Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Rose.
Hi Hannah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I taught myself to play the guitar in middle school with a book of chord charts and my dad’s six-string. I started and quit learning maybe four separate times before it actually stuck. As a young kid, I struggled to commit myself to learning, but eventually, the desire to create music with my own two hands outweighed my lack of discipline. I started to accompany singers performing old hymns at my church. One Sunday evening, the music minister called me up to the stage, where I would sing and play the guitar together for the first time. I was showered with love and encouragement by my family and church members – which was ultimately my driving force in finding the confidence to perform more often and more publicly. I began to participate in open mic nights at local coffee houses, where my family and friends would come sit for hours just to hear me play for five minutes. Over the years, creating and performing music was just a hobby for me – and that’s all I could ever imagine it being. I began playing private events for friends and family in early college. After I had graduated college (with plans to go work in corporate marketing), I played music at a bourbon-tasting party at my cousin’s house. The owners of a local brewery and music venue were in attendance and asked me for my business card so that they could book me. I lied and told them I had run out of business cards at my last gig (even though I never had any to begin with – I didn’t want to seem too green), but they took down my info and booked me anyway. This was the very first “real” gig I had booked – not on a church stage on a Sunday night, not after waiting hours for other musicians, and not in someone’s living room. This was the point where I realized that I had some kind of art and entertainment to offer and (more surprising) that people wanted to pay me for it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road maintaining a career in music. There were many points along the way where I thought to myself, “I just don’t know what I don’t know.” The struggles I faced (and still do face) ultimately were born from a lack of a roadmap. Every musician I speak to has had such a uniquely individual experience in this industry, and I learned early on that there is no “one size fits all” way of doing things. Feeling a little bit of imposter syndrome has certainly been a recurring factor that makes it difficult to maintain confidence in my goals and actions. The most important thing I’ve found to keep in mind is that every musician is experiencing the same milestones but in such different manners. No two stories will be identical, and all progress at different rates and in different ways. Though the lack of a roadmap can be a bit stressful, it also makes the journey so much more interesting. Rather than feeling the fear of the unknown, I like to focus more on the excitement from the surprises I encounter on my journey. There are no rules – this industry really is the wild west.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have been a guitarist for over a decade and a singer for about nine years, but for longer than I can recall, I have been a writer. There is a certain thrill in playing a cover of a song that everyone knows and loves, but ultimately, my original work is what I am most proud of. As a one-piece acoustic act, I love bringing complexity and depth to music through the words in my songs. There is no greater joy I have experienced than seeing members of my audiences visibly moved by the stories I share with them. When music is intimate and personal, it invokes a certain kind of delightful wistfulness. My music specifically highlights the pains we experience throughout life. Love, loss, fear, and anger are some of the most common and relatable concepts, but they can often be hard to express when felt so deeply. My music aims to express the general melancholy we all feel but in a soft and gentle way. Almost like a sigh of relief when the words are no longer weighing down the heart.
Alright, so before we go, can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
The best way to support me is through attending my live performances and listening to my music! I think there’s no substitute for live music, and while it certainly always benefits the performer to have a crowd – there is a personal enrichment that comes from attending that cannot be replaced. Between listener and performer, music is a relationship in which everyone benefits. Collaboration is the heart and soul of the music industry. Even if it is not direct, we need the impact of others to create. Those interested in collaborating on a music project are welcome to reach out through my website or social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hannahrosemusic.us/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/music.hannahrose
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/music.hrose/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hannahrosemusicTX
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/5RgbDG9ZsfMqP9s850AuQe?si=BMpUvJG5T2CMUaVxCexR9A&nd=1&dlsi=9aaf46429b274649
