As Evelyn B. ’25 looks back on her Hartt experience, she has many reflective thoughts on what the last four years have meant to her, from her growth as a person as well as a musician. Evelyn is a performing arts management major, an award-winning musician and social media influencer. Her experiences at Hartt have helped forged a path forward, filled with optimism and inspiration, and reaffirmed the pursuit of an impactful career in the music industry.
Yet Evelyn’s initial experiences before Hartt were at times checkered with hardships. “I’ve been performing my whole life and seriously pursuing a music career for the past few years—but I’ve also experienced first-hand the unhealthy pressure and emotional toll that can come with this industry.” Evelyn shares that “I’ve worked with people who didn’t have my best interests or safety in mind, and those experiences made me passionate about protecting and guiding young performers and artists.” Thankfully, Hartt has provided a nurturing and supportive environment. At Hartt, Evelyn says that studying performing arts management “has given me the tools to do just that and I’m excited to carry that forward.”
These “tools” as Evelyn states have been crucial to her own growth and have set her on the path for success. She says, “my favorite part of my time at UHart has been personal growth and healing and I think that’s something a lot of college students can relate to.” She shares that she grew up thinking that her learning disability and IEP were things that would hold her back from reaching her dreams. When she entered Hartt, she was still reeling from experiences of being bullied in high school, which left her a feeling a lot of self-doubt. But a turning point came at Hartt, as she began to speak out more about her previous hardships on social media as well as continued to make music of her own. Evelynn says this turning point was during her second year at Hartt, when “my advocacy for mental health, learning disabilities, and anti-bullying began gaining traction on TikTok, and I won my first big music award. That moment gave me the confidence to use my story to help others.”
Evelyn B. ’25, The Hartt SchoolUHart gave me more than just training—it gave me clarity. I came in with a passion for performing and storytelling, but through my time here, I learned how to turn that passion into something sustainable and impactful.
Additionally, Evelyn says that “UHart gave me more than just training—it gave me clarity. I came in with a passion for performing and storytelling, but through my time here, I learned how to turn that passion into something sustainable and impactful. I gained real-world experience not just in performance, but in production, music business, and arts management.” Additionally, she Iearned how to build a team, advocate for herself, and navigate the behind-the-scenes side of the industry. Most importantly, Evelyn says that “I learned how to stay grounded in who I am as an artist, even when things got tough. That’s a skill that goes way beyond the classroom.”
Some of the learning experiences beyond that classroom came in the form of an internship as well as a class trip during her senior year. Working with UHart’s Office of Marketing Communications, Evelyn took an internship role as a social media consultant and was able to “use insight from my background as an artist and influencer to help further community engagement for current and prospective students.” The class trip to Nashville was also another highlight for Evelyn and provided another turning point for her future ambitions. It was there that she saw yet another perspective on the music industry and planted the seeds for future career goals. After graduation, she hopes to move to Nashville. “It’s somewhere I’ve always felt drawn to, and a recent class trip really reinforced that feeling. There aren’t many opportunities for music where I’m from, and staying would likely limit my growth not just as an artist, but as someone who wants to make a real impact in the industry.”
In between graduation and making plans to move to Nashville, Evelyn is gearing up for another milestone. Her debut album "Trials of the Flame: Rise of the Sun" will be released on May 30. Hartt is where connections were forged that helped form her current band, including Reid Plonsky ’25 and Owen Strand ’27, and also connected with other musicians like Chris Bafuma ‘28, who helped with drum production on her upcoming album. Additionally, Evelyn says that “skills I learned from artist management classes, like contracts, marketing, etc. have really helped within my career and managing my own band.”
Now on the eve of graduation, Evelyn feels grateful that her Hartt experiences have made such an impact. When asked for advice to the next generation of Hartt students, she says “have a grounding routine—and above all, stay true to yourself. Don’t ever feel pressured to fit in or impress. No one ever made a real impact by playing it safe. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Your authenticity is your greatest strength.”