Kathleen Basi is a liturgical composer and freelance writer from Columbia, Missouri.

Kate's introduction to liturgical music came at an early age when she was a "choir baby" in her home parish in Moberly, Missouri. She began playing flute with the parish folk group in the 7th grade. While studying flute performance with Steven Geibel at the University of Missouri, she joined the music ministry at the local Newman Center, where she developed a deep love of liturgy and liturgical music.

After receiving a Master of Music from the University of Northern Iowa, where she studied with Dr. Angeleita Floyd, she returned to Columbia and served as liturgist for the local Life Teen program for a year, after which she took on the position of director of liturgy and music for Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Columbia, Missouri. She spent four years in that position before choosing to stay home with her children. She and her husband Christian remain deeply involved as volunteer musicians at OLL, leading the parish contemporary group with four "choir babies" of their own in tow.

Kate also writes fiction and nonfiction and has published octavos for assembly use. Kate blogs about faith, family, and writing at www.kathleenbasi.com/blog.

Workshops

Who Is My Neighbor? - Sacred Music,Other

The parable of the Good Samaritan is so familiar, it can be difficult to see how it applies to 21st-century life. Kathleen Basi examines this all-important question, "Who is my neighbor?" in light of the social-media, polarized world we live in.

Living Waters: Let Mercy Flow: A Prayer Experience of Scripture, Storytelling and Music - Sacred Music,Other

In a time when disagreements turn toxic and the pace of life is frenetic, it can be hard to recognize what our baptismal call means to our practical, everyday lives. This event will show how our faith touched every moment of life and how we Christians can take the heritage of our faith (scripture, stories of the saints, etc.) and apply that to the real-life moments when peace, reconciliation, mercy, justice and truth are needed in our everyday lives. Spend some time with Kate, Shannon and Orin in an experience that is meditative, engaging, humorous, thought-provoking and, above all, a true encounter with God.

Being Catholic in a Messy World - Other

The birth of her second child, who has Down Syndrome, upended everything this presenter thought she knew about herself and her faith. Join Kathleen as she shares some of what she has learned about living at the messy intersection of faith and the real world - to be, not just a "practicing" Catholic, but an "intentional" one.

Building a Quality Volunteer Ensemble - Sacred Music

Growing an ensemble takes time, but there are things you can do to make the process easier and more effective. This session explores key components of successful volunteer ensembles: diversity of repertoire; attracting volunteers; avoiding the "tryout" trap; encouraging participation as soloists and working with people individually; as well as the willingness of leadership to develop their own skills. Come away from this session with new ideas for engaging those that want to be involved despite any obstacles - as well as ways to keep participants interested in continuing on their own ministerial journey.

Music leader and worshiper: How do I pray effectively while performing my ministry? - Sacred Music

Nested within a one-hour evening of prayer, music, and reflection, Kathleen Basi offers perspectives on the perennial question facing music ministers: how to pray when we're "working."