KJ Denhert by Joan Cartwright

JC: How did you come to music as a child? Did you study music theory? KJD: I loved music and when I was allowed to use the record player around 4 years old, I became obsessed with the flip side of the Chipmunks’ Christmas Don’t be Late, a swinging song by Dave Seville entitled Almost Good. I would play it over and over and dance. In the 5th grade, a teacher died, and finally, I couldn’t take not having an instrument. I tuned my brother’s discarded guitar with only 4 strings to an open chord. I described it as making them go together. I was able to write a song by moving my finger around on one or two strings. I had my own band by the end of high school and got a standing ovation at Gurdy’s Folk City in New York City in 1975, playing original music. I could say that I was hooked then.

I am self-taught and can speak to what I am playing and why. I don’t read well and I am working on that once more with the new-found relationship with time created by the COVID-19 lock down.

After the Chipmunks’ flip side, my heroes were songwriters Glen Campbell, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Carol King. I loved the Jackson Five. I was born the same year as Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna. Steely Dan’s music truly moved me and the Police.

I toured playing pop music in the 1980’s, and that was a broad education in composition.

JC: Do you compose music? If so, how many songs have you composed? KJD: I have released over 100 songs. Original tunes are probably in the 70%. I have some popular covers. My cover of Help has a lot of organic views. I wrote music because there were things I wanted to hear. It is the thing that sent me back into the studio over and over.

I had to let go of a lot of perfectionist ideals to begin making my own records at age 35. I had failed record deals and seven years on the road, before I arrived at the place I am, today. JC: Do you have a publishing company with ASCAP or BMI? KJD: My publishing company Denhert-a Bit Music is registered with SESAC. I got a check for $80 a few days ago and frankly could not believe it! JC: Are you aware of the challenges women face in the male-dominated music industry? Yes, I am aware. Two of my earliest projects were with all-female bands. I toured for 7 years that I refer to as my seven years in spandex. I was very fortunate to have traveled the world for the USO and independently with a production deal that had me living outside of Frankfurt for several exciting months.

JC: What advice do you have for younger women entering the world of music? KJD: Do music if you love it and never lose that. Business is business and the music business can involve an acceptance of some cold and heartless realities. Sometimes, the gigs that paid the most are the most soul-crushing and make it feel like you have no value. Use the employee stairs. Eat the employee meals.Thereisadifferencebetweencommercialmusic and music for art’s sake. They are hard to distinguish, sometimes, and spoken about interchangeably, when they are completely different goals. Who knows what will happen to the industry when live music is inaccessible?

Everyone from Sting to Billie Eilish is going to be needing a gig. The market will be saturated with live streams saturating social media. If you’re going commercial, Broadway, or megapop, like everything else in life, be impeccable with your word, timing, be on time, be flexible, and be able to take constructive or personal criticism, gracefully. Double that, if you want to create art that survives you.

KJ Denhert O: 914.941.2124 | M: 914.439.1341 www.kjdenhert.com “High energy funk and R&B with jazz sensibility.” ~ The New York Times “Fun Stuff. Gorgeous voice.” ~ All About Jazz

R