Kitt Wakeley finds harmony through music and fitness

Kitt Wakeley finds harmony through music and fitness

For many of us, music is so important that our favorite songs form the soundtrack of our lives, but Kitt Wakeley has taken his love of music even further by composing his own, deeply personal scores. M&F caught up with the Grammy-nominated musician and fitness enthusiast to find out how he found harmony through music and fitness, and we soon discovered that the emotional ups and downs in his personal life have led to some serious success through artistic and physical expression.

Kitt Wakeley, award-winning composer, songwriter and musician, tours the world and collaborates with artists such as Joe Satriani and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, but he enjoys performing at the squat rack as much as he does on stage. For Wakeley, the gym has long been a quiet place where he can escape the pressure of writing the next big hit in order to take time out from showbiz and work on his physical and mental health. “The gym is a safe place,” Wakeley says. "You're navigating the actual production of a project and all the people involved in it, traveling to London or LA or wherever, and you're anxious to see if it's going to be successful, and then you have the shows. So, that hour or hour and a half in the gym is a chance to hit pause and have some me time. The gym is a great place to reset every day.”

Kitt Wakeley finds harmony through music and fitness

Critics have called Wakeley's 2021 concept album "Symphony of Sinners & Saints," which features epic tracks like "Conflicted," a masterpiece. The highs and lows in his compositions offer listeners both a moment to reflect and an opportunity to pick up the beat and use the tracks for a perfect workout playlist. "Symphony of Sinners & Saints" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover and Classical charts, but success hasn't necessarily been an easy road for Wakeley, who, along with his sister, entered Oklahoma's foster care system at just 5 years old. The siblings were then separated for almost 40 years before they found each other in an incredible way on Facebook. At some point he had been told that his sister Tasha had died in a car accident, only to discover that she lived just a mile away.

In a remarkable turn of events, Wakeley and his wife Melissa adopted three siblings to ensure they could never be separated like he was with his sister, and the emotions of such an uplifting story have influenced works like the track. Adoption Story" in a way he never could have imagined. The tune itself is now nominated for a Grammy for "Best Classical Compendium" and was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios, where the likes of The Beatles and Aretha Franklin graced the mixing board.

“Adoption Story” is a magical ride of a tune that exudes feelings of innocence and hope, encouraging us to believe that even the darkest stories can have a bright, happy ending. “Music is such an escape,” Wakeley says. "And I equate that with my fitness world. They give you the opportunity to express things when you sometimes don't have the words." And with a total of seven children, the musician has to be fitter than ever to stay in the groove. Luckily, his fitness lifestyle provides the answer.

The composer says he loves taking his work to the gym as a workout playlist when he develops demos. "If they're more aggressive or euphoric, I turn it up, and if it excites me or motivates me, I know I'm on the right track. Believe it or not, I was accidentally on the treadmill listening to the quieter stuff, and I got a vibe and was pretty happy with the direction the project was going. I have a lot of friends at the gym who listen to my aggressive songs, and then I have a lot of friends in the music business who talk to me about maybe could start going to the gym. I think both things are starting to work together and benefit from each other.”

Kitt Wakeley forgoes missing training sessions

Going to the gym gives Wakeley a way to break up the sedentary moments in his life, like sitting at a desk while he works on his music, and fitness sessions also prepare him for those high-energy moments when he's performing on stage and has to choose-in-time. “After that you’re just wiped out,” he shares. Even the studio recording process can take several hours, so this composer needs to keep his pulse down and stay on track. "You don't want to mess up. You don't want to disappoint your co-workers. I'm amazed at how much this takes a toll on me physically, and I'm very blessed that I'm working out and taking good care of myself."

A true fitness warrior, Wakeley aims to squeeze in a session at least five days a week. These sessions are usually focused and don't have to last all day, but he has been known to hit the gym for an entire month without a day off. “Every day I hit a big body part,” says the maestro. "Something like a compound movement, whether it's chest, shoulders, legs, whatever. Then I do 45 minutes of high-intensity interval training. So I can do big, heavy, lower reps like that and then I can get into that conditioning and it works really well for me." It's just a good thing Wakeley has strong arms because more awards and trophies are certainly on the way.