When Donna Pinckley takes a neighborhood stroll, she happens upon the oddest sights. A coffin sitting on a front lawn with large, creepy eyes peering from the living room windows, flamingos and shoes hanging from a tree like leaves and a yard sign that reads “Be nice or leave” placed next to an alligator are all images that Pinckley observes, then photographs.

“They are all hiding in plain sight,” Pinckley said. “They’re humorous in their juxtaposition.”

The images become a part of Pinckley’s “Lagniappe” series or her “something extra.”

The Louisiana native landed in Arkansas in the early 1990s, after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Louisiana Tech University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked at another Arkansas institution before coming to the 51��¥ in 2002 on a one-year appointment. She started a tenure-track position in 2003 and has since earned tenure.

As a veteran photographer and tenured professor, Pinckley has created several photographic series, but the “Lagniappe” series is outside her norm.

“You always want to stretch yourself and learn,” Pinckley said. “The work is different from what I was doing.”

Most of her previous work was portraitures featuring people in natural settings. Images in several of her series, such as “Southern Depictions” and “Soul Objects,” prominently show people at their homes or in their neighborhoods. Individuals, mostly children, hold personal items like jewelry boxes or toys, while staring blankly through the camera lens.

Pinckley uses a Crown Graphic 4×5 camera, a black-and-white film camera that produces a 4” by 5” negative. She teaches a number of classes, including digital photography, but for her own work, she prefers the Crown Graphic because of the detail it allows.

She photographed several children throughout their lives to showcase the progression of age and expression. It was the children’s series that was a major catalyst for her most recognized photo series, “Sticks and Stones,” which features interracial couples and one insult the couples had received.

One of the children from her series was a young woman that Pinckley had photographed several times, and over time, Pinckley became friends with her and her family.

The now young woman is a college graduate and is involved in an interracial relationship. While visiting with the woman’s family, her mother told Pinckley people treat her daughter “really badly” and make terrible comments to the couple.

Pinckley asked to photograph the couple and for them to tell her about comments people had made to them.

“The comment was, ‘They are disgusting,’ to their face,” Pinckley said. “That’s pretty powerful.”

Pinckley then asked the couple whether they knew of other couples with similar experiences.

“I thought of this concept and this idea, and I don’t know that it’s ever been done before, and I thought, ‘I’m gonna try it and see,’” she said.

Through a word-of-mouth network, Pinckley began to capture the images of other interracial couples for her series. Each portrait is captioned with a racist comment made to the couple.

Pinckley submitted the “Sticks and Stones” series to a competition, but she did not win. She did, however, catch the attention of an editor at Slate magazine who wrote a story about the series.

“He did a really good interview. He captured everything,” Pinckley said. “Well the next morning, Huffington Post calls me and then Buzzfeed and then MTV, Cosmo, the Guardian, just on and on. This went on for two months.”

While her work received critical acclaim from many who were encouraged by the social commentary, it also incited criticism.

“I don’t read the comments at all. Even if it’s positive or negative, I just don’t read them,” Pinckley said. “Several people made an effort and emailed me and gave me negative comments.”

The attention helped to spark interest in the series, and to date, she has photographed about 30 couples.

“It wasn’t an intentional thing but sub-consciously, I guess it was my time to have a way to be proactive about the subject of race and how people treat each other,” she said. “I don’t try to make it controversial, just trying to have a conversation. I’m not political, but the subject is.”

A lifelong passion for music led world-renowned opera singer, Kristin Lewis ’99, on a journey to transform her love for the arts into a foundation that allowed her to give back. Created in 2014, the Kristin Lewis Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides financial awards to young singers with talents in opera performance.

When passion collides with talent, greatness is born. Internationally renowned opera singer Kristin Lewis ’99 came from a very musically-oriented family, and she attributes that to her love of her craft.

“Everyone in my life was musically inclined, [but] I was never thinking as a child that I would pursue it as a career choice,” said Lewis. “It actually wasn’t until I went to the 51��¥, where I started as an English major with the intention of going to law school, I discovered that, though that was interesting, it was not my true passion. I went through this soul searching period and discovered that my passion was music.”

Once she discovered the path she was meant to travel, Lewis began her vocal studies under the tutelage of Dr. Martha Antolik. Lewis credits her time at UCA for laying down the foundation for what was next to come.

“I’m very grateful to those people who supported me along my journey, especially here in Arkansas when I was in undergraduate school,” Lewis said. “When it became clear that this is what I wanted to do, there were so many people- people in my church and people at UCA- who believed in me, encouraged me and supported me, and that made the biggest difference. It made me believe in myself.”

Blessed with an amazing gift of vocal talent, Lewis traveled all over Europe, performing in nearly every major opera house there, including the Vienna Staatsoper, L’Opéra de Paris and the Berlin State Opera. During the fall of 2016, she will debut the role of Bess in “Porgy and Bess” at La Scala in Milan, Italy.

“I’ve never taken any experience I’ve had for granted, so every production I’ve ever received was viewed with that same amount of passion and gusto as the very first one,” said Lewis. “I’ve been very fortunate in that the experiences have always increased. Large opera companies began to offer me things, and every time, it was ‘the moment’ for me.”

Lewis not only has a passion for music but a heart for service as well. In 2014, she started the Kristin Lewis Foundation to benefit and shine a spotlight on emerging, talented musicians.

“It started as a really simple idea,” said Lewis. “Two years ago I came home for a visit and met a neighbor’s son who was just graduating from high school and was so passionate about pursuing a career in performance. After the conversation, I realized he didn’t need help financially, but then I started thinking about those singers who don’t have financial help. I thought, ‘I can help a singer. I can do that!’”

What began as a small notion soon blossomed into a big idea. Lewis planned to give one or two scholarships every year, but the longer she thought about it, the more excited she became.

“I just thought, ‘Why one or two? Why not more?’ I started thinking about it and talking to family and friends, and everybody was so encouraging,” said Lewis. “And then I thought, ‘Let’s give scholarships away! Not just one or two! Let’s just see how many scholarships we can come up with!’ And it just kept growing from there.”

Soon, Lewis realized she could not personally give scholarships to as many people as she had hoped, so she started fundraising. Then, Lewis decided she needed a platform from which to fundraise, so she decided to start her own foundation. Now, the Kristin Lewis Foundation is so much more than a scholarship fund. The Foundation puts on concerts, holds master classes and continues to grow every day.

“When I thought I wanted to go to law school, it was because I wanted to fight for people. I thought I might want to be a teacher to touch the lives of children. I wanted to be a psychiatrist to help people,” said Lewis. “Every avenue had a theme of service, and now I’m touching lots of people’s lives in performances and my foundation is helping people, so it’s been a consistent theme in my life that I’m actually quite proud of.”

Lewis has found her calling and knows in her heart that music is a universal language that every person can speak. She believes that it isn’t necessarily the music itself but is instead the emotions that the music evokes while one truly listens.

“Music is the expression of how we feel. I have listened to pieces and remarked afterwards, ‘Wow, that’s what love feels like!’ The genius of so many opera composers is that they capture what an emotion sounds like,” Lewis said. “Singing is a spiritual experience for me and I totally believe the gift is from God. I’ve been fortunate to experience so many things, but having the opportunity to have a spiritually and emotionally fulfilling career in itself is a great thing.”

Sensa Mamma

Performed by Kristin Lewis
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Conductor: Maestro Bruno Bartoletti
Orchestra: Orchestra Pistoiese Promusica

The piece is entitled “Sensa Mamma.” It is from the opera Suor Angelica, a second in the trio of operas called “Il Trittico.” “It was sung during a concert in Prato, Italy, in celebration of the life and work of the composer,” said Lewis.

“This is a great event for UCA, for Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre and also for the city of Conway,” said Conway Mayor Tab Townsell ’84. “If you were going to have a time capsule for western civilization, First Folio would be one of the things we would put in there. It helps define who we are as a civilization.”

Printed in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death, the First Folio is one of the first printed and bound editions of Shakespeare’s plays. Only 800 of these treasured books were ever printed, and approximately 233 copies exist today. The Folger Shakespeare Library is home to 83 of those copies. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the Folger Shakespeare Library, in partnership with the Cincinnati Museum Center and the American Library Association, toured the First Folio to all 50 states, including Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

“It is going to one city in every state, and UCA was chosen,” said Barclay McConnell, director of the Baum Gallery. “They chose us as the site, partly because we have a facility that is of merit to host it, but I think a big part of their decision was that the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre calls this place home. This is the perfect location for something like this: centrally located, on a beautiful campus, in a city that has really embraced Shakespeare over the past 10 years.”

UCA’s Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre celebrated its 10th anniversary season and the arrival of the First Folio, with a multitude of events that took place on campus. “We had amazing speakers who are experts in their field talking about Shakespeare and events with the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre Company talking about their process and work,” said Rebekah Scallet, producing artistic director of the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. “We had ‘Family Friday’ every Friday where we had activities for kids to teach them about Shakespeare.”

The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre Company chose three of Shakespeare’s most well-known and well-loved plays to perform in their 10th season. The line-up included “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Twelfth Night” and “Romeo & Juliet,” as well as the modern retelling of the Capulet and Montague feud as told by the Sharks and the Jets in “West Side Story.”

The First Folio Exhibition ran from June 7 through July 12, 2016. Being the only location in the state of Arkansas to host such an iconic and important piece of history meant a lot of groundwork had to be laid years in advance.

“This has been an extremely long process. We started it over two years ago with our application to the Folger [Shakespeare] Library,” said Scallet. “It’s so special to see this exhibit and to actually see Shakespeare’s words on the pages. Here we are with this incredible document, right here on campus. We’re very excited that we were selected.”

Securing the First Folio was a very detailed and involved process. The Folger Shakespeare Library collected in-depth climate data from the Baum Gallery for a year to ensure UCA possessed the ideal climate to host the exhibition. In order to preserve and protect this literary relic, the UCA Physical Plant had to take many precautions.

The gallery was equipped with dehumidifiers that were emptied twice daily, and a humidity check was performed every morning.

“We had to maintain humidity levels between 45 and 56 percent and maintain a temperature of around 70 degrees for three months,” said Michelle Ellington, director of energy and sustainability. “We also introduced LED lamps into the Baum Gallery, so we had great lighting that didn’t require UV filters. We were able to maintain the five foot-candles necessary to preserve the Folio and keep the exhibit lit.”

It took a campus-wide effort to protect this important piece of history. Without the First Folio, the world would not have 18 of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, including “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar” and “As You Like It.”

“You have to spend time with the text to truly appreciate it,” said Nisi Sturgis ’01, UCA alumna and actress in the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre Company. “It takes time to get to know someone, to get to know the life of a person. Shakespeare’s work is so astonishing that you can spend the rest of your life unraveling it.”

Bear Tales – Shakespeare’s First Folio

Steve Griffith ’82, ’88 has not earned a paycheck from a “real” job since 2001. That was the year he closed the doors to his successful psychology practice to become a full-time artist.

“Before I officially closed the psychology practice, we had a family sit-down to talk about us ‘chasing a dream’ and everyone said, ‘Yes. Let’s all make a family effort to go for that,’ ” he said.

His wife, Vivian ’81, ’83 and their four children became his greatest supporters. The children, who are now all UCA alumni, helped with laborious tasks. Vivian maintained her career with the Vilonia School District and served as Steve’s chief marketer, helping to catapult his artistry.

High-end galleries immediately began showcasing and selling his art. UCA alumni friends rallied around him by commissioning and purchasing his art. Further accelerating his career, a Memphis company began using a Griffith painting as product labeling for its wines.

As Steve’s work continued to ascend, Vivian joined him and left her career to also become a full-time artist.

Their lives together started on their first date, which just so happened to be at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. That was about 20 years ago, but both have been artists at heart for nearly all their lives.

Steve still remembers a teacher’s comment from his third grade report card, “Steve is a good student, but he spends too much time drawing and coloring.”

Hanging in a spare bedroom at their Conway home is one of Vivian’s earliest works, a self-portrait she created as a teenager. Drawn on a shopping bag, the portrait is complete with a “greasy thumb print” that was likely left by her father as he admired the piece.

Today, Steve is primarily a plein air artist, which means he generally works “in the open air” painting landscapes and natural scenery. Vivian is a mixed-media artist, using a number of art media to create abstracts and figurative works of humans and animals.

The couple uses a mobile studio to travel and work at locations across the nation: California, Wyoming, Utah, Alabama, Texas and Florida, to name a few. They spend about half their time traveling.

The rest of their time is spent at their Conway residence that serves as both a studio and gallery.

Neighbors sometimes awaken to a selection of rock, blues or classical tunes blasting from the paint-splattered CD player during early morning hours. The art space is outfitted with at least a half dozen easels, canvasses of multiple sizes and art in varying states of completion.

In addition to galleries, the Griffiths sell their artwork by posting completed pieces on social media networks. Interior designers, many of whom are UCA alumni, file through their home to browse and purchase new paintings for a client’s home.

They’ve sold work to affluent entrepreneurs, high-ranking corporate executives and distinguished political figures such as Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and former President Bill Clinton. One Faulkner County family has collected 68 of their paintings.

“Several celebrities and athletes that are renowned collect our work,” Vivian said. “It’s just amazing.”

The Griffiths are grateful for their success and attribute much of it to their UCA education and its alumni network. This success has allowed the Griffiths to begin another endeavor, philanthropy.

“I don’t know that a month goes by that we’re not involved in at least one charitable cause,” said Vivian.

The Griffiths have supported local nonprofits such as H.A.V.E.N. (Help for Abuse Victims in Emergency Need) House and the Boys & Girls Club of Faulkner County, as well as many other charitable organizations.

“If we deem it a worthwhile cause, and most of them are, we donate artwork,” Steve said. “We’ve done fundraisers for almost every kind of nonprofit that you can imagine.”

The pair donates art, supplies, talent and time by preparing a piece that organizations can auction at special events. The Griffiths either prepare a piece and then present it to the organization, or they create a new work during a live show.

“We make nothing off it. We donate the materials, everything,” Steve said. “Some of them will raise 20 or 30 thousand dollars off the artwork that we give them.”

The funds help the organizations sustain their programming, but the Griffiths believe it also increases notoriety.

“We set up one of these paintings at a function, and you get a lot of attention doing that,” Steve said. “As much as any finances that the art has generated, it’s the awareness too.”

While the Griffiths both had early careers in the “helping fields” of education and psychology, they believe their philanthropic artwork has had a greater impact on society.

“I think our fiber is charity,” Steve said. “Humanity is definitely us. That’s Viv and Steve.”

Nashville, Tennessee, is known as the city of music. Nashville’s nickname dates all the way back to the 1800s when the Fisk Jubilee Singers from Fisk University in Nashville performed for England’s Queen Victoria. After hearing their performance, she stated that they must have come straight from “Music City.” Nashville has been building a solid foundation on the music industry ever since the appearance of the fiddle in the American South back in the 1700s. Now, home to the Country Music Association, the Grand Ole Opry and a buzzing, ever-growing musical community, Nashville is the place to be for those dreaming of making it big in the music industry.

Conway is well-known and well-loved by its inhabitants for many reasons, including Toad Suck Daze, our picturesque historic downtown and a vibrant arts community. So, what do these two cities have in common? Sure, they share a common bond of all things southern, like overly sweet tea, delicious barbecue and a penchant for the collective term “y’all,” but these two seemingly different cities have one big, and surprising, connection: 51��¥ alumni.

The following six UCA alumni have followed their dreams of musical stardom from their homes in Arkansas to Nashville. Some chose to continue exploring the country, others came back to their hometown roots and a few decided to make Nashville their new home. But one thing is certain: wherever they end up and no matter how famous they become, they’ll always have a place to call home in Arkansas.

Join us for the Allen & Baber: Back At Home concert featuring , , , and Matthew Huff. Enjoy a night of acoustic music, expertly performed by some of the most successful musicians from UCA on October 28th at the Reynolds Performance Hall. These five talented singers are making it big in the music industry across the country, but they’re coming back home to Bear Country to jam out at their alma mater.

To some people, music is a spiritual experience, but to Kris Allen, Conway local and winner of the eighth season of the reality show “American Idol,” that’s putting it lightly. During his time as a student of the College of Business at UCA, Allen started out on a quest to find himself, not just intellectually and musically, but spiritually as well.

“At UCA, I figured out exactly who I was and who I wanted to be,” said Allen. “I got involved in missionary work there and that really shaped me more than anything. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t have gone to UCA.”

But he didn’t stop there, and he soon found himself on an international journey as well. After his freshman year, Allen traveled to Spain, Thailand and Africa.

“In those trips, I found the core of who God is and who he is in relation to me,” Allen said. “I got involved in the campus ministry, Chi Alpha, and through that I got to see the world.”

Allen had chosen UCA because the campus was so close to home, but much to his own surprise, he would become well-traveled a little more than a year later.

“My time at UCA was the biggest learning experience of my life,” Allen said. “UCA gave me a sense of self, and it was all really good.”

Allen was always musically inclined, playing viola as a child all the way into the Arkansas All-State Orchestra, as well as being a pianist and self-taught guitarist. In 2008, Allen tried out for “American Idol” with his brother, and “the rest is kind of history!” Allen won the reality singing competition and in 2009, he left UCA to pursue his music career.

That same year, Allen signed with Jive Records and released his self-titled debut album. Of the 12 tracks on his album, Allen wrote or co-wrote nine, and Allen’s cover of “Live Like We’re Dying” reached platinum status at more than $1.7 million in sales. The following February, Allen continued his spiritual journey when he used his newfound fame to travel with the United Nations Foundation to raise awareness about disaster relief efforts after an earthquake devastated the country of Haiti.

Upon his return, he performed a cover of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” on FOX’s “Idol Gives Back” campaign, a charitable not-for-profit foundation to raise money and awareness for those in need. The song was available to download via iTunes and all proceeds went to the United Nations Foundation’s relief efforts in Haiti, which reached a grand total of $250,000.

Charity has been a huge component in Allen’s life, and he has supported numerous charitable efforts including Music Empowers Foundation, Little Kids Rock, TOMS Shoes, World Vision’s project in Kenya and Direct Relief International.

Allen’s journey had only just begun. While working on his third album, Allen made a trip to Nashville to visit his college buddy, Adam Hambrick, where he met a pretty important person.

“Adam introduced me to Charlie Peacock while I was in Nashville. I didn’t know who he was at the time,” Allen said. “Turns out he had produced records for the Civil Wars and for Switchfoot! I hit him up when I was in town, and he agreed immediately [to work with me], and I came here a lot after that.”

Nashville became like a second home to Allen, and soon he was writing with Peacock regularly and then recording an album.

“He coaxed me here and said I would thrive and be so happy in the music community in Nashville. He was so right,” said Allen. “I miss Arkansas, but it isn’t far. It has been so nice to be immersed in a community that cares about music and the people involved in it. Everyone looks out for each other. This record happened fast. Nashville is my fast track. It’s just amazing.”

Allen’s introduction into the music industry may have been more unique than most, but he is no stranger to hard work.

“There are a lot of talented people out there, and nobody makes it big in the music industry just on pure talent alone,” said Allen. “You have to work and work really hard. When I go on the road with people who have been doing this for much longer than I have, who are way better guitar players, way better singers, way better songwriters than I am, I just think, ‘Wow, how can I get to their level?’ And the answer is that it’s just hard work. The more you work at it the better you get.”

Allen’s hard work has certainly paid off, but he refuses to take all the credit for his success.

“My favorite songs come from somewhere else, and I have to think it’s God. The moment I try to write songs or write music, I feel like I just get in my own way,” said Allen. “With this last record I felt I was in a spot where I was dealing with writer’s block. I just decided to let go and talk to God, and I just started to listen and then the song just flowed out from that moment on. I think that this is the best record I’ve ever made.”

Faster Shoes

Performed by Kris Allen
Written by Kris Allen and Tofer Brown

“Faster Shoes” is featured on Allen’s new album, “,” which is available for download on . “This is one of my favorites from the new record,” Allen said. “This is a song about trying to run away from your problems. Maybe if we all had our own set of PF flyers, we would be invincible.”

Kris Allen Exclusive Music

Letting You In

Barrett Baber ’06 never planned on trying out for the NBC singing competition “The Voice.” He never expected that all four celebrity judges would turn around in their chairs to choose him during his blind audition. Baber also never dreamed that he would walk away from the show holding the third place title, but he did. And now, his success is continuing to rocket.

“My song lyrics were featured on 20-ounce Coke bottles nationwide this summer,” Baber said. “Which is just fantastic!”

Raised in Marion, Baber has always been a creative spirit with a go-with-the-flow personality. He never actually wanted to audition for “The Voice.”

“I didn’t really watch the show because I was busy playing gigs and writing songs. But I ended up meeting a guy from Texas a couple years ago named Luke Wade, and the very next year he went on ‘The Voice’ and made it to the top 12,” said Baber. “He came to town after he was done with the show, and we played a show together in Fayetteville.”

After the show, Wade tried to convince Baber to look into “The Voice,” but Baber insisted he wasn’t interested. Finally, after much persuasion, Wade convinced Baber to agree to let him send a YouTube link to the casting director of the show.

“I got a call from the casting agency about coming to a private audition in Oklahoma City a few weeks later, and I just decided to show up and see what happened,” said Baber. “And I’m really glad I did.”

Before Baber wowed an audience of 10 million viewers, he was just a regular guy trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. In 2002, Baber moved to Nashville and auditioned for season two of the hit show “American Idol.” He was cut before he made it to television and decided that reality music shows weren’t the way to go.

At the age of 23, Baber met a girl who was a student at UCA and he decided to join her and finish his degree. Within a few months of moving to Conway, the relationship ended, but Baber’s relationship with UCA had just begun.

“I credit UCA as being my second chance to being successful because it taught me how to be a student and an adult. The education I got here played such a crucial role in my success,” said Baber. “UCA was a special time for me. I’ve used the things I’ve learned in the communication department, and they have benefited me immensely.”

While at UCA, Baber made the decision to pursue his education first and enjoy playing music on the side. He began playing shows in Little Rock’s multitude of dive bars, grabbing his guitar and driving down to the capital city sometimes four to five times a week.

“Honestly, ‘The Voice’ was easier than playing dive bars,” said Baber. “When you’re in such an intimate space with only 12 people in the audience, and it’s a Tuesday, and these people were coming to that bar whether you were going to be there or not and now it’s your job to figure out a way to make this the most memorable part of their evening… That’s real pressure!”

Competing on “The Voice” was still an enjoyable experience, and Baber’s favorite part of being on the show was the people he got to meet.

“I was singing with guys from Chicago, Los Angeles and young kids from Knoxville and Georgia,” said Baber. “People of different races, different religions and different backgrounds. We have this connecting thing between us and as a human being, I found that to be very encouraging. It was just a really neat thing to get to feel what I’ve always known: music is universal.”

After his success on “The Voice,” Baber didn’t sit back and prop up his feet. He knew this was only the beginning, and he was ready to get to work. As soon as the show was over, Baber signed immediately with William Morris Endeavor, one of the largest booking agencies in the world.

“It opened a lot of doors, and right away we booked 10 shows with Rascal Flatts,” said Baber. “We toured with them in Vegas, which immediately broadened our fan base and showed people that I’m more than a guy who can sing song covers on a television show, which is really important to me.”

Baber has even bigger plans for the future. He has plans for producer meetings in Nashville, local shows in Arkansas and a tour that will take him all across America. Keeping his home state close to heart, as well as tattooed on his arm, reminds him what is truly important.

“I have a really good grasp on what matters to me: my wife and my kids. My happiness is not necessarily tied to my job all the time,” said Baber. “My job is to make music, which we can all relate to and dig. It reminds me that regardless of where you’re from or how you grew up, we all speak the same language.”

Feelin’ That Way

Performed by Barrett Baber
Composed by Barrett Baber and Kenny Lamb

“I wrote this song about something I think most people can identify with,” said Baber. “The experience of falling in love again with someone you’ve been in a relationship with for a long time is a pretty awesome thing to remind yourself why you love who you love.” This song appears on the Barrett Baber EP “,” which is available for download on and purchase at .

Falling Again – EP

The Voice 2015 Blind Audition – Barrett Baber: “Angel Eyes”

Being discovered by a famous music artist is every aspiring musician’s dream come true. For Adam Hambrick ’07 it became a reality, and he considers himself one of the lucky ones.

“I won the songwriter lottery,” Hambrick said. “Justin Moore saw me playing on television for a club show in Little Rock and told his producer about me. Luckily, they were looking for new young artists.”

That lucky twist of fate in 2011 resulted in Hambrick traveling to Nashville once a month to write new songs with Moore’s producer. A year later, Hambrick moved to Music City in order to pursue a full-time country music career.

“I got a cut on Justin’s record that was a duet with Miranda Lambert,” said Hambrick. “That propelled me forward, and I’ve written 500 songs since I started this endeavor.”

As the son of a Baptist preacher, Hambrick grew up singing in the church. He went to high school in Mississippi, and his youth pastor was an alumnus. This led Hambrick to attend UCA where he graduated with a degree in mass communication. He credits the time he spent at UCA for his dedication to hard work.

“When I was in high school I wasn’t the cool guy everybody wanted to hang out with on the weekends,” Hambrick said. “But when I came to UCA, I made this conscious effort to be involved and put myself out there on campus. What I found was a great community of people who were excited about life and excited about that community aspect of college too. I really love that about UCA.”

Hambrick has written songs for country music stars such as Miranda Lambert, Eli Young Band, Dan + Shay, Rascal Flatts and Justin Moore. He lives in Nashville with his wife and new baby, which helps him build new relationships with other musicians. Hambrick makes a living writing songs but is now working on his solo career as well.

“I’m scratching the surface with what I’m doing here in Nashville,” Hambrick said. “I’m just waiting for that one song to break through and hit the radio. It’s been a really good fit for me to be able to come to Nashville and write songs in my particular way.”

After moving to Nashville, Hambrick got the opportunity to travel back home to Arkansas in 2013 to perform on stage with Moore.

“Justin was playing a show in Fayetteville, and he asked me to play a song with him,” Hambrick said. “I thought I would just be singing into the guitar player’s microphone, but he gave me my own microphone and the most incredible, heartfelt introduction.”

They sang “Small Town USA” to a crowd of more than 8,000 screaming fans. Hambrick lists that experience as one of the most amazing moments in his life.

“To be on that stage, singing that song to my home state crowd was the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten to do,” said Hambrick. “I am absolutely living my dream.”

Rockin’ All Night Long

Performed by Adam Hambrick
Written by Adam Hambrick, Kelly Archer and Pete Good

“It’s a song about the best days of your life,” said Hambrick. “You’re always surprised where you find them – listening to music in a beat up car with your buddies, when you find love, when you hold your first born. The feelings are so exciting and somehow so similar even though life looks so different.” Hambrick’s song appears on his summer mixtape “,” which is available on .

Adam Hambrick Exclusive Music

To witness Bryce Roberts expertly maneuver his way around the audio equipment in the Tracking Room, one might think he was born in a recording studio. Surrounded by microphones, computer screens, instruments and every kind of button and knob imaginable, Roberts is completely in his element.

Located right off Music Row, the Tracking Room is Nashville’s largest recording studio that has played host to some of the biggest names in the business including Taylor Swift, Foreigner and Bon Jovi. Roberts works there as a staff engineer, which means he facilitates every aspect of the music from “microphone to speakers.”

“UCA was my first real life experience, and my computer classes prepared me for what I do now since half of what I do at the Tracking Room is on a computer,” Roberts said. “It definitely shaped my drive and early knowledge with technology.”

After attending UCA in 2008, Roberts transferred to Middle Tennessee State University to pursue his degree in recording industry production and technology, with a concentration in audio production. Roberts began an internship at Quad Studios in Nashville, where he got his first real taste of sound engineering, as well as his first experiences with the music industry.

“I learned what it takes to be successful in this city,” Roberts said. “While I was an intern at Quad Studios, I learned to be the guy available at midnight to help set up, be the guy that they could call at any time and rely on. If you’re ‘that guy’ long enough, you’ll just end up in the right spot.”

Being “that guy” at Quad Studios allowed Roberts to work with Old Crow Medicine Show as second engineer on their Grammy-winning album “Remedy.” He also worked as engineer on Old Crow Medicine Show and Asleep at the Wheel’s collaboration album, “Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Playboys,” which won Best Recording Package at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

In 2014, Roberts began working at The Tracking Room, where he has facilitated recording sessions with Merle Haggard, Rascal Flatts and Deep Purple. But working with such well known clients can be stressful, and Roberts has seen his fair share.

“My job is to make sure everything is working correctly at all times,” Roberts said. “My heart will be pumping, but I’ve worked this equipment long enough that if I hear a kink, I can patch it up and work around it.”

Roberts plans to stay in Nashville as long as he possibly can, and figures that his next move will be working for himself as a freelance sound engineer with his own clients and own rates.

“Things are temporary around here. That’s just the nature of this industry,” Roberts said. “For me now, I’m young and I’ve had great opportunities. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Hannah Blaylock knew she wanted to be in the music business since she was a little girl.

“I remember going to a Dixie Chicks concert when I was nine years old, and I wore a pink snake cowgirl hat,” Blaylock said. “I wanted to sing on stage my whole life. I’ve always known that.”

Blaylock was active in choir in high school and became the vocalist and founding member of the highly successful country music trio, Eden’s Edge. The band was comprised of three members, all Arkansas natives, who won a contest sponsored by Country Music Television. Being a part of the band afforded Blaylock a plethora of opportunities to fulfill her lifelong dream.

“We were very lucky to have the opportunity that we got,” Blaylock said. “We moved to Nashville to see if we could try to make a living making music, and from there it is just surreal.”

After moving to Nashville in 2007, Eden’s Edge was signed by Big Machine record label and joined Brad Paisley on tour. That tour led to a tour with Reba McEntire, then Lady Antebellum and finally, Rascal Flatts.

“On every single one of those tours there was an encore where we would all come up at the end,” said Blaylock. “They always supported and featured all the acts that were on tour. It was never just about them. Country music is pretty awesome in that way. They really support everybody that they can.”

Blaylock left Eden’s Edge in 2013 to begin working on her solo career as a singer and songwriter. She considers Nashville her home now and loves that the music community is very interwoven so she still recognizes some familiar faces.

“Kris Allen and I used to sing in Phi Alpha together, as well as at New Life Church,” said Blaylock. “He, Adam Hambrick and I became friends at UCA, so it’s cool that now we are all here cheering each other on in Nashville.”

Blaylock attended UCA in 2004 and was a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha before she transferred to Nashville’s Belmont University in 2007.

“It takes time to create a foundation, find yourself and discover your sound,” Blaylock said. “I literally started back at square one with my solo project, but 350 songs later, in January, I ended up cutting a record with my heroes, Emily and Marty from the Dixie Chicks.”

Going solo and taking a leap of faith isn’t easy to do, but Blaylock is thrilled to be working with the band that sparked her love of country music and performing.

“The music that they created is the reason why I wanted to sing country music,” said Blaylock. “It’s such an affirmation for me that they have helped me make my next step. This is a huge gift.”

Burned the Forest

Performed by Hannah Blaylock
Written by Autumn McEntire and Hannah Blaylock
Produced by Ilya Toshinskiy and Hannah Blaylock

The first song on Blaylock’s EP “My Roots Run Deep,” “Burned The Forest” is inspired by her childhood spent growing up on the farm, watching the brush fires burn to create healthier soil and grass beneath the ashes. “The song is about when a life or world is burned to the ground and how out of the ashes comes an even richer and fuller experience,” Blaylock said.

Listen to “My Roots Run Deep” at