the 06/12/2008

Local arts profile: Kathleen Soldati and her "character cultureschool"

 Architectural Profile The book is all about what she knows, what she's comfortable with— can do in her sleep. The singing is — at least initially — swimming againstthe tide. She has the voice. She's always wanted to sing. And lordknows she has proven gumption. But it took Soldati this long totake it to the stage simply because she was chicken — not herusual state. But a child's journey, which became a family one, jolted her to hersenses. One of her children had just started walking the wrong path. Sheand her husband decided to enroll him in a "character cultureschool," Hyde, in Bath, Maine. "To make a long story short youcan't drop the kid off and say 'call when you're cured.' You as aparent have to be completely involved," she says. On more than oneoccasion shared activities required they move outside their comfortzone. There was one involvement that made her challenge her fear ofheights, prodded and cheered on by her son. The senior challenge for both graduate and family was to select anactivity outside their comfort zone and take it head on. "I knewimmediately what it would be." says Soldati. "My mom sang withorchestra. I came from a very musical family, (of 14 children). Iwas afraid of it, afraid of going solo." But if it was asked of her son, it was asked of her. So she trottedoff to talk to Curt Bessette. "I asked if I could sing at open mikeat Biddy's (Mulligan's). ...; He was totally gracious. I sang onenight. And before I could tell him I'd had so much fun and wantedto do it again, he approached me and said 'that was so much fun andyou have to do that again.' ...; It took me six months to reallyget over being frightened." She eventually committed to performing weekly, and stuck to it formore than two years, always accompanied by Bessette. Today she's getting paid for her performances — still workingwith Bessette. Her thing is cover tunes, anything from Patsy Clineto Janis Joplin. There's some BB King, Bonnie Raitt, and Bob Dylan."You know what? I love singing so much. I'm in heaven when I'm onstage." She's started performing festivals and still appears occasionallywith Bessette. The fear has passed. So write a book? Phah. Easy. Actually it was. This is an area Soldati equates to the fish inwater metaphor. It's born of her years of marketing, starting withher first job, and moving up to the most recent. Soldati, of Somersworth, started working in 1972, right out of gradschool. Her first job was with a firm in the option exchange. "Beenworking pretty much since," she says. "There were times I mightpiece a number of different things together; I always had my handinto something outside the home." An Ohio girl, she moved to New Hampshire with her husband, Lincoln,a native of the state, 25 years ago. She worked for insurancecompanies, still in PR, then started her own marketing andmanagement firm. Next the League of New Hampshire Craftsman, aclient hired her as its executive director. She went on to do marketing and fund-raising for New HampshirePublic Television, creating its "Winter Expo" half program, halfauction, the predecessor to the station's annual auction event. Shealso raised the funds for "Ciao Italian." Then it was back to her own business, this one Triple DotProduction in partnership with Bill Humphreys and Nancy Beach.Clients included the So things are great. Global Citizen Circle,which took them to South Africa, for filming, PR and events,including one with Nelson Mandela. Eventually she moved on to JSA Architects. Then again to aself-owned strategic marketing company, this one with a focus onarchitectural firms. She still consults with the Boston Society ofArchitect and teaches at the Boston Architectural College as wellas UNH. It was a JSA contact that led to the book. Richards had alreadywritten a few on office management. When her publisher approachedher about another she invited Soldati to work it with her. They started it just after the she landed The Music Hall job. Theoption was write it in six or 12 months. They went with six —but of course. The content is everything she teaches in her class,she says. "I think it really all starts at the beginning with myfirst job with the stock exchange. ...; I just kept adding. It'swhat the book is about how do you take your knowledge and put itout into the marketplace so the marketplace perceives you as theexpert ...; as the 'go-to business.'" It was not too long ago Soldati was wondering what she would dowith her life now that the kids are grown. Not so much a concernthese days. For now, life is great, she says. Working at The Music Hall, in a culture she once dreamed of, anddoing music is like living a dream. "No, it is living a dream," shecorrects. "I'm having so much fun. It's hard to imagine how my lifecould be better."