About Eden's Gate

Eden's Gate has been publishing the music of Kathy Kanewske since 1995.

 

About Kathy Kanewske

Kathy Kanewske was born Betty Kathleen Kirkland, in a little town once known as Goose Creek, Texas. She met and married Craig Kanewske, and they have four wonderful children and one beloved daughter-in-law. The love of her Savior and the love of her precious family will forever be foremost in her life.... but here is her musical story.....

Kathy was a precocious child who could “play the piano by ear” from age 4. Unfortunately, performing for audiences frightened her; and she missed her first piano recital with a “cold” that she mysteriously “caught” that morning! However, she never caught a “cold” when it came to presenting solos in the children’s church choir. She sat in the front of the Methodist choir-loft so that she could grin out at the congregation, believing that her vocation was to sing and smile, so that the grown-ups would know that God loved them.

In eighth grade, Kathy was greatly influenced by her junior high choir director who was teaching better-than-average, complex, intriguing, beautiful choral music. That year Kathy made a life-decision to become a choir director. She grew up and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Music. Her voice was her principal instrument; piano was her secondary instrument. Her education certification included an emphasis in junior high and high school choral direction.

During her college years, after turmoil and then a life-turn-around, Kathy began seeking to write music to the glory of God. More and more, her ambition became clear: to set scriptures, prayers, and liturgical passages to music—making them beautiful, singable, and memorable. Some of her works include: These Days (record album), Mayim Music (songbook), Covenant of the King Mass (co-authored with Yolanda Gonzales-Browne), Mass for the Lamb of God (mass-booklet for worship), Mass for the Lamb of God (CD and cassette), Passion for the Lamb of God, (CD and cassette), Mass for the High King of Heaven (mass-booklet, in two volumes). For many years she has been a professional musician in Austin, Texas, composing hymns and helping to lead retreats and worship-times for many Christian congregations. She has led summer workshops and has directed children’s musicals; and has taught piano and voice lessons to countless young people.

St. Therese of Liseux and Pope John Paul II played a great part in Kathy’s conversion to the Roman Catholic Church. “One thing led to another” and eventually Father Joseph Kentenich’s prayerbook, Heavenwards, (secretly dictated in the Dachau concentration camp during WWII), was placed into Kathy’s hands. Stirred by Father Kentenich’s life and words, she began to set his personal and liturgical prayers to music. This led to the creation of the CD entitled: Heavenwards, Always (The Childlike Spirit of Father Joseph Kentenich in Dachau). The voices on the album are primarily those of the 2005 Schoenstatt Girls Youth (Austin) as well as young children. Kathy had the honor of introducing several of the Girls Youth and many children to the nuances and the art of recording in a professional studio.

Kathy’s songs reflect a childhood immersed in Celtic ballads, Charles Wesley’s hymns, classical music, and singing spontaneously with her family. She is a Scottish Kirkland/MacLeod, an Irish Wiggins/Martin; as well as a descendant of Johnny Appleseed and the pirate Pierre Lafitte! Kathy’s joy is to write music, to share music, and especially to teach rather complicated, complex music to children.....inwardly hoping that the kids will sing and smile and help the grown-ups to know that God loves them.