Kerri McLoone is a singer/songwriter/musician born, raised and currently living in Eastchester, NY - a suburb of New York City in Westchester County. Kerri's passion for music started at age 11, when she informed her parents she wanted to learn to play the guitar. Both of her older sisters had taken piano lessons and when Kerri was old enough it was expected that she'd learn piano as well. "I could already play what my sisters were learning on piano because I would sit in the next room during their lesson and then play it back later by ear. I wanted to try something new, something that neither of them had tried."
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Kerri persisted that she wanted to learn guitar, and Christmas morning 1998, she found a brand new guitar waiting for her. "The first time I picked it up, something inside me just felt right. It felt natural, as if I'd always had that guitar." From then on, Kerri was glued to music. Kerri continued to be an active member of many sports teams and as a result her music lessons were pushed to the side. "I actually ended up taking guitar lessons for only about 6 months. Just enough time to get the basics and a little more down. Everything else I taught myself."
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Kerri taught herself by listening to artists on the radio and getting chord books for her favorites. She mimicked their playing style on both studio and live recordings. She used that same technique in teaching herself how to sing. "I would do exactly what my favorite artists did. It helped if there were harmony parts so I could learn higher or lower pitches as well as blending and standing out." At around age 13, Kerri decided it was time to branch out further and test her musical abilities. She bought herself a practice drum pad and a pair of sticks, and eventually got a second hand drum set from a family friend.
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It was instantaneous that once Kerri started playing guitar, she started writing songs. But she wouldn't play them for anyone. Excluding her mother, guitar teacher and only a couple close friends, no one else heard or even knew that Kerri was a songwriter, let alone a guitar player. "I didn't tell anyone that I played guitar or wrote songs. I don't know if it was that I was scared of what people would think or what, but I didn't build up the courage to play in front of others until I was a Sophomore in high school. My first show was a charity fundraiser at school. I played one original song with a friend, both of us on guitar."
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One song, on one stage was all it took. From then on there wasn't an event at school that didn't have Kerri on the bill. She even joined a couple of garage bands and performed with them also at school functions. Kerri played any show she could. She "booked" a few shows at a local bar in town. Each show was just Kerri on acoustic guitar playing mostly originals for 2 hours.
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As Kerri's high school career got closer and closer to ending, Kerri was more and more sure that she wanted to go to school for music. "I looked at 3 schools, each with a different music program I was interested in. But the one that really stood out was the Studio Composition major at Purchase College." For Kerri to get into Purchase, there were two "yeses" she needed. First she had to be accepted into the school, then she had to audition for the conservatory. For her audition, Kerri recorded three original songs in 2 days at a professional studio. Kerri was on vocals, guitar and drums with a friend on lead guitar and bass.
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It seemed like her audition date came with lightning speed. "I was more nervous than I had ever been. I had no back up plan. I had declined acceptance to the other two colleges. I was either going to get into the Conservatory or I was going home. I wasn't going to go to Purchase without being in the conservatory."
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Of the dozens of students who auditioned that year, 26 were accepted. Among them was Kerri - the only girl in the freshman Studio Composition Department.
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During her time in college, Kerri only performed a handful of times. She used her time there to really focus on writing. Kerri graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Music: Studio Composition in 2009. In September of 2010 Kerri finished and released her EP - In The Red. "I'm eager to get back out in front of people and play. A four year break in performing is tough to overcome, I know I'll have a couple of false starts, but nothing will stop me from getting out there again."
.
Kerri has her own unique sound and style. Her writing blends pop, blues, folk, rock and R&B into a sound identifiable as her own. Having started writing on guitar, but branching off into drums and percussion as well as keyboards and bass guitar, Kerri can do it all. "I am a bit heavy handed when I play. I love to play percussion and that carries over into my guitar and keyboard playing. Everything has taken on a percussive undertone, but that just makes it distinct. When you hear it you go 'that's Kerri'".
.
Having asked a longtime friend and fan what it is they consider their favorite thing about Kerri's music they answered: "I'd say what stands out to me is how relatable Kerri's songs are. For any of her songs, you can find a moment in your life it applies to. But at the same time, she's singing about things that are solely and totally her own."
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Kerri's response: "I don't think any musician or songwriter writes their songs for anyone but themselves. Having people relate to your songs, and sometimes in a completely different way than you do is incredible. It brings everything to a new level, a much more dignified level. It always amazes me how one line that to me means one thing, to someone else can mean a multitude of things. That's one of my favorite things about music."
.
Kerri persisted that she wanted to learn guitar, and Christmas morning 1998, she found a brand new guitar waiting for her. "The first time I picked it up, something inside me just felt right. It felt natural, as if I'd always had that guitar." From then on, Kerri was glued to music. Kerri continued to be an active member of many sports teams and as a result her music lessons were pushed to the side. "I actually ended up taking guitar lessons for only about 6 months. Just enough time to get the basics and a little more down. Everything else I taught myself."
.
Kerri taught herself by listening to artists on the radio and getting chord books for her favorites. She mimicked their playing style on both studio and live recordings. She used that same technique in teaching herself how to sing. "I would do exactly what my favorite artists did. It helped if there were harmony parts so I could learn higher or lower pitches as well as blending and standing out." At around age 13, Kerri decided it was time to branch out further and test her musical abilities. She bought herself a practice drum pad and a pair of sticks, and eventually got a second hand drum set from a family friend.
.
It was instantaneous that once Kerri started playing guitar, she started writing songs. But she wouldn't play them for anyone. Excluding her mother, guitar teacher and only a couple close friends, no one else heard or even knew that Kerri was a songwriter, let alone a guitar player. "I didn't tell anyone that I played guitar or wrote songs. I don't know if it was that I was scared of what people would think or what, but I didn't build up the courage to play in front of others until I was a Sophomore in high school. My first show was a charity fundraiser at school. I played one original song with a friend, both of us on guitar."
.
One song, on one stage was all it took. From then on there wasn't an event at school that didn't have Kerri on the bill. She even joined a couple of garage bands and performed with them also at school functions. Kerri played any show she could. She "booked" a few shows at a local bar in town. Each show was just Kerri on acoustic guitar playing mostly originals for 2 hours.
.
As Kerri's high school career got closer and closer to ending, Kerri was more and more sure that she wanted to go to school for music. "I looked at 3 schools, each with a different music program I was interested in. But the one that really stood out was the Studio Composition major at Purchase College." For Kerri to get into Purchase, there were two "yeses" she needed. First she had to be accepted into the school, then she had to audition for the conservatory. For her audition, Kerri recorded three original songs in 2 days at a professional studio. Kerri was on vocals, guitar and drums with a friend on lead guitar and bass.
.
It seemed like her audition date came with lightning speed. "I was more nervous than I had ever been. I had no back up plan. I had declined acceptance to the other two colleges. I was either going to get into the Conservatory or I was going home. I wasn't going to go to Purchase without being in the conservatory."
.
Of the dozens of students who auditioned that year, 26 were accepted. Among them was Kerri - the only girl in the freshman Studio Composition Department.
.
During her time in college, Kerri only performed a handful of times. She used her time there to really focus on writing. Kerri graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Music: Studio Composition in 2009. In September of 2010 Kerri finished and released her EP - In The Red. "I'm eager to get back out in front of people and play. A four year break in performing is tough to overcome, I know I'll have a couple of false starts, but nothing will stop me from getting out there again."
.
Kerri has her own unique sound and style. Her writing blends pop, blues, folk, rock and R&B into a sound identifiable as her own. Having started writing on guitar, but branching off into drums and percussion as well as keyboards and bass guitar, Kerri can do it all. "I am a bit heavy handed when I play. I love to play percussion and that carries over into my guitar and keyboard playing. Everything has taken on a percussive undertone, but that just makes it distinct. When you hear it you go 'that's Kerri'".
.
Having asked a longtime friend and fan what it is they consider their favorite thing about Kerri's music they answered: "I'd say what stands out to me is how relatable Kerri's songs are. For any of her songs, you can find a moment in your life it applies to. But at the same time, she's singing about things that are solely and totally her own."
.
Kerri's response: "I don't think any musician or songwriter writes their songs for anyone but themselves. Having people relate to your songs, and sometimes in a completely different way than you do is incredible. It brings everything to a new level, a much more dignified level. It always amazes me how one line that to me means one thing, to someone else can mean a multitude of things. That's one of my favorite things about music."
