Kay Hicks Ward is blessed with a rich musical heritage. Her father, Lowell P. Hicks, a former member of the Utah Symphony, married Bernice Horsley, one of his marimba students. By the age of six, Kay was performing with her father on KSL Radio in Salt Lake City. In 1954 and 1955, Kay won first place in the Utah State Fair piano competition, which also won her an invitation to solo with the Utah Symphony. That performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K. 488, launched what has become the annual Utah Symphony "Salute to Youth" concert.

In 1957, Kay attended the Aspen School of Music. She graduated from the University of Utah on a music scholarship in 1960, with a degree in music education. Since 1994, Kay has composed and published over 200 piano and orchestral works, art songs, and music for children. She frequently collaborates with prominent musicians such as Clive Romney, Michael Ballam, JoAnn Ottley, and others.

Kay has composed over 200 original works. She and her poet-lyricist husband, L. Melvin Ward, lecture and lead performances of their works throughout the United States, and are actively involved in numerous service endeavors. They are the parents of eleven children.