Kansas City Chorale’s Katie Crawford discusses crushing on the Nelson-Atkins, talking to strangers and more in The Pitch‘s questionnaire
Name: Katie Crawford
Occupation: I excel at keeping myself occupied. I’m a proofreader at MMGY Global, a professional singer in the Kansas City Chorale, and I’m also the Chorale’s marketing coordinator. If that wasn’t enough, I’m a freelance writer and editor, too.
Hometown: Minneapolis
Current neighborhood: Southmoreland South. I have a pretty big crush on my next-door neighbor, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
What I do: I’m a words person, and I can’t resist a good story. So when I run out of words to say or write, I start singing them.
What’s your addiction? People. Everyone has a story. I talk to strangers! Because a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet.
What’s your game? Word nerd that I am, I love wordy games like Scrabble, Boggle or Upwords.
What’s your drink? Whiskey, neat. Or water (also neat).
Where’s dinner? Friends Sushi & Bento Place on West 39th Street. Bring your own friends or they will supply them for you — the service is great. And their Monday-night happy hour can’t be beat.
What’s on your KC postcard? The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It’s so beautiful, inside and out. I love singing there, and I love attending performances there. It’s a symbol of KC’s thriving arts community.
Finish this sentence: “Kansas City got it right when …” It went and built a skyscraper seven stories high … and it started celebrating, in earnest, the many cool things it has to offer. Hometown pride has always been there, but I feel like KC has really come into its own while undergoing a cultural renaissance in the past decade. It’s rewarding to see how far it’s come, and even more exciting to see how far it will go.
“Kansas City screwed up when …” Nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. I don’t think it’s polite to point out the shortcomings of others. My hope is that we all work together to simply do better. And I think that starts with more people showing up to vote in citywide elections.
“Kansas City needs …” To make it easier for its citizens to recycle, especially for multifamily dwellings. Not enough people recycle their glass. I see people throw away aluminum cans. It blows my mind.
“In five years, I’ll be …” Older, wiser and happy to have made it that far.
“I always laugh at …” Puns. The good, the bad and the really bad.
“I’ve been known to binge-watch …” Nothing. I have turned on my TV only once in the past six months.
“I can’t stop listening to …” Sad-bastard music. And podcasts. I subscribe to around 30.
“I just read …” No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories by Miranda July.
The best advice I ever got: Be the kind of person you’d love to meet.
Worst advice: Don’t talk to strangers.
My sidekick: My Genuine Buddy 125 scooter. The best way to get around and see the city is on two wheels.
My dating triumph/tragedy: Always seeking balance, my dating experience has consisted of equal parts tragedy and comedy, so that’s some kind of triumph in itself, right? I have some good dating stories, and that’s definitely a triumph. Some will make you cry with laughter; others will make you cringe. These stories are best shared over a pint of something hoppy.
My brush with fame: Attending the Grammy Awards with the Kansas City Chorale in 2013 and winning for Best Choral Performance. We’d love to go back in 2016!
My 140-character soapbox: Do the best you can, where you are, with what you’ve got. Find your philosophy and live by it. For me: “Kindness, even when it’s not easy.”
What was the last thing you had to apologize for? Double-booking. I love a full calendar but I tend to over-schedule myself. I just want to say yes to everything!
Who’s sorry now? I have a feeling that Subway is pretty sorry it hired that Jared guy.
My recent triumph: Until about a month ago, I avoided fitness completely. I hate working out. But I joined a gym in my neighborhood and started swimming laps. Now I swim at least 1 mile every day! I don’t know who I am anymore but I feel fantastic.
