Passion through pain: A rare condition can’t stop this teen musician from chasing her dream
Sixteen-year-old Katie Love thought she might never be able to follow her dreams of being a folk musician after being diagnosed with a rare medical condition.
The singer’s journey to this month’s release of her debut album, Time for Moving On, was a complicated and painful one. Love’s symptoms first began around the age of 13. It began in her neck, then made its way down her shoulder. Soon after, the intense aching and burning running down her arms prevented her from doing what she loved most: playing the guitar.
Six months into the agony, Love was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a rare chronic pain condition caused by the compression of nerves and blood vessels between the first rib and collarbone. Her diagnosis came just after her 14th birthday when she visited a vascular surgeon specializing in TOS.
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“I really didn’t know if I would ever be able to get back to playing music again,” Love says. “It had been over two years since the pain in my arms from TOS first forced me to stop playing. I was really down during that time because I hurt all the time, and I couldn’t play guitar.”
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The doctor determined that surgery would be the only way for Love to continue playing the guitar. She underwent her procedure on her left side in November 2023 and on her right side in February 2024.
Love was determined to pursue her passion for music during her recovery, and writing original music and attending local gigs helped the teen stay motivated. As her guitar was collecting dust, local Americana folk duo Clay Parker and Jody James became the reason Love remained connected to music.
“I had been going to their shows when I wasn’t able to play music myself, and I just knew I wanted to learn everything I could from them. Clay really helped me improve my guitar skills, and they both just really encouraged me in my songwriting,” Love says.
The duo became not only mentors to Love but also close friends. The three began to play music together, and Parker introduced Love to his analog recording space, encouraging her to record her own music—even if it was just for fun.
“I think it’s in Katie’s soul to make music,” Parker says. “It’s probably inescapable, and there isn’t much that could keep her from it. Her composing and arranging and singing and playing [on this album] is all crafted with precision, and it always packs a punch. We’re both looking forward to seeing where this first step of getting out there will take her.”
Months after her second surgery, Love’s symptoms returned. She was once again forced to stop playing the guitar. The doctor said additional procedures might help with the pain, so in spring 2025, Love underwent two more surgeries for each shoulder. In all, she underwent four operations, including the removal of two ribs and some neck muscle.
Love’s new album features a collection of seven original songs written in the two-month period following her fourth surgery. “Moving on for me right now means moving on from all these problems that have taken up so much space in my life for the past two years,” Love says. “I can’t really say I’m over it all yet—I’m still recovering. I still have pain at times, and I’m still limited in some ways, but I’m doing much better than I was. And I’m able to play music again; that’s the thing I’ve wanted for so long.”
The young musician’s album release show for Time for Moving On will take place this Saturday, Jan. 10, at Mid City Ballroom, 36 S. Acadian Thruway. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.
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