Meet Cate Downey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cate Downey.

Cate, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My musical journey starts back when I was 6th grader at McAuliffe International School in Denver. While I was there, I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate in a new Denver Public Schools Initiative called the mentorship program. For the program DPS chose two students from each high school to be mentored in a career path of their choosing. I chose music because I had been singing practically since I could talk and I knew it was something that I always wanted to do.

During one of my first meetings with my mentor Mercedes Campa, she played a song that I fell in love with instantly. I asked who’s song it was. She said it was one that she had written herself. I was shocked. I didn’t know that normal people could write songs. I thought that only famous musicians did that. Mercedes started teaching me about songwriting after that and I immediately fell in love with the craft. I spent the next few years surrounding myself with as much music as possible by attending programs such as the CU Denver Lynx Program, Berklee College of Music Songwriting Camps and the Durango Songwriting Expo. These programs helped shape my craft immensely by helping me find peers that were interested in the same career path as me and being able to learn so much about the craft of songwriting as well as the business of music before even finishing high school. I am especially grateful for the mentors that I have had at these programs including Owen Kortz and Peter Stoltzman from CU Denver Lynx Camp.

During my senior year of high school, I was named a National Young Arts winner for Songwriting. This helped me get into several Universities for music including CalArts, Berklee College of Music and Belmont University. While I was applying for colleges, I came across a music school in Lillehammer Norway called the Lillehammer Institute of Music Production and Industries. This program only accepted 3% of applicants and was taught by some of the most prestigious professionals in pop music. Without telling my friends or family, I applied to the program. I didn’t think that I would get in and thought that if I did my parents would never let me go, so instead, I decided to confirm my spot at Belmont and keep my application to LIMPI a secret.

However, on my last day of high school, I received an acceptance letter to LIMPI and immediately confessed my secret to my family and friends. Although it seemed kind of crazy to move to the middle of Norway for music my parents and I both agreed that this was the best thing for me. Three months later, I moved to Norway and started at a music school that would change my life and help me grow as a musician in so many ways. Here I have had the opportunity to work and learn from songwriters and producers who have worked with artists such as Beyonce, Sam Smith, Rihanna, Train, Taylor Swift and more. Currently, I am finishing my studies here and plan on moving to LA in the coming fall.

Has it been a smooth road?
I wouldn’t call it a smooth road haha. Music can be a scary career path and I have definitely had my ups and downs through industry rejections, but I think the most important thing that I’ve learned through it all is to be resilient and keep going.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I’m known best for my songwriting for others. Since starting at LIMPI, I have been writing for artists in all genres ranging from Dance/EDM to Pop to Rnb to Country. For me, the most rewarding part of the experience as a songwriter is being able to tell the artist’s story. I’m most proud of a song I’ve written called “Does Everybody Hate Me?” for the artist Deza. This song was the first song that I’ve written with another artist that has been released.

You can stream my new song “Boulder” on all music platforms now!

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Denver/Colorado is a great place to be as a musician. So much of the opportunities that I’ve had in music have come from the Denver music scene. For starters, Denver has a great live music scene and Denver is very supportive of their local music. There are also many programs in Denver that can help young people who want to do music like me! Some of these include the CU Denver Lynx National Arts and Media Camp, Youth on Record, Swallow Hill Music and the Durango Songwriting Expo. I would not be where I am today without the help of these programs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://catedowney.bandzoogle.com/about
• Email: catefoxdowney@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catedowney/
• Yelp: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cate-downey/1435862263
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3SHmKHBjw1ks5yXtblJWPn

Image Credit:
Gunn Elton

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