Winter 2024

62 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 S tatistics show that most music consumers are roughly in the 17- to 24-year-old demographic, today driven by performers such as Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. But one young Monterey Peninsula teenager is more interested in producing music than in consuming it. Katherine Lavin is a songwriter, singer and guitarist who has been perform- ing professionally since age 9 in 2017. “My first gig was at Juice n’ Java in Pacific Grove,” she says. Since then, she’s penned more than 70 songs and has played stages at Sand City’sWest End Celebration and PG’s Good Old Days, among many others. Lavin’s mother, Lisa, introduced her to ukulele at 8.“She taught me basic chords, and I began coming up with song melodies and lyrics immediately. I still perform some of those compositions today.” Lavin’s mother also plays drums with The Katherine Lavin Band. This determined young woman is laser focused on her music career. “I’m attending school online so I can have more time to write, record and travel. I’m taking this very seriously. It’s exactly what I want to do and I’m creating demos to present to producers we meet.” Lavin performs regularly around the peninsula.To learn more about her, view her calendar and sample her music, visit www.katherinelavinmusic.com . — Michael Chatfield MUS I C I AN PROF I L E Katherine Lavin Photo: Kelli Uldall