Kathy Creath grew up in Corning, NY. She has been a musician since age 7. While working on Optics degrees at the University of Rochester, she did as much music as she could get away with including studying saxophone and conducting at Eastman School of Music. She moved to Tucson in 1982 where she earned 4 degrees from the University of Arizona including an MM in saxophone performance and PhDs in Optics and Music. Playing multiple woodwind instruments since childhood, and focusing on oboe during her PhD, she gigged around Tucson on saxophone, oboe and other woodwinds in jazz bands, pit orchestras, and at churches. Since 2013, she has been playing and performing brass instruments including trombone, baritone, alto horn, and now mainly plays horn.

She has played with many Tucson community groups the last several years including Sonora Winds, Foothills Phil, and Old Pueblo Brass Band. She currently plays with Arizona Symphonic Winds, Civic Orchestra of Tucson and Horns of Tucson. She has also dusted off her conducting chops and has become the music director for Horns of Tucson.