03 | "Music is Powerful" | Joy

Discover how music serves as a source of joy, healing, and connection in this inspiring episode with singer and entertainer Katanya Brewer. From her journey to performing on the streets of Columbus to profound moments with seniors and those experiencing life's challenges, Katanya shares her story of resilience, purpose, and the transformative and joyful power of music.

Connect with Katanya:

Instagram: @sidewalk_serenades

website: www.katanyasings.com

Connect with this show on Instagram @wherewerisepod

Don't forget to leave a review on this platform!

Transcript

Khalila McCoy 0:00

Hi, I'm Khalila McCoy, and this is the podcast Log and Your Higher. Hey, hey, welcome to the show. I'm so glad you're here with me. I hope your week has been going good and that you are ready for this episode because I'm excited for you to meet Catania Brewer. Catania is well known in the Columbus area as a singer and entertainer, but to me, she is just that friend who makes me laugh, that friend who shows up to support me. And she's one of those people who just drops in those little nuggets of wisdom when you're talking and you're like, oh wait, I need to pause and really think about what she just said. And I've really come to appreciate that about her. Today we're gonna hear a little bit about her musical journey and the twists and turns that have shaped her and the passion that keeps her moving forward. And I know you're gonna walk away feeling inspired to keep moving forward in your own story as well. So let's jump in. All right, so we have Catanya today. And Catania is the voice and the person behind sidewalk serenades. If you are in the Columbus area, you've seen her or heard her at the gallery hop. I think the last time I saw you, you were out in Dublin, right? At the um the harvest market. Where are some other places if people are in the city that they might have seen you or heard you?

Katanya Brewer 1:25

Oh wow. Oh wow. I've gotten so many opportunities. I've been in Easton during the holidays uh when they lit the tree. I've been at other markets. So the one you saw me at was uh Bridge Park uh North Market area, but they also have a downtown North Market area.

Khalila McCoy 1:46

Okay.

Katanya Brewer 1:46

Um they've asked me, um, I they've asked me to perform when artists in Columbus were painting. Um and it was during a time that people were really upset about what happened with George Floyd. And I after singing to them while they painted, because a lot of windows had been broken, I went and invited myself to the uh state house stairs where the uh state troopers were. I asked them, you know, can I come sing? And they said yeah. So I was you know there and I would say just all kinds of places. I was invited at the top of uh a rooftop of a hotel because a gentleman wanted to propose to his uh girlfriend. And she walked through the door and I started singing, and he proposed the La Meridian Hotel. So there's been different experiences. I would say the ones I like most, and then I'll end it at there, is um our senior citizen community. So uh memories, memory care units and uh senior citizens that said, Hey, I raised the children, I had the big house, now I just need something small, and I'll take the apartment. And they have activity days, you know, and I'll go in there and sing. Or when they closed down all of the restaurants and all of the bars in Columbus during COVID, and I went around town doing these little 20-minute concerts for people who still had something they wanted to celebrate in a unique way, since dinner wasn't an option. Right.

Khalila McCoy 3:31

All right, so you shared a lot of stuff, right, in that first few seconds. So let's back up a little bit. First tell me why being with the senior citizens is your favorite.

Katanya Brewer 3:41

Um, senior citizens appreciate music. Um, it's so fun to see them light up. It's so fun to see them say, Wow, no one's ever come here and done that. There's been a guitar player or we played bingo, but nobody's come and sang to us and interacted with us, uh, had an extra mic and passed us the mic. Um when you call, when we talk about the memory caring unit, then it's people who are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's. And there's something about music that wakes up the mind and keeps it awake for maybe 15, 20, 45 minutes. And that amazes me. Uh, what I learned about music is it's the only thing that can get in your subconscious mind without your permission. So, what does that mean? That means you're in Kroger and you're grocery shopping, and you hit the uh dairy section, and you don't know uh but music's playing, you know, because you're you're looking at your list. You get to the parking lot and you're like, oh, I want to dance with somebody. And you're like, where did that come from? The dairy section. Because your subconscious mind back here, back here, way back in the mind, you know, was listening. Although you might have been on the phone, you might have been looking at your grocery list. That is what kind of wakes up the mind. Now, I'm not a neurologist or anything, but I've seen it for myself, and I love it. You know, I love that the nurses say, Oh my gosh, she doesn't talk at all. Oh my gosh, you know, sometimes it brings people to tears, you know. So, and I was a part of that. So, how cool.

Khalila McCoy 5:16

That is awesome. Do you go there frequently or do you have like a kind of returning schedule?

Katanya Brewer 5:21

I'm working on that. I'm working on saying I would love to come to your facility mostly. Um, also, it's um how do you reach out to different facilities? Some facilities say, Yep, I'll talk to you by phone. Others, you might have to go knock on the door, and it always feels like you are a solicitor. Like, oh God, who's this person? You know, trying to sell us harmonicas or something like that. I just have so what I'm working on is creating something that shows, like a little mini video, one minute, just really quick, just to show you what I do uh for facilities like you.

Khalila McCoy 6:00

So you've been able to turn your singing into a business. So talk just a little bit about how how did you start that?

Katanya Brewer 6:09

Um, I've been performing as a street performer, if you will, for 16 years in the Columbus area. COVID really switched things around and uh changed things. It allowed me to say, wow, um, I originally had an Instagram page called Girl Now What? You know, and the attitude was like, okay, so you lost your job, girl now what? Uh so he left you, girl now what? So you gained 50 pounds in like 60 months, uh excuse me, six months, girl now what? You know, um, so you know, so you got pregnant in high school, girl now what? And those were all, and when I look back on my life, those were all uh questions I had to ask myself. But when COVID happened and girl now what? I was I ended up getting divorced uh shortly before. Um my job that I had been at for 14 years eliminated my role. Girl now what? Um, and so you're living your your youngest son is going off to college and your dog who you love passed away. Girl now what? And sidewalk serenades uh was uh created because girl now what? They closed all the restaurants and all the bars, but you have people that want to celebrate their birthdays, anniversaries. They want to surprise grandma, who's most at risk for COVID, in uh again, a unique way because they're saying, Grandma, sorry, you're not coming out the house. But we're all gonna bring our folding chairs, we're gonna sit in the driveway and in the lawn, and we're gonna have this lady surprise you and do a 20-minute concert singing like Frank Sinatra, um Diana Ross, all your favorite artists. Yes. And that's when it was like, what is that? It's a sidewalk serenade. And it sounded much better than I'm a street performer, because okay, what's exactly?

Khalila McCoy 8:01

What are you doing out there on the streets?

Katanya Brewer 8:03

I used to say something because I'm a goofy person, silly, you know, like to laugh. And I used to say, I work the streets for money and a little bit of fun. And my husband's like, Don't say that again. You know, I said, money and a good time. That's why I said I work the streets for money and a good time. And he was like, Don't say that again. And I was like, but it's funny. And he was like, No, no, it's not. Don't don't say that.

Khalila McCoy 8:26

I was gonna say, it is funny, especially if you know your humor. I could see some people giving you the side eye like, okay, well, thank you, ma'am. We'll talk to you later.

Katanya Brewer 8:34

Well, I would follow it up and explain that I sing. Oh, oh, oh. But he was like, Look, I don't care if you follow it up, just don't say that at all.

Khalila McCoy 8:44

Hey, that's a good husband, right there, right? Most husbands don't want their women like out in the street.

Katanya Brewer 8:49

So but he's there with me every time I perform. You will never catch me out in the street without him.

Khalila McCoy 8:57

Yes, I know. I like that about you too. I always see him with you. He's got either your equipment or just standing on the side with a big smile on his face supporting you.

Katanya Brewer 9:07

Yeah.

Khalila McCoy 9:08

So that's good to see. Um, so let's go back again a little bit to the girl now what. So pretty much what you're saying is you are seeing a need or a situation that came up in your life, and your response was, I'm not just gonna sit here, right, and let life bring me down or take me over. I'm gonna make a response, I'm gonna do something to make a change.

Katanya Brewer 9:28

Yeah.

Khalila McCoy 9:28

So when I first met you, I don't think you were singing yet, were you?

Katanya Brewer 9:33

Yeah, I've been singing for 16 years. It was just um I was singing in the short North Arch district during what they call gallery hop. That took place uh the first Saturday of every month from 4 to 10 p.m. I had even been in a couple of bands and stuff, but what I found is that bands don't stay together. Uh the drummer gets mad at the guitar player, the bass player's wife says, Hey, you you're doing too many gigs, you need to come home, or they're asking me to sing songs, and I'm like, okay, I don't like that, but everybody, you know, is for it, so I have to, you know, sing it. But being a solo performer allowed me to sing whatever I wanted, and I am an extreme big Whitney Beauty fan. And so it's like, hey, I get to sing all of those uh songs that I love, or songs that I grew up to listening to on the radio. Songs like um, you know, that they were the top 10, uh, the top 20. And um my mom was in the military. She was in, we were stationed in Germany. Yeah, she was stationed in Germany. I'm an only child, and she was very, very protective. So it was like, nope, you don't go out, no, the it's nighttime, you know, the the sun went down, so you're home. So what do you do? You know, uh, there's only one American, Amer Armed Forces Network uh channel for you to watch, and great, it's the uh old folks TV stuff.

Khalila McCoy 11:00

I don't want to watch that.

Katanya Brewer 11:02

You know, we didn't have a Nickelodeon or a Disney channel, it was just that one station. But what did I have? Music. And so I got to uh listen to that.

Khalila McCoy 11:12

So music has always been a part of your life. Were you singing as a kid then?

Katanya Brewer 11:17

Um, I wasn't in the children's choir. I don't, I don't think. Um it was always a part because I grew up in church. So what do you do? You start the service off with praise and worship, you know. And so every kid wanted that tambourine, you know, uh to uh be able to play along with the organ player or the keyboard player or the piano player, you know. So was music a part of your life? Yep. It it started there and it transitioned to right.

Khalila McCoy 11:46

Were you a standout voice when you were younger? Like, did you know like I have a talent or did it kind of mature as you got older?

Katanya Brewer 11:55

Not at all. I mean, I sang with the congregation, so there was no um do something uh great. I would say what changed is I went on a cruise with my then sister-in-law, her sister, and her friend. And on the cruise, they had karaoke. And I was like, okay, yeah, I'll do it because I'm never gonna see these people again. You know, go ahead, make a fool of yourself or be silly, you know. And I sang, and then I advanced to the next round, and then I advanced to the next round, and but this time, as you advanced, the crowd got bigger and bigger and bigger. So this time we were in a theater and um of the uh cruise ship, and I was scared to death. And um, I think there was another guy that was singing who I kind of grabbed and pulled on stage with me, and I sang natural woman, because again, I needed someone there to so it was the entertainment piece, the crowd's reaction piece. I was like, wow, I'm pretty decent.

Khalila McCoy 13:02

So is that when you came back and started doing gallery hop?

Katanya Brewer 13:05

Nope, nope, because I was in the Chicago area then because I had married into the military as well. And um, so gallery hop started when um what's it called? Uh American Idol was popular. And I said, huh, I wonder what it feels like to be rejected. Just for someone to say, um, well, I'm sorry, but you know, you're just not the voice, you know. With a job interview, you go, you answer all the questions, and you'll get an email. They don't call you and tell you they don't want you. They call you and tell you that um we've chosen you for the job. Would you be interested in this is the pay? But I've never been openly rejected. I'd been with my husband at that time since I was like 16 years old. So never had rejection when it came to relationships or whatever, because the first one I pretty much was in, you know, ended up being my you know, husband. So it was just a random goofy thought. I wonder what it feels like to be rejected. But they said, We want you.

Khalila McCoy 14:04

I was like, Oh, oh so you were out looking for rejection.

Katanya Brewer 14:08

Yeah, yeah. Again, American, I would see American Idol and how mean they would be to the people. I'm sorry, you sound like a uh a rabbit rabbit, you know.

Khalila McCoy 14:18

Yeah, they were not nice at the beginning.

Katanya Brewer 14:20

Well, no, no. You know, they just say something goofy. And people would just be like, wait a minute, what? And so I said, Okay.

Khalila McCoy 14:32

So you went out to get judged, but then everybody was like, No, you're amazing.

Katanya Brewer 14:37

Yeah. Pretty much they were called the Fly Town Soul Rebu. Okay. It was some young white uh gentleman, I would say they were probably in their early 30s. And here I was, this old, you know, uh 40-year-old-ish woman that uh sang lead doing all songs that maybe if I didn't know the song by heart, I was very familiar with respect. You know, uh, I knew it. I just I had heard about it, but know it by heart? I don't think so. Then there was some then were some blues songs that okay, I don't listen to blues, but huh, that sounds familiar, you know. So um had to learn it, but yeah.

Khalila McCoy 15:17

So what happened after that?

Katanya Brewer 15:19

So you did that competition and then um so that competition just came home and was just like, wow, you know, I uh I won. And uh I you know learned that okay, I sing well, I know how to sing. And then we transitioned and moved to Ohio. And uh that's when it was Craigslist. It was a website that we used often. We sold stuff on there, we bought stuff, you know, and one of them again, I looked at music, said we're looking for a singer. And so I responded to a Craigslist ad.

Khalila McCoy 15:55

That is so funny. That's not where I would have thought to go to look for musicians, but I guess they do everything on Craigslist.

Katanya Brewer 16:03

Right, right. I don't even I don't I've never been, I haven't been there in years. I'll have to check it out to take label just to see if it's still, you know, because people use things like Facebook, uh marketplace stuff, not um Craigslist.

Khalila McCoy 16:19

Yeah, Craigslist and eBay are the big things I remember. Yeah, yeah. I think we're like dating ourselves. Because I don't even know if people still use that anymore either.

Katanya Brewer 16:30

Right. Right. I'm I'm from the generation where you got in the mail an AOL disc same size American online.

Khalila McCoy 16:40

I'm from the generation where we used to take those discs and put them on the walls as like decoration. That's right. So you're here in Columbus area, you're singing on the weekends on the well, not every weekend, right? It's once once a month on Saturdays at the gallery hop.

Katanya Brewer 17:03

At the time, yeah.

Khalila McCoy 17:04

Yeah, yeah. At that time, you know, you've talked about how just the way music can move people and kind of get into their head. Were you seeing that in the people who would stop by and listen to your songs?

Katanya Brewer 17:16

Yeah, and my phrase very, very often has been, you know, do it. You're not gonna see these people tomorrow. Um so it would be like, you know, a couple holding hands, and you know, I'm in the middle of my song, I might interrupt and be like, Hey, is that your wife? You know, yeah, we're celebrating our anniversary. Oh my gosh, I got the perfect song for you. It's only two and a half minutes long. And I'd sing like Edda James at last. I'm like, dance with your wife. When's the last time you danced? You know, and had those kind of uh, you know, uh influences. Um, if I saw somebody walking by and they were dancing, you know, I'd hold out my hand, like, oh no, no, no, stop. You have got to continue, you know, and they would uh dance. Some of them couldn't, but it was just a joy seeing the music, you know, and how their friends were like, Oh my god, I can't believe granddad is doing this in the middle of the street, and then the phones would come out, you know, make a memory, make a memory and uh do something. And the cool thing or the scary thing about uh the internet is when people want to find you, they can find you. You know, they'll find a video, video like, hey, we set this video, this lady, this Bond here on the side of the road on High Street. You can't find her, and then there'll be someone, you know, that'll know someone who knows someone who works somewhere or whatever, and they'll say, Oh, that her name is, you know, uh Catania Brewer. And then they'll say, Okay, and then they'll find me on Facebook, or they'll find me on Instagram, or they'll find me on TikTok. And then I'd get a letter that says, uh, or a message that says, Hey, I just want to say thank you so much. That was the last time my dad and mom uh shared a dance. He passed away on Wednesday unexpectedly. Wow, you know, what wow, that was part of a moment or encouraging and moment influencing a moment, you know. Let music, you know, do that. Do you get a lot of those messages like thank yous and I did because at uh there was a time where I asked my hub told my husband that's I feel like I'm the angel of death, uh, because I keep but he said no, don't look at it that way.

Khalila McCoy 19:25

Right.

Katanya Brewer 19:26

And then he kind of sat down and and talked to me and and just told me, you know, maybe you know, you were sent there for that positive moment, that creative moment, that loving moment that they would have, you know, with each other. And because it was just all these, you know, thank you so much because mom passed away, dad had a heart attack, thank you so much. Um, there was a uh a mom and daughter I went to sing for, uh, her friend sent me to sing for her. And okay, I'm gonna sing this song. I want you two to hold hands. And when I say something, because I want you to listen to the lyrics, when I say something that makes sense to, you know, that that you agree with, that you're like, yep, I said I want you to squeeze each other's hands. And I think I was singing Alicia Keys, um, If I catch you, you know, and so you can see their hands squeezing, squeezing. And then the lady who sent me there as a surprise to her friend uh messaged me, uh, that I did it on a Sunday and Wednesday, her daughter was found in a car. She had overdosed. But and so it was those kind of uh stories that I was like, I don't like that. I don't like that. But again, he you know gave me the, you know, you gotta look at it in a in a different way.

Khalila McCoy 20:45

Yeah, that's so interesting that people are reaching out to you, right? Saying thank you for these last moments. And to them, it's a special, precious memory. And to you, it's like breaking your heart that this is I was part of that last memory. So I think it's interesting to think of somebody else's perspective in those moments. So you've had that conversation with your husband. So what do you do now when you get those messages? How do you kind of talk yourself through that?

Katanya Brewer 21:12

They're saved. They're saved if it's an email, they're saved. If it's again, like I said, if you um do anything online, people know how to find you. I get cards, like, okay, how'd you know my address? But you know, nobody showed up at the door, thank God. But you know, I've gotten cards where people, or maybe I saw them again and they had that card ready. So those things get saved. And um, you know, one day, just being, I guess a lazy few, I'll have a photo album with these little notes. Um, I sang at a senior citizen center, and one of the gentlemen, he was deaf. And he said, I can't hear, I've been deaf since birth. It's like, but I could feel your energy, I could feel your like you said, the vibrations. You are a Amazing. Wow. Okay. I will I mean that's a high compliment, right? It was is very shocking. And so but it was again something I um, you know, I'm adding this this little note that he wrote me, because I don't know if sign language or anything else will be um just set aside. And one day I'm going to have, you know, a uh a book, uh a photo album if you want.

Khalila McCoy 22:30

Do you ever go back and look at them now, like if you're having a rough day or if you're kind of questioning what you're doing?

Katanya Brewer 22:36

Um, no, no. It's something that maybe I'm straightening up and organizing, and then I'll run across them and look at a mom. Like, oh man, I remember that. Oh yeah, I remember that. You know.

Khalila McCoy 22:50

What's one, another one that I know you've shared a little bit, but like what's one that kind of stood out to you but surprised you that a person was grateful?

Katanya Brewer 22:59

Well, when you went, when you went to people's houses and surprised them with music, neighbors are like, okay, what is going on? Because it wasn't something that happened often. So people would sit on their porches and listen as well. Um, or people would just come outside, you know, and just be uh, you know, just like, okay, I'm recording this. Uh Lula Bell has somebody, you know, singing, and that's just not normal. Um but it was um, but then also, you know, I tell my husband all the time, like, you know, you move off of energy, you know. So if you have a group that, you know, aren't moving, then you don't, you know, and they're just kind of staring at you, then maybe you're gonna keep the songs very, you know, uh soft and gentle and stuff. If you see people really, really responding to um the 60s and Motown and stuff, okay, then you stay there. You, you know, you keep it going and stuff. Um, I someone had asked me to go to their friends, and um, I don't know, something struck me as like she looked like the mother of the church. So I started singing this song that I was like, okay, it can be considered secular, or you could see the religious um component of it. And it said it was encourage yourself. And I sang it to her, and I don't know what she was going on, what was going on in her life, or if she was just giving God praise. But next thing you know, her hands were up in the air, the tears were falling, and um, it was just a moment that she and I shared with the Lord, you know, you know, it said sometimes you have to encourage yourself. Um, sometimes you have to, you know, the enemy, he's created walls, but giants, they do fall. So encourage yourself, you know, and boy, oh boy, that struck a nerve with her. And um, and you know, we was having church, you know, in her driveway.

Khalila McCoy 24:52

Yeah, but she needed you in that moment, which is pretty awesome that you were there for that.

Katanya Brewer 24:58

She recently passed away, and because I know that because her daughter reached out to me and said, I don't know if you remember me, but she detailed it and I was like, Oh, yes, I do. And she wanted to sing at the funeral, but we were going out of town and I was unavailed.

Khalila McCoy 25:15

So you mentioned like when you're singing, you kind of just feel like what the people around you are feeling, or like how the audience is vibing to the music. So, do you come with like I don't know, like 10 or 12 songs like just ready to go to switch at any moment, or how do you decide do you just know them in your head?

Katanya Brewer 25:36

Um, when it comes to singing outdoors, and you've been booked to sing for two or four hours, then you have your favorites list. Um, you remember, okay, these were the songs that everybody um being uh because people say, Well, what do you sing? Well, I sing crossover music. What does that mean? I sing songs that a nine-year-old, a 19, 29, or a 99-year-old could hear and remember that. Um, so there's people that have made an impact on music. Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston, you know what I mean, um Prince, you know. Um, then there's other um artists that um, you know, uh songs that uh like Cindy Lauper, Time After Time, you might not know the entire song, but you're like, man, that that was in a movie. That sounds familiar, you know. And and so um, you know, songs like uh Stand By Me or You Got a Friend in Me, Toy Story, you know, so there's songs that um people um recognize celebration, cool in the gang, you know, those those kind of um things you you know it's almost like can you imagine being a comedian and you're delivering your stuff and everybody's staring back at you like you're not funny. Right. That's that's what yeah, that's what uh being I think a musician is. And you know, you're where am I going? Okay, I'm going to seniors, so I'm not going to sing, you know, uh, you know, what's just come out, you know, on the radio. I'm gonna sing things and take them back to their uh junior prom, their wedding uh first dance and stuff, the 50s, the 60s and stuff like that. Um and or I ask, you're asking me to come, who's their favorite artist? Or I walk around the room before I perform, who's your favorite artist? And you know, make note of it and make sure that I kind of break that out. But on the street, it's all about crossover artists, singing stuff that people um are familiar with that people will say, wait a minute, I will survive. You know, that sounds familiar, you know. Um, I don't remember them, but I remember just that chorus.

Khalila McCoy 27:53

Right. Have you ever had anybody when you're on the streets singing, like not enjoy your music or say something to you?

Katanya Brewer 28:01

Um the most I've gotten was can you turn it loud down a little bit? No, the whole thing.

Khalila McCoy 28:11

Okay, we can work with that. That's not bad. Right, right.

Katanya Brewer 28:13

But I will I will say that um for me it's um, you know, when you're again feeling out the, you know, if there's somebody across the street or if there's somebody selling jewelry next to you, then you show the respect of, you know, natural, you know, blow out the uh the neighborhood. And and you know, when someone says we'd like for you to sing in our lobby, in our hotel, okay. You sing, you don't get up there and sing, you know, uh let's hear it for the boys, or me, or I want to dance with somebody. You sing things that are very easy that are very um, you know, nice so that appropriate for the space.

Khalila McCoy 28:54

Yes.

Katanya Brewer 28:54

Yeah. So the people on the second floor are like, look, I just I'm trying to have this uh conference call and this lady is downstairs.

Khalila McCoy 29:01

You know, how do you pick who you say yes to or where you go to sing?

Katanya Brewer 29:07

Um I guess the environment because where you are is an extension of you. So if I go somewhere, if I hey, will you come uh sing at the um uh the the the hookah shop or the weed shop, or I don't smoke weed. So, you know, um I appreciate the offer. Um I don't do hookah or whatever, so appreciate the offer, you know, thank you. But no, um, this is a reflection of you, what you say yes to, you know, it's almost like show me your friends and I'll show you your future. So you know, you know, Khalila, who do you hang around with? So if you hang around a bunch of uh, you know, gangsters and stuff, then I'm gonna be a little nervous to hang around uh you know, you. So same thing with music.

Khalila McCoy 29:56

How does your family um support you in your music? I know we already talked about like your husband Al is always there with you and kind of like almost, I don't know, is he like your manager or I tell me?

Katanya Brewer 30:09

I definitely tell me, but I think he's so humble. He's just like, no, I'm just here to support you. I'm just here uh because you know, I love you and you know I'm gonna protect you, and you know, you're not gonna be out there alone. But I'm like, no, you you manage, you manage, you give input, you tell me, you know, you need two speakers, not one. You tell me, okay, um, I stood up and stood next to you because that guy looks suspicious, you know, kind of and he left, you know. So, you know, I know what I'm so yes, you're my manager, sir. My children, uh, they say things like, Oh, you're the voice of Columbus, which uh that doesn't feel right, you know what I mean? Like that that's too much, you know what I mean?

Khalila McCoy 30:52

I mean you had a billboard here for a while. Is that still up?

Katanya Brewer 30:56

Uh no, it's not still well, not to my knowledge. I didn't know it was growing up. I just, you know, I had some photos taken, and I was at home with my husband, and I get a text and it's like, hey, I saw you downtown today. And I'm like, I wasn't downtown, I'm here with my husband. What are you talking about? You know, and then he sends me a picture and I'm like, You have got to be kidding. There's a digital billboard of me.

Khalila McCoy 31:19

It's like that was so cool.

Katanya Brewer 31:21

Yeah, so we, I was like, okay, get dressed, we're going downtown. You know, picture of this, but nobody told me. Um, it's like, oh yeah, you're um, what's the word? You're um at bus stops too. So they had you know, bus stop uh uh advertisements or you know, about you know, music in Columbus. So when those the rotation was over, I got those. Those are here in my house.

Khalila McCoy 31:46

Okay.

Katanya Brewer 31:47

What am I gonna do with them? I don't know.

Khalila McCoy 31:49

It's a nice memory.

Katanya Brewer 31:51

Exactly.

Khalila McCoy 31:52

It was a good picture too, so I can just, you know, keep it for that.

Katanya Brewer 31:56

Right, all right, all right.

Khalila McCoy 31:57

So you said your kids say you're the voice of Columbus. Do they come out or because they're not in town, right?

Katanya Brewer 32:03

Um, one son, he works a lot, so he's you know not available when he is. Yes, he comes out. My other son is he's getting his PhD and he is in Kentucky, so he doesn't uh come a lot. And um, or when he's in town, I just don't happen to have a gig. But they reminded me when I did gallery hop years ago that they came out with me and they were with me from 4 to 10 p.m. when I sit six hours downtown.

Khalila McCoy 32:35

Wow.

Katanya Brewer 32:35

And so um, you know, they they speak, you know, highly, you know, of me and family, you know, comes, you know, uh grandkids, you know, come to check out what what she's doing and you know, supporting me and and you know, just being there like, yay, we got free tickets to Ohio State Fair. We'll come listen to Right.

Khalila McCoy 32:56

That's not a bad deal.

Katanya Brewer 32:58

Right, right, right. Does your family sing as well? Mom's never sang. She's never been a singer to my knowledge. She sang around the house, you know. Um, but um she never um sang, I would say.

Khalila McCoy 33:14

What about Al? Does he have a good voice? Does he sing with you?

Katanya Brewer 33:18

He sings, yeah. We go to uh we'll go to karaoke and um around town and we'll do duets or he'll do um some songs and stuff that um and I think that's something I pulled into him because when I met him, he didn't sing at all. And um the first song he did at karaoke, because that was somewhere that uh we went, is he proposed. He sang. Uh it was his birthday. I had had a birthday for him and invited everyone to come, everyone to come, everyone to come. And they did, but I didn't know. He went to um what was it? He went back to the space and said, I want to propose to her on Wednesday, and was asking everybody that was there, you know, will you come, will you come, will you come? So there was a lot of people at karaoke that day. And um I think I might have sang a song or something, and then a carriage brought on stage, and then I'm told by the host to sit down, and I'm just like looking like okay. And um, then somebody brings me a dozen roses, and I just remember him coming out and saying, uh, what did he say, you know, we've been together for a long time, and I think it's about time that we uh that he sang first, and then he gave his speech. And it was a song Um Always and Forever.

Khalila McCoy 34:44

Yes.

Katanya Brewer 34:45

It's the the whole crowd every day, the whole crowd of singers, and I'm still like, what's going on? I don't, you know, and then that's when he's you know, he opens the ring and my dumb butt snatched it out and put it on my finger. I got in so much trouble in my mom. I got in so much trouble. Did you snatch that ring? And I was like, Yeah, I was a little excited. And he was like, I was gonna get on my knee, and you know, and but she snatched it out of the box and like ran with it, like put it on and put off. So several times since then, I've like, will you please propose to me again? And he has. He has.

Khalila McCoy 35:31

Oh, that's sweet. Yeah, yeah. Something that you've dealt with for a while was health issues. Um and when I first met you, I know you were having seizures for a while and you weren't really sure why. I've I was thinking about this earlier today. I feel like one of your seizures is kind of what brought us closer together.

Katanya Brewer 36:00

Oh wow.

Khalila McCoy 36:00

So when I met at you did, and you always forget this. It's so funny to me. But so we met at the gym, right? I was a fitness instructor and you would come into my classes. And one day afterwards, we were just kind of talking in the hallway, and I, you know, I couldn't tell that you were having a seizure. Um, but we were talking, just you just kind of reached out and touched my arm, like, just so you know, I'm having a seizure, but I think it will be okay. And I was like, what? And you just kind of like casually just laid on the floor, and like all the people who were working there like came over to check on you, and you're like, oh no, no, no, it's fine, I'm okay. And they're like, Do we need to call the ambulance? Do we need to call 911? And you're like, no, it'll be over soon. And then you kind of like blacked out a little bit and they were all nervous, and then you came back to and you're like, okay, I'm fine, I'm fine. And they're like, Are you sure? You're like, yeah, this happens. So they left. And then you're like, okay, well, I'm gonna go home now. I was like, I'm gonna drive home. No, I didn't. You're like, I'm gonna go home now. And I was like, no, I don't think you should just drive yourself home. You're like, oh, I'm I'm fine. I've had this happen before. And I was like, if you don't get in my car. Wow, you let me drive you home, but the whole way you're like, I'm so sorry, this is so unnecessary. I was like, I'm pretty sure it's necessary. Like, we'll figure out how to get your car back.

Katanya Brewer 37:19

I live behind the gym, so it it wasn't that far of a drive, right?

Khalila McCoy 37:24

Yeah, it wasn't far, but it's still like you just had a seizure. And I didn't know about your health issues at the time. So I was just like, um, this doesn't, and I didn't even know where you lived. So it ended up not being far, but I thought it was gonna be a lot farther drive, and I was like, this just doesn't seem safe to just let you go. But I always remember that. It was just like, no, I'm gonna drive you home. And you're like, uh, it's okay.

Katanya Brewer 37:47

Well, you know, um, again, you know, the brain is so complex. Um, I don't know why I started having seizures. Uh I the memory I have is my co-worker saying, Hey, Catania, do you have the notes from the meeting? And I went to slide them across the desk from her. She was across the aisle. And that's the last thing I remember. I woke up in the back of an ambulance uh at Dublin Methodist Hospital. Like they had that seizure lasted so long, or I was blacked out for so long that they were able to call 911, the ambulance was able to show up, they put me on the stretcher, they wheeled me out of the building and put me in, they drove me to the hospital, and then I came to. And so that was my first ever um epileptic uh grandma seizure. Um, I would say now, I know you say, oh, you you know, you always forget this, and um, I don't know. I the brain is so complex. And um I uh there was uh they were they didn't know why. Uh you know, I was having seizures. Um they say things like stress can cause seizures. Okay, well, I'm going through a divorce. Maybe that's it. A little dog died that I, you know, just adored, you know, maybe that's you know, the stress too. Um, but they said, um, and my job had been eliminated in a company I had felt secure with for 14 years. And um I uh uh they said, well, uh I went to Cleveland Clinic because I heard that they were one of the top uh hospital systems when it came to uh brain health. And um they said, well, we want to do this procedure where we just kind of put these little almost like needles all through your head because we want to see where they're coming from. I don't know what that man did, but he uh caused an aneurysm. When I woke up, I was completely bald. Um, and I had a scar that went from my uh right temple and curved all the way back past my ear. And um I was in a hospital for a while. Uh, and when I woke up, he said, Whoo, oh, we're so glad we almost lost you. And I'm like, wait a minute, huh? And they um a procedure that was only supposed to take about two and a half hours lasted nine. And they left my husband in the waiting room. But he had he was not aware, not clear. From that experience, I can say that when it comes to memory, man, man, man, man, it it it's been it's been a dramatic loss. So there'll be people that are like, oh my god, hey, how are you? And I'm looking at them like I don't know who you are. So my standing phrase is, oh my gosh, how are you? When's the last time I saw you? And they'll they'll say something like, When are you saying at my wedding? Or, you know, um, when we used to work together, and then maybe it'll come back or maybe it won't. But it always just amazes, you know, how a story like what you just told me, I don't remember that at all. And um, there's been some tears, you know. There's been you know um the fear of is this really just the onset of like dementia or something? Am I gonna wake up one morning and roll over and look at my husband saying, Who's this? Who's this mate? Um those fears were you know relayed to the Cleveland Clinic, and they did an extensive um testing on me as far as memory, and they were like, You're fine, you're fine. Um my son, who's in a neuro neurological program, talks about how important sleep is, you know, you know, not catnaps during the day, sleep, go to bed at nine o'clock and get your sleep, get this five phase so-and-so, you know, sleep. Those are all important. And then I uh was uh after still experiencing these situations, I was put on a different medication, or my husband um loves it because he says, You haven't had a seizure over a year. You know, so it's like that's awesome.

Khalila McCoy 41:54

I'm glad to hear that.

Katanya Brewer 41:56

But um I think I was singing at someone's party at a bar, and um, you know, she just was like, Well, you just come in and sing, blah blah blah. And I remembered being on the floor and being so embarrassed for her, but they kept on partying. They it was like my husband, he picked me up and was like, All right, let's just go, you know. And but so she was like, Oh no, it's fine, you're okay, you know, because they they kept going, but I was laying back on the floor. I was like, Oh my gosh, honey, they probably thought I was drunk.

Khalila McCoy 42:31

Okay, it's a party, she know what to do.

Katanya Brewer 42:34

Right, right, right.

Khalila McCoy 42:37

So I know before you've shared, um, you were singing one time the national anthem and you had forgotten the words. Was that related to um like the seizures and things like that?

Katanya Brewer 42:52

I say there's two national anthems I say that stick out for me. Um, one of them was the crew. They had just opened their stadium, and I'm like, oh, say, can you see? And someone in the audience goes, Woo! And it startled me. It startled me, and it was like, you know, and I think I just got words mixed up and like, oh my gosh. Um, the other time it was I was at nationwide arena, it was the monster truck, you know, festival or whatever. They turned off all the lights and they aimed it at me. And I don't know. I don't know if it was I feel like I've been rehearsing the national anthem since Whitney Houston knocked it out the park back in 1990, something like that. That's when I was like, oh my gosh, one day I'm gonna sing it and I'm gonna sound just as just as good as her. And but after those two experiences, I was like, I'm never doing a national anthem again.

Khalila McCoy 43:49

Will you really never try again?

Katanya Brewer 43:50

Nope. Yeah, no. I I'm I that was traumatic in the sense of you're sitting in an auditorium of thousands of people and you're embarrassed. yourself and um you know that was embarrassing to me I cried I think the whole weekend my husband was like stop we all have you it's okay I was like stop being my biggest encourager all the time you know it but I was very very you know embarrassed yeah how do you deal with setbacks like that I mean obviously you're crying you're talking to your husband through it like how do you get back up on stage again after stuff like that happens um the stuff that you do and um I had someone tell me that a good entertainer a real entertainer can mess up and no one knows and that's how I've uh done things like that when the uh uh the memory is lost so there will be times I'm singing songs and I forget the the lyrics so I'm work I'm working the crowd and I was just like girl you remember this song blah blah blah and I'm playing it off because I'm forgetting talk until the chorus comes and then you remember also that's that's why you'll see that I have an iPad and with that iPad and all those songs when I'm singing anywhere I go are the lyrics it's amazing to me because remember the brain is such a complex you know or uh songs that I've been singing since I was in eighth grade that I still don't remember the lyrics that I can still forget them. But I have an iPad that's I don't sing with the bands because bands you know they may go off and do their little you know fancy thing on the keyboard or the guitar player might and then I get lost in the song and even with the lyrics there with me I don't I'm lost. But um I I think that that was part of it and how do I get through it this is gonna sound so bad is that my in my mind I said it's okay it's okay because in a couple weeks or months you're gonna forget this happen. You know so when you think about um everything that you've been through you know do you feel like you use music as well as kind of a therapy just like the way you've helped other people does music do that for you I bet it is I bet it is um we all have a gift God's given us all the gift you know what I mean how do you use it and I do see it as ministry you know I do see it as you know parents walking by didn't expect to see me didn't expect their two-year-old to start singing I went to uh Amazon and bought these little plastic microphones you know and I'll see you know kids um you know I'll give them the microphone and they'll dance do a two-step next to me and try to you know keep up with the words even though they don't know the words and stuff but um again it's my ministry uh and it's a unique kind of ministry what do you do you bring joy you bring happiness you bring uh uh peace you bring you know what I mean things that uh people wow I didn't expect that but it felt good you know yeah so um and in music you know even in the Bible you know the what you know what does uh the Bible say about um music like a joyful noise to the Lord you know what I mean it frequent frequently links music with joy and thanksgiving and stuff and it's seen as a way like to speak with God you know um and you know sing and make melody to the Lord with your heart you know um and so uh even instruments what I've learned uh over these past six years sixteen years of yes I love Whitney Houston yes I love her but saving all my love even though um I it was a yeah love singing it's about an affair you know and she said you know uh you know a few stolen moments is all that we share you have your family and they need you there I try to resist you know that I'm last on your list as you know your adulterous affair you know but no other man's gonna do so I'm saving all my love for this married man that's not a song I sing anymore you know you have to be careful with the things that um you say because not only is it coming out of your mouth it's going back into your ears you know what I mean so it's it's coming on the inside you know of you and um so music and uh what you're saying even like with rap songs and and stuff like I one I can't even keep up with it it goes so fast and and stuff and but a lot of it I'm not interested in because of what they say and you have to be um you know you know careful choose songs you know listen to those words understand what you are communicating to yourself back to yourself to the people walking by and stuff music is powerful you know and so you have to pay attention you know to what you're singing or what you're l letting kids listen to in the car you're mad at your four year old because she's twerking but listen right yeah listen to the song you know drop your butt and shake it on that oh do that Lisa you know well you you play it every time you get in the car and she's been told yeah I've I feel like over the last few years I've been really mindful about what I let well me myself listen to and then even the songs that Miles listens to it's I bet I bet because you have a well I mean like you can tell like even different frequencies like set you off in a different way like you know I know like when I was a kid we weren't allowed to listen to you know secular music we only listen to Christian music and things like that and I just remember you know the same thing every kid says well I just like the beat I'm not listening to the words my dad like would say the same thing.

Khalila McCoy 49:56

He's like no like those words are going to get into your head it gets into your heart and I can tell even now like every once in a while I like to listen to like you know throwbacks I used to listen to in college and then I'm like maybe I really shouldn't be singing this song or just like the way I let my mind wander when I hear those songs like okay well this is not appropriate. So like you're right music has so much power and it can be used for good or not.

Katanya Brewer 50:21

Yeah it's it's influential you know so you go places and you see um you know uh people you know like what's it called the the rock music where they're just jumping around and you know banging their heads and stuff that that's music you know that's music it is yeah that's music yeah would you have you written any of your own songs? Mm-mm no I called myself one time writing a poem first of all that thing got so long it was just like man you just wrote a book um but um you know I was like you know music inspires people right and I was listening to a lady she was doing um poetry and I was like oh my god man girl you know like oh man and so I was like let me you know try and do something like that and you know I I did but it got so long it was just like oh you know you hear people that other musicians that talk about I was so I started music because of Stevie Wonder or I started music because you you know what I mean they had the same background as me or they came from you know they had the same um you know uh they lived where I lived you know things you know like that music will inspire you so what inspires you the most um uh that's a good that's a good question I think um you know um I don't know I I I can't music does you know it's inspiring you know getting out there and but um I think I'm inspired by you know my spouse you know I'm inspired by my uh children who you know doing you know wonderful things I'm proud of um so it it just depends on the day well you've shared a lot today and you have a great story and I really appreciate you taking the time to share so at the end I always ask the guests for the listeners now that they've heard your story and that they've gotten to know you a little bit better what is something that you hope they take away from your experiences what is something you want to share with others I will say from my experience we'll go there um I remember in Sunday school you know you always try to mess with uh the substitute teacher or and I remember us saying uh to the substitute teacher um uh because one of the Ten Commandments says you know thou shalt not kill so we said will you go to heaven if you commit suicide and she was like you know what you could and we're like I'll tell the pastor you know oh and she said until the very last breath there is hope she said what if you took a handful of pills and then you said God I didn't mean to do this God I should have never done this please God you know and your life was lost she said until the very last breath there is hope and so from that you know that is something uh I tracked her down and found her on Facebook and told her that's the best Sunday school lesson that I ever heard that I ever learned and um until the very last breath there is hope Catania so even though your memory is something you know that has brought you tears is something that you've looked and said oh my gosh I don't know who this person is. I can't believe I've been singing these songs for over 16 years and you know my favorite artist I still can't you know memorize you know her songs or you know some that I need this it's like it's you know and so it's um what until the very last breath there so just keep on keeping off keep on doing what God's you know blessed you you know to do.

Khalila McCoy 54:07

Thank you for sharing that that was wonderful I like that um and I want to say I appreciate knowing you and hearing a little bit more about your story today and your voice and your songs have been a blessing in my life we were talking about before we started recording how you were in Mexico with us when we got married and kind of last minute the way is like you need another song and I asked you to sing and I mean I don't even think anybody cares at this point that we got married. Everybody just talks about when Catania sang at our wedding before but it was so beautiful it was so wonderful. And then even outside of singing I know we haven't hung out a lot over the last few years but you're just so funny and you're kind and I enjoy just being around you so thank you so much your blessing even outside of that gift you have another gift of just you know being I appreciate this.

Katanya Brewer 55:00

For the people who aren't local don't get the opportunity to go downtown or different places to hear you sing would you just give us a few lines of a song oh of course I mean we'll we'll we'll say this I haven't warmed up and maybe I should have but you know the the song that um comes to mind to me is um Celine Dion she said because you love me and um I think about uh you know just my husband who he's retired and a retired Marine but he could be at home watching football he could be but he's helped me establish this business sidewalks here and so if I ever had an opportunity and I sing to him often to sing to him you know again you know it reminds me of uh that song where she said for all those times you stood by me for all the truth you made me see for all the joy you brought to my life for all the wrong that you made right for every dream you made come true for all the letter found in you I'll be forever grateful you're the one that held me out never let me fall you're the one who saw me through through it all and see I finished that but I finished it because I finished I had the lyrics in front of me and again music right it's what feelings now like yes I love hearing Catania sing and let me tell you I apologize my software and editing do not do her justice if you are in the Columbus Ohio area I encourage you to check out her website see where she's going to be live and go there.

Khalila McCoy 56:51

If you're not in the area there's still some great videos floating around but you definitely have to check her out I will put her website and her Instagram in the show notes for her smile her attitude and her voice will truly brighten your day I just love how music has an amazing power to do that. Music is used in so many ways in our lives and we don't even notice it and even as powerful as music is I like that Catania has found a way to use music to bring joy to others and to herself and I hope you know that you have the same power to bring joy to the people in your life you don't have to have an amazing talent. As I mentioned as much as I love to hear Catania sing, I like her for who she is and I like that she makes me laugh. So I encourage you to remember your own power and your own ability to bring joy to others. Not in a conceited way but just to remember how important you are and the importance of connecting positively with others. All right y'all that is our time today. Don't forget to leave a review and join me on Instagram at where we rise pod so we can discuss this episode. And as you move through the rest of your day I hope you take a moment to listen a little louder to yourself, to the people you love and to the things that connect us in ways we sometimes forget to know. I'll meet you back here next time. See you bye