucks, and entertainment for her event, she’s garnered many sponsors for her music festival as well including, White Plains Linen, ArtsWestchester, the Lanza Family Foundation, Hudson Milk Company, and Bear Mountain Strength and Fitness. By the way, she’s also organized a “Make it Funky” blues night once a month at Birdsalll House. All of this community organizing comes in addition to her gig playing, (currently in Peekskill she’s playing every month at Gleason’s) and she also teaches after-school music lessons to young students; vocals, piano, and ukulele.
So as you can see, Kristina Koller is one busy person. It’s been hard getting to the next level of her jazz singing career, but that has not deterred Koller. She was just reviewed in Downbeat Magazine,
“Which is like the big jazz magazine, you know? So I’m hoping it’ll help with my jazz career, but I don’t know.” Says Koller. Moving forward she would love to have a booking agent and manager to help her get gigs, but in the meantime Koller is thriving on her own.
And Kristina is not your typical jazz singer.
Koller says,
“In the jazz world there’s this whole idea that a vocalist needs to be either a cabaret singer or they need to sound like they’re from the twenties and I’m not doing that. I’m doing my own thing…and like, I really want people to understand that jazz could be cool and hip to young people, if you make it relatable to young people…you can put your own twist on things and be true to who you are, don’t just do something because everybody else is doing it; don’t follow the norm of what they want.”
great quotes good for you to be who you are