Katsember (Kat Spencer)
Emotional, cinematic music for the moments that hurt—and the moments that heal.
Katsember is the musical moniker of Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter and composer Kat Spencer—an emotional alchemist who writes music for people at their wits’ end, and for storytellers who want to move them. Her piano-driven, cinematic sound has been called “the missing piece of the scene”: the kind of music that holds you when life falls apart and quietly steadies you when you’re ready to rise.
From intimate instrumentals to haunting vocal tracks, Kat’s songs live where rain meets moonlight—dark, reflective, and full of flickers of hope. She writes for emotional dramas, romantic tragedies, quiet intensity, and those turning-point moments where everything changes.
Roots in Alaska, Rain in the Pacific Northwest
Kat grew up in the wilderness of Fairbanks, Alaska, playing a small Casio keyboard in the house her father built. Raised on Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Kenny Loggins, and the great film and piano composers—George Winston, David Lanz, John Williams, James Horner, Hans Zimmer—she was immersed early in music that felt honest and cinematic.
By eight years old she was learning complex classical pieces by ear and performing in recitals. After her family moved to Vancouver, Washington, she found a teacher who finally taught her to read music, added flute and band performances, and discovered that music wasn’t just a skill—it was oxygen.
Alaska made her tough. A broken heart made her strong. Music became her sanctuary as she navigated loss, depression, and the impact of mental illness in a loved one. Instead of hiding the darkness, Kat lets it move through the piano and the microphone—turning pain into something beautiful, relatable, and deeply human.
From Solo Piano to Katsember
Kat began composing at eighteen and first emerged as a solo piano artist. Over time she evolved into a singer-songwriter, creating the project now known as Katsember—a blend of her name and her song “Ember,” symbolizing a fire that never goes out. Her style has drawn comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Alanis Morissette, Natalie Merchant, and Jewel, filtered through her own cinematic, piano-centered lens.
Despite intense stage fright and a mostly online career, she’s performed live in venues like Portland’s Buffalo Gap and continues to grow as both a performer and recording artist. Her dream is to be the emotional backbone of film and television—scoring the scenes people never forget.
Albums, Accolades & Sync-Ready Music
Kat’s debut piano album Explorations (2002) introduced “My Dreams,” a piece that has quietly grown into a listener favorite, reaching nearly two million views on YouTube. Her follow-up album Boundless (2004) featured the emotional piano track “Season’s Journey,” which later found a home on Lifetime’s Dance Moms (Season 2, Episode 1).
Her later singer-songwriter releases—including Sands of Time and Dare—expanded her signature blend of intimate storytelling and cinematic depth. These albums include songs that earned both Runner-Up and Semi-Finalist honors in the 2016 Song of the Year competition.
Across eleven albums and more than seventy original songs, Kat continues to create music that carries emotional weight—crafted for listeners who feel deeply and for filmmakers drawn to honest, scene-supporting sound. Much of her catalog is fully one-stop and sync-ready.
Her latest release, Beautiful Addiction, is a deeply personal piece born from a moment of inspiration—written in just two hours—and reflects the emotional honesty that defines her current creative chapter.
Notable Mentions:
- Runner-Up – Song of the Year 2016 — “I’m Standing Here”
- Semi-Finalist – Song of the Year 2016 — “You’re My Love, My Lullaby”
- Semi-Finalist – International Songwriting Competition 2011 — “The Stars”
- Special Mention – International Music Awards 2007 — “Season’s Journey”
- TV Placement – Lifetime’s Dance Moms, Season 2 Episode 1 — “Season’s Journey”
Words, Worlds & Nirvana on Earth
Beyond music, Kat is also an author of multiple novels and self-help books, including The Light of the Blue Pearl, The Black Ruby, Puck Protocol, and the Amazon best-seller Powerless to Powerful: How to Stop Living in Fear and Start Living Your Life. Her writing, like her music, lives at the intersection of pain, imagination, and healing.
She is the founder of Nirvana on Earth, a sanctuary for overwhelmed creatives and caregivers who need calm, clarity, and a path forward. There, her music becomes a bridge into deeper work around stress, self-care, and emotional resilience.
If my music has touched your heart and you'd like to support what I create,
you can drop something in the Digital Tip Jar — no pressure, all love.
Where to Find Katsember
If you’re a listener needing something to hold you together—or a filmmaker seeking emotional depth and quiet power—Katsember’s world was built for you.
Music & Licensing: katsember.com
Sanctuary for the Stuck: NirvanaonEarth.com
