After graduating from high school, Troccoli studied jazz and opera at the Berklee College of Music in Boston for a year, then returned to Long Island to major in voice at Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) also singing with a SCCC-based jazz band and later singing in Long Island clubs. In the summer of 1978, while working a "day job" to help cover her college expenses, Troccoli formed a friendship with a born again Christian co-worker; this led to Troccoli herself becoming a devout Christian. Troccoli's alto voice gained prominence when she opened for Ed Nalle's group, GLAD, when the group performed at the Long Island church Troccoli attended in 1980. Approximately six months afterwards, Nalle invited Troccoli to record a demo tape, with his band's backing, and Kathy accepted. After she and GLAD had recorded it, the tape was submitted to Michael Blanton and Dan Harrell (Amy Grant's brother-in-law); these two, as a result of hearing it, formed the Reunion Records label, in Nashville, specifically to record Troccoli, and Kathy herself, in turn, moved to Nashville to reside with Harrell and his family.