In her downtime, waiting for lab results, Katerina Lomis would scribble down lyrics on her notepad that would eventually become full-fledged songs on her YouTube channel.
As a cancer research associate, it's normal for a day at the lab to double as an incubator for her creativity. Sometimes the inspiration isn't so subtle. In her song titled "My Doctor" she sings, "The scientist's 'Eureka's' at 11, the science is the furthest thing from hell."
But now, she has left the lab for a life in music.
This year, the 24-year-old from Maryland quit her job at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine so she could focus on pursuing a career in music full time.
"I didn't feel as scared to suddenly be doing that because I had friends that had already broken through that shell for me and made me feel like it was a safe thing to try. Being [in Miami] and just seeing people take risks … I feel like people are more understanding of trying something and failing," Lomis said.
In 2020, Lomis moved to South Florida to study biochemistry at the University of Miami. Growing up, she was used to performing at school talent shows, but thanks to Miami's active and diverse arts scene, music remained in her orbit. In the six years that she's been living in South Florida, she was part of an a capella group, became acquainted with musicians at the UM Frost School of Music and joined the Brazilian percussion group Miami Bloco.
It was the musicians in her circle who gave her the push she needed to leave STEM and seriously pursue her music.
"I'd feel like you'll meet someone here who will play the bass and then they'll also venture out into like four or five other instruments, and you're just, like, wow," she said. "People here I feel have a really good grasp on what they wish for their careers and what they wish for their music."
Lomis' music takes on a coy yet playful arrangement punctuated by scats that deftly swing across octaves while her lyrics reference the specificity and musicality of her favorite composer, Stephen Sondheim.
"I don't think there was ever a moment where I was intentionally trying to be like, 'Oh, I'm gonna be jazz, musical theater.' I never tried to make a certain genre. I think it was just my brain spewing out what it had known," she said.
It's appropriate that her submission to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest was filmed in a college classroom room with musicians from the UM Frost School of Music. The contest, which enters its 12th year, celebrates independent music by amplifying the work of unsigned artists. Musicians of all genres can submit an entry, with the winner getting their own Tiny Desk concert.
Inspired by the personalities around her, she opens the song in a sultry alto tone, as she croons about a fictional teacher named "Mr. Adams."
"I think that one of my favorite things is writing from the point of view of a character that you can just delve into their psyche and create an entire world around it," she said.
When Lomis started posting performances of her original songs on social media, she said she started gaining attention from music reps who asked her about the long-term trajectory of her musical career. Without any clear goals in mind, Lomis said she needed the space and the freedom to give music a fair shot.
"I didn't really have a lot of time off. I couldn't really plan — I felt like I was actually hurting myself, staying in a place where I didn't have the free time to explore," she said.
Lomis is headed to Europe next, where she will tour with the musical group Postmodern Jukebox. Even though she has packed up her life in South Florida, she'll bring with her the lessons learned from being actively involved in Miami's supportive music community.
"There's just so many friends that I've made here that are just so talented and so humble," she said. "Their perspectives on life and their perspectives on music … I think it's inspired me that you can be wanting to seek mastery in a craft and stay connected to your own path."
With production help from Sherrilyn Cabrera, Natu Tweh and Valentina Sandoval.
Copyright 2026 WLRN
