Kael Reid (they/she)

Singer-Songwriter, Post-Doctoral Researcher

Slam-storytelling and folk-roots music meets many a queer-themed tune in Canadian singer-songwriter Kael Reid, whose songs just might have you rolling in the aisles with laughter or dabbing tears from your eyes. A whip smart wordsmith with a knack for candid story-telling and songwriting that is charged with humour and social-political commentary, Kael is as charming as she is in-your-face, singing sometimes in almost a spoken-word style with an irreverent, often self-deprecating sense of humour. Kael believes the powerful combination of lyrical language, imagery, music, and voice can make new worlds. They have five albums under their belt (Kate Reid, 2005; Comin’ Alive, 2006; I’m Just Warming Up, 2009; Doing it for the Chicks, 2011; and Queer Across Canada, 2013), and a number of singles, several of which were composed for an arts-based research project, while others were written collaboratively with individuals about their life experiences. Kael performs at live music venues, public schools, universities, music and Pride festivals, youth, arts, and academic conferences, community organizations, union meetings, and in people’s living rooms. They have a Ph.D from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Canada where they investigated the role of queer folk songs in public school curriculum development related to gender and sexuality education. From this doctoral research, Kael developed The Queer Across Canada Resource Kit, which is available as a free download on the “Music” page of her website. “Somewhere in Between,” Kael’s short documentary about their gender identity journey has been screened at several international film festivals around the world. Currently, Kael is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at York University, where she is part of a project investigating how participation in a community choir impacts the lives and well-being of refugee/newcomer children in the Greater Toronto Area.

www.katereid.net
pronouns: they/she
Treaty 3: Between the Lakes Purchase; Mississaugas of the Credit River, Traditional Annishinaabek territory (Guelph, Canada)