Local musician Beth McKee on writing songs, her career path and the founding of Swamp Sistas. 

I grew up in Jackson, Miss., and have lived as an adult in Austin, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I came to Orlando in 1997 to help my husband care for his aging Cuban mother and uncle. After caring for them for several years, we decided to make Orlando our forever home.

Music has always been a big part of my life from taking piano lessons as a child to singing in various choral and theatrical groups throughout my school years—including a paying gig as a pianist for a church from the age of 14—to pursuing it professionally in my mid-20s.

My musical identity began catching wind once I moved to Austin in my 20s. After some time spent playing in bars and touring blues bands, I was recruited by Greg “Fingers” Taylor to join his band and embarked on a national tour opening for Jimmy Buffett. Afterwards, I moved to New Orleans to join the all-female band Evangeline and the group was quickly signed to Buffett’s MCA Records Nashville imprint, Margaritaville Records. I released two albums with Evangeline before setting off on own musical path. By 2005, I’d begun to write, record and release albums independently and have released five albums as a solo artist.

I have a few different approaches to songwriting and am constantly seeking more, to keep things fresh. For a long time, I wrote lyrics first and only allowed myself to start putting the words to music after I had them mostly written. In more recent years, I have tried bringing the lyrics and music along together, on a parallel plane, so that one can impact the other in the process.

My first job was as a lifeguard at our community swimming pool. And I thought it was the absolute coolest job in the world!

In high school and college, I was involved in musical and theatrical extracurricular activities. From accompanying the school choir on piano to writing, producing and performing mini-musicals and as a member of my university’s song and dance troupe. I don’t think I ever excelled at acting or dancing so it’s fitting that I wound up becoming a musician.

I have two small dogs. They are rat terriers named Benny and Fletch.

My favorite movie is To Kill a Mockingbird.

Ever-changing is probably the best description for my music, because I constantly like to try out new sounds and styles. That being said, my southern roots influences are strong so there will always be an element of soul, blues, country, gospel and rock in my sound. The New Orleans sound is pretty evident in my songs, also.

A desire to make a difference in my communities, both professional and local, inspired me to found a network of women that I dubbed Swamp Sistas. The name is a reference to my musical sound and the region it emerged from. With help from the group, which now has over 2,500 members, I began hosting gatherings, called Swamp Sistas La Las, a re-vamp on the traditional Creole house party with a purpose. These musical events feature female talent and raise money for charity.

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s April 2020 issue.