Little Fish in a Big Sea

As a child, Hannah Ayrault was blessed with the gift of music.

“I’ve been singing since I could remember,” the 24-year-old, Grosse Pointe native said. “We got a piano and I was really young — maybe three years old — and I started going up to it and playing little songs by ear.

“Once my mom and dad heard it, they kind of got me into piano lessons ... And that’s where it started.

“I started writing my own songs when I was about 12 and then I played the guitar, learned how to co-produce some music,” Ayrault said.

Community events and school programs bolstered her musical education as she progressed through her highschool career, beginning at South High School and finishing with a year at Interlochen Arts Academy.

Ayrault was ready for her next adventure, this time in Nashville, Tennessee at the University of Belmont to study songwriting and music business.

“Im very passionate about music and I feel like I’ve just spent my whole life studying it and learning as much as I can, and trying to learn all aspects of the business, not just performing and singing and being a musician, but also the business that goes along with it… it’s so interesting.”

And Ayrault took to Nashville like a fish to water.

“It’s fun in Nashville ... you’re a little fish in a big sea … there’s so much talent here and so many different types of music, so many talented, talented musicians … I’m lucky to be in the presence of that.”

Still, the excitement of the first months wained and it was a hard transition for the then-college freshman far from home. Ayrault turned to her music, channelling her emotions to create her first album, “Me Right Now,” released in 2015.

“I was growing up; I was maturing; I was learning how to be an adult … The best music I have ever written have come from periods of transition and emotion … it just feels like a weight’s lifted off my chest. It’s my favorite way of expressing myself,” Ayrault said, describing her art as therapeutic and autobiographical.

A few years passed and with a university diploma in hand, the young musician accepted a job at the record label, Riser House Entertainment, where she was able to take her knowledge to new heights and learn about the industry from a business perspective.

“There weren’t a lot of examples at least in my life and like where we grew up of people really going into music,” the singer said, noting that she never expected to pursue a career in the field, “It’s a risky business to be in.”

“People think, as a musician, you only need to know how to read music, how to write songs or how to play instruments and that’s super important. But you also need to know about the ‘ins and outs’ of the industry in order to protect yourself and go into it, in the best way you can,” she said, adding it was her goal to become a well-rounded artist.

Thankfully, business came naturally to her.

“I fell into marketing. I grew up going to my dad’s work and he works at an advertising agency. He’s the most creative person I know and I think that really helped me discover that part of marketing strategy, branding, social media. I kind of like to do that for fun, it’s kind of like an art for me. It’s a different way of thinking,” she said.

From marketing to music, middle school Christmas programs to the South High show choir performances at Comerica park, Ayrault said, her parents, Terry and Lisa, have cheered her on.

“My parents have definitely been the biggest support system and have really encouraged me,” the young artist said.

“I was kind of talking myself out of pursuing (music.) I’m really grateful that my parents really pushed me the best way possible, because they know this is what I really want to do and it’s nice to be reminded of that,” she said.

Now living and working in Nashville, Ayrault balances her two passions, digital marketing and music. With these skills and the help of a Detroit-based label, All the Way Free, the young artist is producing a host of new music for the coming year.

“I’m always working on new things. I have songs mixed and mastered and ready to go, ready to be put out into the world,” Ayrault said, adding that she plans to release an original song every six to eight weeks.

Though she’s left her acoustic guitar behind, her songwriting style remains, flowing confidently through the verses of her new pop singles. She tells the story of strength, courage, change, and the challenges she’s faced over the last two years.

“I think that this sound is a little more mature … it shows growth which is what I always want to do … I was lucky enough to have people who trusted my opinion and listened to what I wanted and it was the first time I was able to fully express my creativity and collaborate.

“I really hope to make music that makes people think, but also makes them have a good time too …  This is what I’d listen to, even if it wasn’t me singing it,” Ayrault said.

Her new pop single, Stranger, released in October under her pseudonym, Hannah Francis, already has 10,000 streams. She believes the best is yet to come.

“It’s been super rewarding, I will say. Like anything, it’s not perfect. It’s a really, really, really hard industry. There’s ups and downs, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” she said.

To aspiring musicians, Ayrault said, “You just have to do it and you have to put your heart and soul into it. And if it’s what you’re meant do, it’s going to happen.

“No matter how it happens — if you’re playing in a bar for 15 people or if you’re playing for a whole theater full of people — it’s so worth it. Creativity is just the most important thing and art is so important. To find out what you’re passionate about, you just have to do it and don’t settle for anything less.”

*Published in The Grosse Pointe News, 2020