Kelsi grew up in the gospel music mecca of Anderson, Indiana with two younger brothers, and two parents who were half dentist/housewife, and half medical missionaries to Haiti. She began studying music at the ripe old age of two, as her parents had a friend who was building up her Suzuki-method piano studio and was looking for students. Even at this early age, Kelsi, who was born into an overwhelmingly
non-musical family, took to music and ended up learning to read music even before she learned to read words.