Some people are lucky enough to ignite a spark early in their lives. For alumni Mandy Mae Hallman, ‘10,  took her spark and ran with it. From when she was just four years old, Hallman began to show an interest for piano and tool lessons until the age of 12 when she then moved onto guitar lessons. Shortly after that, she began to write her very own songs. Hallman’s first CD that was produced is called “Destination.” This was produced with help from AV Coordinator Adam Umbreit.

“After noticing how talented Mandy was during the school talent show I was blown away. We spoke from time to time and then I approached her to see if she would be interested in recording her first album at my old stomping grounds in Minnesota at Rockhouse Productions Studio where I used to be a professional studio engineer for some of the biggest names in the business,” Umbreit said. 

Hallman accepted the offer and began recording her first CD. At the age of 18, Hallman moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a musical career. This is where she put out an album called “History.”

“The album ‘History’ was really the first time I let myself make music without thinking about what ‘they’ want to hear,” Hallman said.

A specific song on this album could be labeled as a classic cheating song. This song is a representation of how anyone would feel in the middle of a cheating partner. Hallman’s lyrics and vocals show the emotion she wanted to portray through this song. It is called “Cherry No.3”. 

“It was about pouring myself into a relationship 100% only to have someone make me feel small and unimportant,” Hallman said. “I let myself be angry in that song because that’s how I felt, and I didn’t want to filter myself to make it sound less than what it was.” 

 As any female singer/songwriter might, Hallman faced challenges being in this industry. 

“It’s difficult every single step of the way. You end up having to prove yourself in every aspect of your career,” Hallman said. “The way you dress, the way you talk, the vocabulary you use, the way you write songs, the people you associate yourself with, the people you date, how well you can play an instrument.” 

Although there aren’t any plans to make music Hallman’s full time career, and she does not have any albums to be released, music will always be a part of her life. 

“I guess I’m never done writing music. It’s just a constant random ebb and flow of ideas, lyrics, and melodies that poke at me every so often,” Hallman said. 

Hallman knew she loved music from just four years old and once she hit the age of 18, she took that love and decided she wanted to create something out of it. Anyone can do something they love with the right determination. 

“Follow your heart. It’s very easy to want to please the world and get attention and validation, but if it’s not what you actually want to do and music you actually want to make then it’s a very hollow feeling,” Hallman said.