Kaitlin Absent remembers the first time music really touched her soul.

When she was 5 years old, the New Iberia native, heard Whitney Houston’s solo for “I Will Always Love You” and she’s been hooked on music since.

“I started playing on the small piano,” Absent said. “I was playing and I was like, ‘I really like it’ and wanted to stick with it.’”

Absent said her other two musical heroes that she enjoys listening to for inspiration are saxophonists Kirk Whalum and Kenneth Gorelick, otherwise known as “Kenny G.”

Absent describes herself as a multi-instrumentalist and like her heroes, she enjoys playing all different types of saxophones, with the soprano as her primary choice, but also loves the piano, guitar and clarinet. She loves playing all the string, brass and woodwind instruments, in fact.

Absent’s love for music speaks to her differently than it does for most.

“To me, it’s a language,” Absent said. “I feel like that’s my escape, it’s therapeutic for me. I love it.”

Absent has used her music as an escape this past semester at Southern University. After losing her grandmother Sharon Brown, she recalls listening to music while she studied, and it paid off as she finished with As and Bs.

“Despite the grief I had, but that’s how I got through it,” Absent said. “I listen to music and it helps me with repetition. It helps me remember and study better.”

Looking to hear Absent’s music?

Absent is available on all social media platforms and you can find her on Youtube, covering the latest hit songs. For bookings, you can email her at kaitlin_absent@yahoo.com

Though she’s open to anything, Absent said her go-to music genre is smooth jazz, a music group she said that strays away from traditional jazz. It’s more basic patterns, more of a groove. It’s on beat and contemporary, making it more modern.

A music education major at Southern University, Absent said she has eventual plans to direct music later on in her life. But right now, the 20-year-old just wants to perform. It doesn’t matter to her where she plays, as long as she can show the world her love.

“I want to play on the big stage,” Absent said. “I want to perform hopefully for the Grammys one day.”

Every time Absent prepares to perform, she remembers how she got here and what’s still driving her to this day.

“I wouldn’t be anything without music,” Absent said. “Throughout my whole life, it just brought among blessings and love and light to me.”