Kayte Deioma
One of the founding Occasionally Preferred Partners, Kayte Deioma is a multi-creative who refuses to be put into one box, craft, art or genre. She has been writing and performing her own songs off and on since the age of 13 – when she often wrote songs based on books before she had any notable life experience. Kayte has been seen busking on the streets of Hamburg, Germany, performing at the elegant Sir Winston’s Lounge on the famed Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA and diverse stages, streets and living rooms in between. Kayte primarily composes in her mind (as opposed to on an instrument), which is unlimited by what she can personally play or sing, so she’s happy to find the perfect artist to perform those of her songs she doesn’t sing herself.
In addition to writing and performing contemporary music in a variety of styles for adult audiences, Kayte, as her alter-ego Auntie Kayte, released an award-winning children’s album, Rufus the Unicorn and Other Upside Down Fairytale Songs.
Whether writing songs for adults or children, Kayte seeks to shine a light on the good to bring joy and optimism to the world through her music.
When not making music, Kayte is also a prolific professional photographer and writer.
Mark Piatelli
The other founding Occasionally Preferred Partner, Mark Piatelli, is a singer/songwriter who has composed signature songs for such businesses as Lemonade Makers and Diamond Healing, and for individuals for weddings, graduations and other life events. Mark Piatelli spent his formative years on stage in theatrical performances from Boston and New York to LA. He discovered a gift for songwriting after attending a workshop as an adult and it has been his passion ever since. His influences range from The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Carol King to Stephen Shwarz, Irving Berlin and Andrew Lloyd Weber, as well as top artists performing today.
As a founding member of Occasionally Preferred Partners , Mark’s goal is to collaborate with amazing songwriters to create uplifting music that inspires hope without being afraid of speaking truth.
Keith Ward
Collaborating with Mark and Kayte on the song, In Your Eyes, Keith Ward is a composer, arranger, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with broad tastes in musical storytelling. Classically trained, with a degree in music, Keith’s diverse influences range from Thomas Newman, George Winston, Helen Jane Long, and Benny Goodman to The Beatles, Chicago, and Tower of Power.
As a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by GRAMMY-nominated gospel artist, Bryan Duncan‘s, on his Holy Rollin’ album. As a composer, he created two musical scores for theatrical works for writer/director Cora Alley, which are performed throughout the US. Keith’s recent focus is music for media.
As a performer, Keith has played jazz clarinet and sax in numerous orchestras and jazz bands around Southern California including with GRAMMY Award-Winning artists Natalie Cole, Llew Matthews, and Michael W. Smith. His musical travels have taken him from historic downtown areas, church gatherings, and hospital rooms, to the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel and the Frank Sinatra Twin Palms Estate. Keith is a modern minstrel who still favors surprising people with the joy of jazz in unexpected places.
You can currently hear him performing live with the Rail City Jazz combo around Pocatello, Idaho, where he now lives with his wife.
Nick Kirgo
Nick Kirgo is a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter, composer and producer whose songs, productions, scoring and guitar playing have been heard on Dawson’s Creek, The X-Files, Dexter, The Ghost Whisperer, Million Dollar Listing (L.A., New York), as well as the new Netflix series Dancing Queen and National Geographic’s America Inside Out with Katie Kouric. He collaborated with Mark and Kayte on The Magic is You, including producing and singing lead vocal, and producing New Chapter.