Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Hannah Strumner of Boise

Hannah Strumner shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I have had moments recently that have made me proud! I just got to go to Nashville to record some new music and I also got to release a song I recorded called “Disconnect.” It is so cool to see a song you write on your bedroom floor come to life and have a story told through music.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a songwriter-singer, I have been writing music since I was six. I knew I always wanted to do something music related as it would bring me a lot of joy and help me through daily life. I also wanted to help others in my music too. I am currently working on more music projects, including some I got to do in Nashville, and I am excited for you to hear those! I also just released a new song that just came out called “Disconnect” that talks about the feeling of knowing a breakup is about to happen before it actually does.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My father taught me a lot about work. I remember as a kid seeing him wake up at all different times for his job, no matter the hard things he might’ve been going through at that time. Not only that, but also seeing that my dad did not give up, even if it seemed like it was so easy to do.

My mom also inspired me a lot as well, to put my whole heart into everything I do, to give it my all. She also taught me a lot about patience, which is something that is important in music, it isn’t overnight thing, it takes time but it is so worth it.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I had gotten diagnosed with Type One Diabetes, September 2019, back when I was seventeen. Originally, I was so upset, I really felt like the plans I had to be a high school senior and then dorm at a college would not happen because of it, since this news was all so close to a new chapter for me. I remember picking up my Ukulele and writing a song called “Old Phone Line.” The song was about knowing that I would always be attached to my insulin pump for the rest of my life, feeling like a piece of independence was lot for me. When COVID-19 hit a few months later, I started doing a lot of livestreams, and because of deciding to change my path a little, I was able to record music in the studio and start sharing my original songs with others online! I even released “Old Phone Line” which was a song a lot of people could relate to in their own struggles in life. I truly believe if it wasn’t for this struggle, I would not be doing music as much as I am today.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I remember the first thing for me was thinking things would happen overnight. When I was younger and learned guitar, I thought that learning an instrument would be super easy. All I had to do was pick up a guitar a few times and then be a pro at it. I quickly learned that it was not that easy and it took time, but that was a good thing so I could grow in music!
It taught me that good things truly take time, and if you keep working very hard and above all, believe in yourself, you can do anything you set your mind to! It feels good to be able to work hard at something and then achieve your goals!

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I pray and singing worship music! I also love being able to write about my experiences, which really helps me process my emotions and feelings. Many times, it will be something that I don’t record, but sometimes a good melody or lyric will come up from an experience and I will quickly write it down and make a voice memo of it so I do not forget what it sounds like.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Nanci Strumner

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