Hannah Bethel

Wide-smiled, big-hearted Hannah Bethel is like many other artists in this city, trying to live the Nashville dream. And we’re rooting for her 100% (and you will be too!)

Like many talented artists, Hannah’s story started far, far away: her roots began in Wisconsin, and then were transferred to Michigan. She moved to Michigan when she was 13, already with it fixed in her head that she had to be on stage, had to perform, had to show her talent to the world. That first came in the form of musical theatre, but when she moved to Michigan, the fact that this outlet wasn’t readily available meant she had to find other means to express her talent – which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“My first inspirations for songwriting came from wanting to perform and express myself creatively because I wasn’t able to anywhere else, ” Hannah says, “We had a guitar lying around so I started to vent that pent-up energy through singing and playing.”

She started singing, performing, and “writing about love” in her early teens, but her natural talent enabled her to sound like she’d been doing it for decades. Her first experience performing with a guitar was at fourteen at a local fair. At seventeen, as a contestant in the Colgate Country Showdown, she had the opportunity to open up for Joe Nichols and Rodney Atkins. That same year, she released her first CD (Watch Me Fly – available at CDbaby.com, on iTunes, and if you happen to live in Michigan or Wisconsin, it’s for sale at a couple of music stores in those states). Between and around these events, Hannah played everywhere that she could: including countless fairs, talent shows, restaurants, coffee houses, festivals, and weddings.

Not being in a Nashville-like environment for her first years of songwriting and performing helped Hannah grow without being inhibited by the competitive aspect. “There are so many talented musicians and artists in my area, but not many opportunities for kids in the arts,” Hannah relates. “I was one of the only kids doing what I was doing.”

So, who helped hone this youthful powerhouse of energy, talent, and ambition? “My family has been a major, major force in everything that I do,” Hannah says. Apparently it’s working well – Hannah, with her mom serving as her biggest fan and manager, has already sold about 600 physical copies of “Watch Me Fly” and has a little under a thousand online song downloads to her name. She’s also been featured on several Michigan radio stations.

Now at nineteen and living on her own, she’s only getting better. Last year, she decided she was ready to take on Music City and began attending Belmont University. Despite a ridiculously busy class schedule in an entirely new area, Hannah is flourishing both personally and musically. Her song “Backroads” received an honorable mention in Gary Allen’s Music City Beat February Songwriting Contest and was chosen for Song of the Day by FM102x.com on March 4, 2009 (check out the Backroads video here!). Hannah amplifies these successes by performing regularly throughout Nashville. But Hannah isn’t allowing a packed schedule to get in the way of her strong songwriting talents! One of her new beauties, Forgetting to Forget, was chosen as a semi-finalist in the Mike Pinder songwriting contest. Hannah describes Numb From the Cold, another recent addition to her repertoire of quality songs, as “sound[ing] really different than how I usually write” – proof of her growth.

Currently, Hannah’s education is simultaneously teaching her about the music industry and how to maintain top vocal performance. “Belmont is teaching me things that I can apply directly to my career,” she says. “There are so many talented and highly competitive people in Nashville. It drives me to constantly up my game. It is a wonderful place to thrive as an artist.”

With performances that always exceed expectations, a remarkable songwriting growth rate, and numerous contest wins under her belt, it’s safe to say that Hannah Bethel is definitely thriving.

Hannah Bethel on Myspace
Hannah on CDBaby
Hannah’s EPK