小优视频

Hannah Phillips 鈥�27 was at first nervous, until she felt the vibes from the audience.

She had her people.

In front of a packed room of family and friends at New World Brewery in Tampa in January, Phillips sang songs from her album 鈥淟ittle Miss Daydreamer.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 been in the works for a while. I've been writing the songs for like, the past six-ish years. So, it was getting to the point where I just really wanted to get my music out there,鈥� said the music major.

Phillips began playing music in third grade when she picked up the bass guitar. She played cello in orchestra and also learned to play the ukulele, which is her instrument of choice.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really decide on singer-songwriter until a little later, but I鈥檝e always wanted to do music,鈥� she said.

The shift happened after a Twenty-One Pilots concert, she explained.

鈥淚 was at the concert and saw the community of the fans and how impacted they were by the band's music, and I thought, How cool would it be if I could have an impact on people's life like that?鈥�

鈥淚 just want to make people feel less alone in their experiences,鈥� Phillips said.

Phillips wanted her first album to be perfect, so she had a hard time pushing herself to release it into the world. So, she set a deadline at the beginning of 2024 to have it finished before her next birthday.

When writing, Phillips said she starts with an overall theme of the song, and she likes to write the lyrics at the same time as the chords and the melody. Then she will record and add 鈥渇un special touches,鈥� she said.

"Listening to the album, it is clear that she has a sophistication to her songwriting, performance skill and production technique that reflects her success as a student in the music technology program, as well as her training in both classical and popular music," said Bradford Blackburn, associate professor of music.

Phillips pulls a lot of inspiration from her relationships: friendship and romantic.

鈥淒opamine,鈥� the second track on the album, is about a friend who was struggling mentally, and how Phillips wanted to be there for them and help any way she could, she explained.

鈥淎nd then I got into a relationship in high school, and I wrote a bunch of love songs. So that's been a thing, too,鈥� she added.

Phillips鈥� boyfriend joined her on stage at her album release party to play piano. He also appears on the album, having recorded a few cello and piano parts.

小优视频ampa student Isabella Diaz 鈥�27, who is also a singer-songwriter, also joined Phillips on stage, playing the keyboard and guitar. Diaz also made and released an album of her songs, to which she performed in the Charlene A. Gordon Theatre on campus.

John Dunning '24, too, made and released an original electronic dance music (EDM) album for his senior project.

"This is the first time that we have had this many album releases within the space of a year among students in the music technology program, and it is a sign that the students are flourishing through their creativity," said Blackburn.

Despite now having access to the recording studio on campus in the Ferman Center for the Arts, Phillips said she will most likely still record in her bedroom.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a safe space, and I can try as many different things and take as much time as I need,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I really love that, like, even though I have access to this amazing studio.鈥�

The recording studio on campus is听open to students who have completed the foundational music technology courses MUS 108 and 109, and who have successfully passed the recording studio access examinations while taking the MUS 326 鈥� Recording Studio Practicum course, Blackburn noted.

Completing an album is an incredible feat, particularly in your sophomore year, said Blackburn.听

"It听is a major accomplishment and demonstrates a high level of personal initiative and dedication," he said. "The fact that the album is all original music, with acoustic recordings, and skillful producing, makes it听even more special."

Even though graduation is a few years away, Phillips knows she wants to be a longtime singer-songwriter. Her ideal situation, she said, would be to find a small band to perform her songs with and have the ability to play all her different instruments.

You can listen to Phillips鈥� album online here: linktr.ee/itshannahphillips.