Meet Carolee
As a worship leader and recording artist, Carolee shares the love, acceptance,
and forgiveness of God, imparting hope and meaning to a hungry and thirsty world.
I’m a native of Seattle Washington and raised my daughters Heather and Kirsten in the Great Northwest.
Made lots of music since I was girl and thankful to still have the opportunity to travel, sing and record music.
In 2000, I moved from Seattle Washington to Eagle Rock California where I live with my husband and best friend Robert.
In my travels, I’ve seen music’s transcendent nature cross cultural and language barriers and pave the way towards uniting our world. It’s for everyone. Music has the power to lift spirits, release freedom and joy, bring peace and comfort and can usher the listener into the very presence of God. Music inspires so much of my life. Thanks for checking out the site. I hope you’ll be encouraged as you listen to these humble offerings of song and random thoughts.
Blessings, Carolee
I’ve always loved music for as long as I can recall. I remember irritating the heck out of
my big sisters when I was three year old for singing along to radio jingles like, “KJR Seattle, channel 95!” and “Rap with the hammer babababa, a just a little bit more bababababa, Washinton Builders ba, call Sunset 3-2-4-04″
I’m still irritating them today with a Kiel Mortgage jingle and iterations of it, that my daughter Heather and I wrote and sang in 1999. It’s become a fixture on Northwest radio and TV stations ever since. Apologies!
My mom had a great voice and was influenced by singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Edie Gormet, Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Cooney. Mom was too shy to sing in public but after a couple of scotch and waters I would hear her sing in the bathroom [the walls made for a nice ambient sound] or sometimes she’d sing at the piano.
I loved being in choirs and had 3 teachers that encouaged and inspired me. Jo Litterdale in elementary school, Roy Larsen in Jr. High School and Don Barrows in High School, who is a dear friend to this day. The power of a teacher is a wonderous thing. Mr. Larsen gave me his gigantic stereo in 1971, that we lugged up into my bedroom in the attic. I played “Tapestry”, “Ladies of the Canyon”, “Blue” and “Mud Slide Slim” with nickels taped to the stylus till they wore out. In highschool I was in a rock band with my highschool sweetheart and first husband Robie Ostrom, singing Grace Slick and Ann Wilson songs. We played at highschool dances and some pretty whacky venues in the mid seventies. Robie and I began writing together and played in coffee houses and folk clubs. I started singing ad’s and sessions for lots of music studio’s in the Northwest, National Anthems for sports events and quirky but fun gigs. Recorded some projects for First American Records and had the opportunity to play with some gifted players through the years. I gigged in the Seattle area for years as the Carolee Mayne trio with Gary Verrill, David Raynor and Terry Lauber, and with the Jerry Frank Trio, The Tim Noah Band, Danny Okeefe and Michael Peterson.
I remember in 1985 while singing on Michael Peterson’s debut project, he told me that I’d one day be a worship leader. It was shortly after, that I was invited to step into that role at my home church in Federal Way WA. Four years before moving to LA, I was in radio at Crista Broadcast and worked in production, as a DJ and Program Director for a web radio station. I thank announcer, Martha Hadley for that opportunity. I enjoyed being a DJ for Praise 106.5 and www.crossrock.com. It was like an extension of being a worship leader, but the congregation were people behind computers, in cars, hospitals, homes and businesses.
My daughters Kirsten and Heather were around music studio’s and rehearsals so much in their young lives that singing came natural. They did their first recording session when they were 3 and 5 years of age, on my debut Christmas Album featuring harpist Bronn Journey. That led us to working with Jim Valley’s Rainbow Review, Agape Force, lots of national anthems of the nations for pro sports, Olympic exhibitions, Goodwill Games events and corporate events with America’s Best and AIM. Life as a single mom had it’s struggles, but when I look back, the girls and I had some extrodinary experiences. When they were 11 and 13, we got a call from Roby Duke who asked us if the girls wanted to make a record with him as producer. By the next year they signed a deal with Maranatha and released “Betcha Didn’t Know” as “Heather and Kirsten”, touring with DC Talk, Newsboys and the wonderful Katina Brother’s. That music still sounds great and has become quite the collectors item on e-bay. Heather chose a career path as a History teacher and remains a stunning vocalist. She is featured on “Christmas in the Shire” and my “Great Love” album project. Kirsten is a stellar singer songwriter who contributed songs on “Great Love” with a host of musical credits [Roland, Spectrasonics Vocal Planet. Microsoft, Smoke Signals] You can check out the girls wonderful music and blogs on myspace.com via Deep Mosey – or go to; Heather Pasley or Kirsten Wenlock.