Liberty county native Hannah Osteen was the 2020 recipient of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation’s Bart Howard Scholarship Award as announced on their Facebook Page Nov. 4.
She’s been a member of ASCAP for two years.
Established to honor the memory of long-time ASCAP member Bart Howard, the scholarship recognizes the talent, professionalism, musical ability and career potential of a Belmont songwriting student. A committee consisting of both Belmont faculty and ASCAP management selects the recipient.
Osteen was six when her father, local attorney Jay Osteen, taught her how to play the guitar. Her mom, Katie Osteen was also a singer. Osteen said her Mom’s great grandmother was a jazz singer in Savannah in the early 1930s. That spurred her musical spirit and Osteen has been performing ever since.
“We are a musical family,” Osteen said in a recent interview with the Courier. She said she and her siblings would gather and perform.
“I remember my dad telling us it was time for family band and we all hated it when we were kids,” she said laughing. “But as we get older I grew to like it, I hope they did too, but obviously I loved it and learned to appreciate as I got older.”
According to ASCAP Osteen
was homeschooled so that she could spend more time developing her music, resulting in her early graduation at sixteen years old.
Jay Osteen said she’s been singing since the time she could talk and admits his daughter can shred a mean guitar. It’s something that was passed down to her by her dad, who has played guitar for roughly 40 years.
In 2011 Osteen who was 10 at the time, was one of three finalists who performed at the second annual My Kid Can Sing contest hosted by the Savannah Morning News.
Osteen didn’t take the top prize that year, but she walked away with a new iPod and an eagerness to live life on the big stage.
Back then she revealed to the Courier that her favorite guitarist was Joe Perry of Aerosmith.
“I remember that,” she said. “Yes, but my list has definitely expanded as I’ve gotten older.
Joe Perry was the only major guitarist I saw live in person. But I also enjoy Eric Clapton and Jimmy Hendrix.”
Osteen attends Belmont University as a member of their Songwriting Program. In 2019, she recorded her first EP (extended play) entitled Dive In. She recorded it at Ocean Way Nashville Recording studio.
“It represents me diving into the music scene,” she said. “It is modern, country-pop and has traditional country roots. It’s super funny in some parts because why not? I think it is important to show every single side of me, funny side, silly, sad you name it.”
Osteen said she’s found her sense of belonging in her new surroundings.
“Hinesville will always be home, but Nashville is where I reside and I call it home,” Osteen said. “I feel such a sense of belonging here. When I moved here, I feel like I found my people. It’s such a good feeling to
know you are where God wants you to be.”
As with most musical artists in Nashville she dreams about the day she can take center stage at the Grand Ole Opry.
“I think I’m on the right track,” she said.
She said she is busy recording more music right now and looks forward to being able to tour once it is safe to do so. Read more about Hannah Osteen in an upcoming Liberty Life Magazine feature called, From Hinesville to Nashville in March 2021.
Links to her music: https://hannahnoel.lnk.to/Spotify https://www.facebook.com/hannahnoelmusic/