A Life in Harmony:
Kelly Bonello Blends Music, Art, and Faith
Sight sound, and heart combine in the artistic vocation of Kelly Bonello, a musician and visual artist. “Art is a positive way to participate in life,” she says.
And, participate she has! Bonello got her start early. Her mother, a music teacher, introduced Bonello to the violin when she was in second grade. Bonello trained in violin for several years using the Suzuki method.
She values the classical study for giving her ear training and teaching her to read music. But in middle school, Bonello took a decisive turn toward popular music. She became a fiddle player, active in bluegrass, acoustic and pop genres.
Enter The Black Rose Acoustic Society, an acoustic, traditional music society northeast of Colorado Springs. Housed in a log building, the organization offers classes, jam sessions geared to genres and skill levels, and open mic nights at local restaurants.
“They had a huge influence. That’s how I learned to improvise,” Bonello recounts. “You play, they’re playing, and then you have to jump in and just do a solo.”
The Black Rose was the nexus for multiple acquaintances and musical partnerships over the next several years. Bonello struck up an ongoing collaboration with another young singer-songwriter associated with the Black Rose, Adam Gardino.
For a time they formalized their duo, calling themselves Guard Rail.
The musical journey inaugurated in her teens came full circle in January, 2020, when Bonello, Gardino, and another musician, Luke Tripp, headlined at the Black Rose, where they’d been students. “You grow up thinking, ‘these headliners are so cool,’ and then I actually got a chance to headline there,” Bonello says. “That was such an honor.”
Although her younger years were heavily invested in music, Bonello also is a painter and eventually got a degree in Art Education from the University of Northern Colorado. After graduating, Bonello returned to Colorado Springs where she taught art in the public schools and joined a bluegrass group called Redraw the Farm.
“I think God has given me art to add beauty to the world, whereas with songwriting - I use it to tell my story and let others who may relate know they are not alone,” she says of her dual pursuits. “While art is a way to bring visual joy and beauty, songwriting can bring reassurance, encouragement and inspiration.”
Bonello’s songs often exemplify her efforts to bring her faith to bear in confusing or difficult circumstances. “I guess you could see my songs as stories from a Catholic who’s still living in the modern world,” she reflects. “You go through heartbreak and trying to figure it out and handle the emotions. My base is being Catholic, of course, but in all that being a woman, I have all of those experiences.”
A recent song, Firefly, is about learning to be true to yourself in different circumstances. (Firefly, By Kelly (Champlin) Bonello)
“It is a song meant for those who feel insecurities when playing the comparison game, which, caused this “firefly” to ache for the rawness and true love the people who loved her for herself,” she explains.
Bonello sometimes combines her musical and visual skills on her Youtube channel, Kelly Kronicles. Here’s one where she sings the spiritual, Were You There and speed paints an image of Mary holding Christ taken down from the Cross.
Bonello has found joy in making music and creating art and connects that to her faith. “Whether it’s an artwork or whether I create a song, there’s just so much joy that I get. Sometimes I have thought, I wonder if when God created us, right there is that joy that he had and being proud of something that he’s created.”
P.S. If you’re in southern California, you can catch Kelly with yet another group she’s part of, Orange Embers, at The Station on Thursday, June 11, 2026, 7 - 10 p.m., 24701 Verdugo St. Suite B, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675.
Curtain Call Q & A
What are your thoughts about this post?
What is the importance of spaces that encourage improvisation, collaboration, and mentorship in the arts?
Bonello describes joy in creating as possibly reflecting God’s joy in creation. How do you respond to that idea?
In a fast-paced, digital world, what place does intentional, handcrafted art still hold?