Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiersi Joli.
Hi Kiersi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I have always been passionate about music and asked for piano lessons when I was 3. Right after I turned 6, “Santa” had a gift under the tree for me, which was a set of harmonicas. I had no idea what they were as I had never seen/heard one before. My mom explained it to me & had me take one out to try. When I blew into that shiny little instrument & heard the music my face lit up and I was hooked! After one lesson I went back a month later playing every single note up & down the harmonica. In 2 weeks, I was playing full songs. That summer I started entering talent contests at county fairs and won all of them. I took my money earnings and bought some better harmonicas. I was told I needed a professional harmonica teacher as I’m playing the instrument better than most who have been playing a year or more. At this point, my mom started searching for someone and that’s when we found SPAH (Society for Preserving & Advancing the Harmonica). It’s a large international organization whose mission is just as its name. They have an annual convention in different states with a local harmonica club hosting the convention. People from all over the world come for this! Their convention is usually the second week in August and my mom found it just before it started. We went to check it out at the hotel it was at. Everyone inside was playing all sorts of harmonicas. Kinds I didn’t even know existed! In the lobby, the hallways, the elevators! My mom & I were just aimlessly walking, taking it all in and thinking to myself- “I’ve found my people!” We ended up sitting in the lobby watching/listening and then we heard over a speaker that open mic was now up and running. I asked my mom if I could go up and play. She wasn’t sure since we weren’t members but since no one else was going she said I could. I played the tune to Little Liza Jane in 1st position, sang, then played real fast. While I was playing a couple men came up to play backup on their harmonicas. I didn’t know what to do so I just kept going. When I was done so many members came to meet me and couldn’t believe I play harmonica that well for only being 6 years old and only started playing 6 months prior. We became members that day, to say the least! I found another group that day of older guys playing and I asked if I could join in. They said sure what song do you want to play? I said how about “Red River Valley”? They were shocked I knew that song but then asked what key? I replied “huh?” They rephrased and asked, “what key are you in?” I didn’t know what that meant so I shrugged my shoulders and uncertainly replied “Kiersi?” That’s how we came up my social media name “In the key of Kiersi” They wrote an article about a little prodigy from Bowling Green, MO (that’s where I was from before moving to Tennessee). I didn’t know what that meant I was just honored they had an article & pictures of me in their magazine “Harmonica Happenings”. Afterward, my mom searched their membership directory for an instructor in Missouri. That’s how I met Sandy Weltman. He’s an incredible multi-instrumentalist! He’s been teaching a long time. My mom called him about starting lessons & made sure that even though I was only 6 that it was ok. We met in October and I played for him so he could hear the level I was at and he too was amazed. And so, we began lessons! He taught me fundamentals, proper ways to hold the instrument, mouth placement, breathing, and my first introduction to “the Blues” like “St. James Infirmary” and “St. Louis Blues” I really really liked the sound of this style of music! I loved the feelings I was able to express when playing! I wanted to keep learning. He then taught me how to play those dirty blues notes and how to do bends on the harmonica! Those brought a whole new level of emoting raw feelings, it was great! It was about here the St. Louis Blues museum was soon scheduled to open and the CEO personally invited me out for a private tour prior to the grand opening and gifted me a shirt. After I learned so much about these original blues artists and the history of the blues music from their educational museum, I was invited to perform in between their headliners on opening day.
I had auditioned for a scholarship to return to the SPAH convention the next summer as it was being held in Denver CO that year. I got it and we made a family vacation of it as we had never traveled anywhere before! It was beyond amazing of daily classes, afternoon teaching tables, and concerts and jams of all genres till wee hours of the morning! It was here that I met 2 other harmonica teachers I added to my learning circle, Todd Parrott & Ronnie Shellist. Todd can play country like the late, great Terry McMillan did with Garth Brooks but to hear Todd play Amazing Grace completely on harmonica will bring you goosebumps!! He’s seriously-that good!! Ronnie, oh Ronnie is one of the coolest blues harmonica players ever! All 3 of these harmonica instructors have heavily influenced my life (personally & musically) and I would’ve never met them if it weren’t for SPAH’s annual convention! I’ve returned to SPAH every year since then as a scholarship recipient or a performer (up until Covid in 2020 of course). I have gotten to become friends with Rob Roy Parnell (Lee Roy Parnell’s brother), Buddy Greene, Charlie McCoy, Johnny Mac
I also auditioned for Mizzou’s National Anthem performer and got to play a lot for them including a televised basketball game with over 10 thousand in attendance and some of those videos are on my YouTube channel “Kiersi Joli”. I actually just had a National Anthem performance for our Nashville Sounds baseball team on April 22, 2022! My first one here in Tennessee!
I had a harmonica workshop in Nashville TN in 2017 that my mom & dad took me to. Some of the instructors for that I knew from SPAH but met new ones as well. We loved going to so many music venues and the Listening Room was my favorite! I met an incredible singer/songwriter, Carrie Welling. She was playing her music in the lobby of the hotel we were staying at! We are still friends to this day! It was after this trip that we all started talking about moving to Tennessee! We loved it!
I got a scholarship to attend the harmonica workshop at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2018 which was pretty cool. I met Gary Allegreto & Peter Madcat Ruth who were instructors as well as Rob Roy Parnell!
At this point, I started getting more offers to play along with a band or jump in and join in for a song or 2 which was a game-changer for me! The thrill of being a part of a band, having the cues thrown from one band member to another was thrilling!!! I want to have a band someday but I figure it’ll happen when the timing is right.
When I was 11, the last big jam night of SPAH, I was approached by Hohner Harmonica’s brand managers about endorsements. I have been a Hohner endorsee ever since and am so proud to be a face representing the Hohner Harmonicas and the company has been incredibly good to me over the years!
2019 was the biggest year for me, musically speaking.
January of 2019, I started learning guitar as I was gifted my Taylor GS mine e-koa that Christmas of 2018. It was gorgeous and I was so excited to start learning as my older sister had been learning and hers sounded so pretty!
2019 I was offered a spot at Todd Parrott’s first NC Harpfest. I started a fundraiser selling “In the key of Kiersi” T-shirts to get to go. This was my first time ever on an airplane! Another great harmonica experience with great instructors and fun evening jams and my solo playing with Todd to “Wade in the Water”.
2019, June I was given the scholarship to attend the Pinetop Perkins Blues workshop in Clarksdale, MS. I Loved it!! So many kids my age but exceptional musicians! We had our instrument class during the day and full band jams every night! The last night we all went to Ground Zero to perform for the public! We also got to go on an educational tour of the history of the blues there! It was an incredible experience to be at the crossroads in the delta!!!
2019 I also met the creator of the Dyna-mic harp mic at SPAH. I loved the microphone specially designed to fit each harmonica and plug and play! I was given the opportunity to gain an endorsement with Dyna-Mic that year! I use it every time I am playing out unless it’s specifically an acoustic gig.
2019 was also the year I was invited to an interview & performance on TV! The “Show Me St. Louis “show. That was so neat to see how tv news set looked behind the cameras!
We had made the decision to move to Tennessee and as that move started quickly approaching, the nerves started kicking in. I was talking to my mom about it all and she said the best way to sort out & work through your feelings is to write it out. Write out what you’re feeling and why and just that release of putting it out there can help. I wasn’t sure how to do that so she said: “write a song about it”! That was something I understood so I did! It’s out there, called “Movin Blues”. We became Tennesseans the summer of 2019!
So much has happened since then! I’ve met so many incredible people & made so many good friends in music & songwriting and it’s been very exciting so far! Hohner Harmonicas rep had set up a meet with the super talented and gorgeous Heidi Newfield (also a Hohner Harmonica player!) and we got to talking and she invited me to be a special guest for her Barfly Sessions she was doing during Covid. I’m hoping to get to work with her on a song but regardless, she is so inspiring and such an incredible person!
I’m a proud member of NSAI and attend workshops, and their online educational resources & am involved in co-writes about 1-2 /month depending on how busy everyone is. I have several co-write originals that I’m hoping to get crowdfunding going to record for sync and to pitch.
I have a regular monthly set that I perform my music at Hanks Honky Tonk not to mention those random calls to perform. I will still go out and busk when the weather allows about once a month. I had my first paid recording session for a country artist not so long ago and that was an exciting milestone! Some of the most memorable were meeting and getting to jam with Rick Ferrell at Sweet song Nashville, meeting & playing my harmonica for Sheryl Crow and then last summer Jamey Johnson was doing a meet & greet at the Harley Davidson. I met him and he was so nice it was more than just a hi, nice to meet you, he engaged in conversation. So, I told him I played harmonica. I played a little blues lick for him and the next thing I know, he’s inviting me to play on a song with him & his band at his concert that evening!! I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t know the song, there was no rehearsal, just at my que I got up and did my thing! Improvisation at its finest! I met Dennis Quaid there also. A bunch of incredible talents!
I’m so very excited for my musical journey! I’m 14 and I feel like I’ll never stop learning musically! Between vocals, guitar, songwriting, and even harmonica! They all go hand in hand but to take the time out to work on each of those instruments individually and collectively is important. I’m also looking to fill my gig calendar up some more if anyone is needing some live music. You can also find me performing at the Commodore Grill on June 9, during CMA Fest, thanks to Jake Gill!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing is smooth- if it is -something is wrong. I know there’s always going to be struggles & challenges in life and in music! I remember when I was little at a blues jam and someone said to me “what’s a little girl like you know about the blues?” Well, I may not ever experience the same kind of things that brought about the origination of blues music but young people experience sadness, heartbreak, betrayal, loneliness, etc. All of these things little kids go through. That goes for hardships & challenges too. Before moving to Tennessee, I struggled with only practicing by myself or with my harmonica teachers in-person or online but there were never any jams or musical groups to join in with. That’s why these musical workshops/organizations are SO important! That’s all I had and the only time I got to have fun with others in my music!
That struggle was very minor compared to what we faced when we moved! My parents had a house in middle TN lined up to rent. We were to load up the moving truck Friday & Saturday then drive to our house and unload Sunday. That Thursday my mom got a call from the rental saying a farmer offered him $1000. over his monthly rent for his farmhands to live there & he couldn’t turn it down. So, in a last-minute frantic state, my parents bought a camper to give us something until we found another rental. Needless to say, we ended up living in the camper for 2 years! It was me, my older sister, my mom & dad plus our cat and my German shepherd! It was tough not having a home or just a private space besides the bathroom! There was no one at the campground to make friends with. I knew my mom was sad and that made me feel sad at times. The biggest thing that kept us all going was knowing that God was watching over us and we kept working towards finding a home! We decided to look to buy instead of renting, which made more sense to my parents. It definitely made me more homesick but I remained hopeful for something better… eventually. Someone said to me while in the camper that I was actually living the blues in a sense.
We moved into our home in December 2020. The main struggle now is no different than a lot of people today-money. Even though I’m a kid, I need to make money to pay for any music lessons I want. My parents pay for the house, utilities, food, and gas and it really leaves nothing left over. So, I use my tip money for vocal, guitar, or harmonica lessons. If I need something for a gig, I have to choose between that or the next lesson I was planning on.
The other struggle is I find a lot of the live music venues want at least a duet or band. All I have is me singing my originals & covers with my acoustic guitar & harp on the rack. I’m working twice as hard to get better vocally & instrumentally. I know there are so many others out there better than I am but I need to play music to make money to continue to get better. Many people will say “music is my passion” or “music is my life” well I really don’t go around saying those things- I just do it to keep doing it!
The money struggle goes even beyond paying for lessons and instruments. I have some really incredible songs to get out there but the cost to get a professional recording, mixing & production of the song is understandable but bottom line out of reach for me and my parents. I just hold on to my faith in knowing Gods got me!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a musical artist. I’m a singer/songwriter, musician, session player, and performer. I’m first foremost a harmonica player. I also play the guitar but not as advanced on it as the harmonica (not yet anyway). I play a lot of different genres but mostly blues, country, and contemporary Christian which also applies to my songwriting as well. I’m most proud of seeing my harmonica playing inspire others! It has been amazing and has led me to keep doing what I’m doing not only for me to get better but for others to remind them that they can do whatever they put their minds to no matter the odds. There aren’t many harmonica players let alone girl harmonica players (with red hair lol) and that has just made my interest and excitement skyrocket. I honestly thought being young was going to be a challenge but I got told by so many people that it would just give me more opportunities and I’m so glad I listened to them and didn’t get discouraged. I envision someday to play originals at writers’ rounds of the hit songs that my co-writers & I wrote then go out on the road to perform for a couple of months, come back and be in the recording studio laying down some guitar & harmonica for other artists and teach harmonica as a career/full-time passion. I want to keep working hard to keep improving now so that one day my vision can be a reality.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There have been so many people who have played a big part of who and where I am. The main people are my parents. They have supported me through my whole journey and have sacrificed so much to get me here including moving to Tennessee. I can’t thank or repay them for all they have done and given for my music career and continue to do for me! We joke around saying my mom is the momager & dad is the roadie. I’ve learned so much from them as they teach me new ways to grow every day. I also have to give credit to my harmonica teachers Sandy Weltman, Todd Parrott & Ronnie Shellist, plus my guitar teacher, Nicky Hines. They’ve all helped me exceed my limits as I learn every time I have a lesson with them. Their kindness and generosity to teach me have shaped my career and personality. When I first started harmonica lessons, I was six so I got distracted easily and would just spin in my chair as they taught me but they didn’t mind toooo much, as I was able to retain and integrate the information they were saying into my playing. Guitar has also helped with my timing, tone and songwriting. If it weren’t for my guitar teacher, Nicky, I would not be able to do half of the things I do today. Also, thanks to my co-writers for giving me the opportunities to dig into my creative writing and to grow as a songwriter from each one! Every single person has believed in me & invested in me more than I could ever repay! However, ultimately, I give it all to God- for giving me this gift of music, putting the right people alongside me, guiding my path & for my church family, The Belonging Co.! They’ve just recently started a youth band workshop & that is now helping me put these gifts towards bringing God’s messages through music! Lastly, I have to thank you and The Nashville Voyager for taking the time to hear my story and for their mission! It’s inspiring for me to continue to pay it forward as my career continues to move ahead!
Contact Info:
- Email: inthekeyofkiersi@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/in_the_key_of_kiersi/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/key.of.kiersi/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCbHQB_LDzz9zhBNwRxKJTMA
- Other: https://www.ksdk.com/article/entertainment/television/show-me-st-louis/kiersi-joli-performs-on-show-me-st-louis/63-c36c9bb4-92d2-456a-97b5-dc1078ed25a0
