On a mission with music.
Diagnosed with stage IV cancer in February of 2023 (her third bout with the disease) Cathy faced many questions…one of them being a lyric in a song she wrote, “What to do with the time?” While undergoing months of chemotherapy, followed by months of immunotherapy, she set about the choice to LIVE. She wrote songs about her life, collaborated with friends to bring them to fruition and now has two incredible album to show for it.
Read below to learn more about Cathy’s remarkable journey
Amazing
Cathy Couture’s second album (released June of 2024) “Amazing,” is aptly named, as it describes her journey with cancer. This second album provides thoughtful songs that reflect her life philosophy and her sense of humor with a blend of folk and rock.
Transitions
In the fall of 2023 Cathy set out to capture the three originals she'd penned about her cancer journey, but through the process of writing and recording (with friends Beth Kille, Jenna Joanis, Dan Kennedy, Bob Manor, Michael Mood and Danica E), a creative floodgate opened. In January of 2024, she released her first album of eight all original tunes called "Transitions."
Cathy’s Story
Cathy sang for the first time publicly in 2022 at a Ladies Rock Camp in Madison, WI. Up until that point, she had only sung in the car and around campfires. After that experience, she went to as many camps as she could to learn instruments and expand her songwriting skills while working as a psychotherapist. Then in early 2023, she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, located in her kidney.
Forced into an early retirement and told to get her affairs in order, Cathy processed her terminal diagnosis through playing music and writing songs. This sustained her through months of chemo and immunotherapy treatments. Cathy didn’t hurt when she played music or sang, so she organized a weekly jam session at her home with friends and started thinking about writing her own songs. Her first few songs came to the attention of songwriting instructor Beth Kille, who agreed to record three of Cathy’s songs in the Fall of 2023. But Cathy took to the writing and recording process so naturally that three songs quickly turned into eight originals. Beth and Cathy teamed up with drummer Jenna Joanis, bassist Dan Kennedy (pictured with Cathy) along with pianists Michael Mood and Bob Manor and upright bassist Danica E to record and release her first album, “Transitions” in early 2024.
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After that, the floodgates opened. She’d get ideas driving or doing the dishes, sometimes even waking in the middle of the night to jot down lyrics. It took her mind off of treatments and what the future could hold. In her mind it became her legacy.
During the recording of her second album, “Amazing,” Cathy was downgraded from stage IV cancer to partial remission, crediting the music, in part, with the healing process and being able to keep a positive attitude. But having cancer is like riding a roller coaster: the “up” was the partial remission, and the “down” was learning the cancer had spread to some of her bones a few months later. Now, when she performs her song “Cancer Sucks,” she encourages the audience to shout with her as she sings about being a fighter, in hopes of killing off the cancer cells!
Cathy in the news
Check out these articles and radio interviews about Cathy and her music
Max Ink Radio, October 5th, 2024 “Cancer Sucks and Cathy Couture is Amazing in the Lair” with Teri Barr, Rokker and Jimmy K
Madison Magazine, June 17th, 2024 “Facing Down Cancer, Madison Singer-Songwriter Releases Second Album,” by Doug Moe
The Cap Times, June 16th, 2024 “Cathy Couture is Fighting Cancer, One Rock Song at a Time,” by Rob Thomas
Spirit Lake Wellness “Finding Meaning in Life, Part 1 of 3: The Impact of Trauma” with John Ewing MD and Cathy Couture MS LMFT
Stay tuned for what’s next
Cathy and the “Bad Jacks” (Beth Kille, Jenna Joanis and Dan Kennedy, pictured here with Cathy) might be playing near you someday soon. Visit this website for updates!
Contact:
cathycouturemusic@gmail.com
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