"... hidden talent taking flight..."

Growing up more as the spectator than the performer, Kaley Bird (Kaley Beisiegel) has surprised even herself in the past few months as this newcomer has broken into the Edmonton coffee house scene and delighted audiences with sincere, touching performances and thoughtful original lyrics.

When she was a little girl, her mother sang in a party band called “Hot Wax” and was always a lively performer.  However, Kaley initially took more after her dad -- who, although being a very talented guitarist, would just as well prefer to play in the basement as opposed to a stage.

So, as she was growing up (a process she admits is still on-going), Kaley would lock herself away for hours, plugging away on the keyboard and guitar, and writing songs which she didn’t share with anyone.

After graduating high school, Kaley took time off and backpacked across Europe to find out what she “really wanted to do”.  In her own words, it was an awesome experience, but she returned home more confused then ever.  Enrolling in University of Alberta, she took a barrel of random courses which she now hopes to find useful at some point in time.  "Like my mom says, 'Education is a light load to carry,' and it’s never wasted, but I was extremely frustrated because I never had time to work on my music."

At the end of the winter semester of ’07, Kaley decided to take the step to play her first open mic.  "Really, in the end," she says, "if I wouldn’t leave my basement, no one was ever going to hear my music."

After such a positive response from the music community, Kaley has found her comfort zone in performing.  "I suppose I am more like my mom then I thought.  However, according to my friends I still remain the most unexciting 20 year old on Friday and Saturday nights, when instead of going out to the bar, I sit in my basement, take on hermit status and work on my music."