About Katy Tessman, the Singer-Songwriter

Minnesota musician, Katy Tessman is an optimistic and approachable singer-songwriter with a voice full of the wisdom she’s gained through cancer survival, heartbreak, and motherhood. Her powerful vocals and rhythmic approach to guitar (or mandolin) express a straight-from-the-heart songwriting style that moves passionately over diverse emotional and musical terrain. 

Katy Tessman and the Turnbuckles is made up of her son Louis Stanoch on electric guitar, long-time bandmate Tom Leier on bass, and reunited high school friend Kelley Lima on drums. Blending Americana and Folk-Rock, live performances are high energy and engaging with "heart-on-sleeve" big love.

Before becoming a mom in 2003 (and again in 2006) Katy Tessman released two albums including Joe’s Elevator’s Up & Down and her solo debut Fall. For nearly a decade, Katy performed throughout Minnesota and tours brought her to stages from Michigan to Washington. During her 20-year pause from the stage, Katy raised two sons, fought a victorious battle with breast cancer, authored an award-winning children’s book entitled Our Mama is a Beautiful Garden, and was named CHANGEMAKER by the Minnesota Women’s Press. 
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Katy Tessman’s re-debut to songwriting and performing transpired in 2022. Since then, she's been selling out listening-room shows, releasing new music, and published the accompanying lyric picture book Hero Now Crowned which Melodic Noise calls “a song of reassurance” and “a passionate tribute.”

​Books and music have always taken center stage in Katy’s life. As a writer, Katy aims to spread hope and joy with her books and songs and she is involved in many outreach events sharing her story, talent, and positivity to those who need it.
OUTREACH - sharing her story, talent, and positivity to those who need it:
  • Young Survivor of breast cancer, Katy was invited to speak at the Young Survivor Coalition's monthly in-person support meeting in May 2023 hosted by Gilda's Club - Twin Cities.
  • In March 2023, Katy sang her songs, talked about books, and played games with The Dude on Star Studio's closed circuit television program at Children's Hospitals in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
  • During Lent 2023, Katy was the guest speaker and performer at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hopkins.
  • In October 2022, Katy and her band hosted a fundraiser for the Angel Foundation and performed to a sold out audience at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior.​

​PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS:
  • February 11, 2023  Katy and her band performed for a sold out audience for her single release and lyric book launch for ”Hero Now Crowned“ at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis. 
  • In June 2022, Katy and her band celebrated the release  of her new music to a sold out audience at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior.
  • After a 20-year pause from the stage, Katy Tessman made her re-debut in January 2022 with a ticketed event at Ginkgo Coffeehouse in St Paul; during the height of the omicron variant of the Covid-19 pandemic, Katy filled the house with a (masked/vaxxed) audience. ​
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Mom & Son duo: Louis Stanoch's sensitive style adds flavors of Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour to his mom's original folk-rock-americana songs.
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Katy Tessman and the Turnbuckles: Tom Leier on bass, Louis Stanoch on guitar, and Kelley Lima on drums
Katy’s live shows are flexible to what the event / venue requires; Katy can perform solo, as a Mom + Son duo, Turnbuckle Trio, or with a full band Katy Tessman and the Turnbuckles. Various instrumentation is used, from an acoustic folk sound with mandolin and fretless bass to a pop-rock-americana band with electric guitar and full drumset.
”Piece by Piece (the best news of all)” is a lullaby for Tessman’s two sons. It’s about how Katy pieced her life (and body) back together after her courageous and victorious battle with breast cancer a decade ago. It’s about living to watch her sons grow up; they were just 3 and 6 years old at the time of her diagnosis. The lyric video showcases illustrations by Jessica Bailey from Katy’s award-winning children’s book entitled ”Our Mama is a Beautiful Garden.”
Sarah Morris invited Katy Tessman to be a part of her YouTube show "Hey! I miss you!" along with five other songwriting challengers who participated in the Facebook group "Singer/Songwriter Songwriting Challenge." Marc Severin. Mary Strand, Pat Egan, Nigel Egg, Christopher David Hanson, along with Katy are only a handful of folks who participated in the 20-week, 10 prompt session — a community that is full of thoughtful and loving folks giving constant encouragement and good vibes to each other.