Kiki Carter - Musical Career

Musical Career

As a euphonium student at the University of Florida Carter won the Sigma Alpha Iota "Outstanding Freshman Musician Award" for the 1974-75 year. Throughout her college years, Carter performed in various ensembles, symphonic bands and wind ensembles as principal/solo euphoniumist.

In the summer of 1976, Carter traveled to Ruston Louisiana to study with euphonium soloist, Raymond Young, then head of the Department of Music at Louisiana Tech University. She completed her junior year of college in Ruston, majoring in euphonium and minoring on piano, before returning to the University of Florida in the fall of 1978.

In 1979, University of Florida Music Department Chairman Budd Udell included a euphonium solo written for Carter in Forces One, the first movement of his Symphony for Band. The Symphony was premiered at the Music Educators National Conference convention in Miami Beach on April 9, 1980 with Carter performing the solo. The same year, Carter was one of eight national finalists in the Tubist Universal Brotherhood Association's national collegiate solo contest for euphonium.

Carter graduated from the University of Florida in March 1981 and briefly did post-baccalaureate work as a theater major, before leaving to audition for euphonium jobs in Washington D.C. military service bands. She started studying with Brian Bowman, euphonium soloist of the United States Air Force Band in Washington DC. During her studies in DC, Carter worked as a governess for Washington Post publisher, Donald Graham and his wife, Mary.

While in Washington DC, Carter began playing guitar and writing songs. She became disillusioned with the prospect of a professional military band career and returned to Gainesville in February 1982. Through a mutual friend, Carter met Michele Marino, who began managing Carter's career. Marino booked Carter's first television appearances a solo performer on The Kim Edstrom Show. Carter started playing in area clubs, often accompanied by pianist and singer, Sidney Bertisch.

In 1984, Carter and Marino travelled to Los Angeles, California, where Carter won the weekly music contest at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood The contest brought her to the attention of Capitol Records VP Joe McFadden who gave her his business card and suggested she contact him. Through manager, Michele, Carter came to the attention of Robert L. "Bumps" Blackwell, songwriter, record producer, and manager of Little Richard. Bumps arranged for Carter to sing with a group appearing in a 1983 Los Angeles television show with Billy Preston. Robert Blackwell managed Carter until his death in March 1985.

During those years, Carter made several trips from Gainesville to Nashville to meet with Capitol Records. Before a deal was struck, Capitol Records experienced a major restructuring and her contacts had been replaced.

She and her husband, Greg Webb, later began touring Minnesota, as the acoustic duo, Dancing Light. As Dancing Light, they released their first full-length CD, Meadowdance in 1993.

Carter and Webb co-founded independent record label Sunblossom Records, and she is founder of music publishing company Shebreana Music (BMI) They started Saturday Cafe Concert Series, a weekly Concert series in Northern Minnesota. They continued to perform at benefit concerts.