Double bassist Katelyn Adams is an active performer and teacher in the Knoxville area,
who proudly joined the ETSU staff in 2022. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Adams
traveled to Ithaca, New York to receive her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education
from Ithaca College. She then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee amid the Covid-19 pandemic,
where she earned a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Tennessee.
In addition to her degree program, she also received the Music Theory Pedagogy Certificate,
further developing her knowledge of music theory and aural skills acquisition in a
diverse array of classroom settings. As a graduate assistant in the Strings Initiative
program, Adams oversaw several after-school, beginner orchestras, where she taught
young students the fundamental techniques of violin, viola, and cello. Adams currently
offers lessons on the violin, viola, cello, double bass, electric bass, and mandolin
to students of all ages in the Knoxville and Maryville communities. She also enjoys
assisting and leading sectionals with the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra during
their Monday night rehearsals. On top of this, she is excited to continue her budding
career at ETSU.
As a performer, Katie immerses herself in many different styles of music. She values
the ability to create foundations within any musical setting and plays with countless
groups to fulfill her desire to learn. In the classical realm, she has performed alongside
members of the Knoxville Symphony, Brevard Philharmonic, Oak Ridge Symphony, Symphony
of the Mountains, and Appalachia: A Southeastern Wind Symphony. She has also served
as the principal bassist for the Cayambis Sinfonietta, a new ensemble based out of
Blacksburg, Virginia dedicated to promoting the works of South American composers.
As a folk artist, Katie has toured the country with her band, Redd. Redd’s most notable
performance venues include Rockwood Music Hall in New York City, the Opryland Hotel
in Nashville, and the Folk Alliance International Festival in Kansas City. Katie can
be found in the recording booth or gigging with local Knoxville acts such as indie
cellist Stranger May, rock/pop cover band GenX 4 Fun, and singer-songwriter Cullen
Kehoe. She had her debut performance on the Blue Plate Special hosted by WDVX with
the UT Appalachian String Band, and continues to play fiddle, bluegrass, and Americana
music with musicians like Jack Hattfield, Evie Andrus, Gavin and Garrett Gregg, and
Dave Eggar. Adams is the current bassist for the Appalachian Equality Chorus, and
has also performed in several pit orchestras, wind ensembles, and worship bands. She
has even recorded cello on an upcoming gospel album.
With regards to her solo career, Adams has studied with Brett Shurtliffe in Buffalo,
New York, Nicholas Walker and William Cravy at Ithaca College, and most recently Jon
Paul Hamar at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has performed in masterclasses
with Edgar Meyer, James VanDemark, and Steve Benne. In addition to preparing for her
classical performances, she spends time creating solo arrangements for voice and double
bass, which she performs at local open mic nights. Her arrangements include artists
like Fleetwood Mac, Glass Animals, Esperanza Spalding, and Metallica—and are always
crowd favorites.