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Through the help of Uproar Records, a student-run Baylor record label, Trannie Stevens has made her dreams a reality. Stevens began writing songs at a young age and was performing for local churches by age eight. Stevens’ first album came out at age thirteen, and her second followed four years later. Her year spent with Uproar provided Stevens with great exposure and a loyal fan base. She has performed in multiple shows, filmed a music video, and produced a three-song EP since she has been at Baylor. - Catherine West
A Baylor student will share the stage with some of the biggest names in country music on Sunday.
McGregor sophomore Trannie Stevens will sing at the 2013 Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Hall of Fame Awards Show. Stevens will join Toby Keith, Jack Ingram, Larry Gatlin, Ronnie Dunn and Sonny Curtis as performers at the show in Austin.
The Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Association has celebrated Texas songwriters for the past eight years. This year’s Hall of Fame inductees include Ronnie Dunn, Sonny Curtis and Roger Miller.
Stevens, a former Uproar Records singer-songwriter, said she was surprised by the invitation to perform. She recalls being told about the show and thinking she would watch.
Stevens said she thought she was just getting a free ticket to the awards show, but then she was asked to perform.
Stevens has been preparing for the show since that phone call in January.
Fort Worth senior Mark Hamilton, president of Uproar Records, believes that Stevens’ hard work and determination have allowed her career to flourish. “Trannie is quickly becoming one of our more notorious artists,” Hamilton said. “She is really willing to take feedback. She is upbeat and positive and is really driven. She wants this to be her life.”
Last May, Stevens won Collegiate Songwriter of the Year at the KUSP Songwriting Competition, which sent her to Nashville where she recorded professional demos. Hamilton said the contest “launched her career” so that Stevens could have opportunities such as performing at the Hall of Fame Awards Show.
Stevens said she didn’t always find it easy in the music industry. At times, she second-guessed herself and her talent.
“There were a few moments where in the auditions you think who you are isn’t good enough or entertaining enough,” Stevens said. “The more I tried to be something I wasn’t, the more I realized I wanted to be the real Trannie.”
Stevens said she overcame her identity struggle and now wants her career as a singer-songwriter to help people remember to stay true to themselves.
“I really want to be an advocate for being yourself and not changing for people,” Stevens said. “I think that God created you a certain way. You rob the person you were created to be if you are anything other than yourself.”
From the time she was 6 years old to now, Stevens has learned a lot about what it takes to be a musician. Her faith and confidence have helped lead her to where she is now. “It’s a really tough industry and I’m learning that more and more,” Stevens said. “I have the mentality that I’m going to work hard and get better and I’m going to make connections.”
As Stevens prepares for this weekend’s performance, she offers a piece of advice for future artists.
“Somebody has got to do it,” Stevens said. “If everyone thought they weren’t going to make it, then there would be no musicians. God is the one who gives you the opportunity. I believe in fate and I believe you should just go for it.”
The event is presented by Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater in Austin. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the performance starts at 7 p.m. Tickets may be bought online at acl-live.com. Ticket prices range from $39 to $99. - Baylor Lariat
There’s nothing like performing in front of your peers and for Baylor University student Trannie Stevens, tonight’s group of peers is pretty impressive.
Stevens is one of the opening acts for the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association Hall of Fame induction, a nifty opportunity she won last year (http://tinyurl.com/d7ra4aw) when she bested other collegiate songwriters in the THSA’s annual Kerrville University Songwriters’ Program.
That win, announced at last year’s Kerrville Folk Festival, earned the then-Baylor freshman, a Midway High School grad, a performance at tonight’s TSAHOF ceremony in Austin. Also scheduled to perform are Jack Ingram, Ronnie Dunn, Larry Gatlin, Toby Keith, Sonny Curtis and Scotty Emerick — a pretty impressive crew of fellow songwriters.
Two of those, Dunn and Curtis, are this year’s HOF inductees as is the late Roger Miller.
Having the top singer-songwriters in the state in your audience can be intimidating, but for a songwriter, it may also be raw material for a future song.
Stevens is a Baylor sophomore and one of the featured artists of Baylor’s student-run record label Uproar Records, which means more chances ahead for Waco fans to hear her. - Waco Tribune Herald- Carl Hoover
Baylor University freshman Trannie Stevens was recently named the winner of the 2012 Kerrville University Songwriter’s Program Songwriter Competition and will receive a trip to Nashville, Tenn., among other honors.
KUSP is collaboration between the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association and London Broadcasting Company.
The program recognizes outstanding student songwriters at participating university campuses.
This year, six university campuses participated.
The winners from each school performed at the Kerrville Folk Festival in May, judged by a blue ribbon panel of industry representatives.
Stevens, a Midway High School graduate has been writing songs since the age of five and has performed around the Waco area since age eight, a spokesperson for the program said.
Stevens will receive an all-expense paid trip to Nashville to attend the NSAI Hall of Fame Award Show, an evening at the Bluebird Café hosted by a TXHSA Hall of Fame member, professional demo session at a studio in Nashville, Dallas or Austin, provided by London Broadcasting and will also receive an invitation to appear on at least one episode of the television show “Troubadour, TX.” - Texas Heritage Songwriters
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Trannie Stevens, a current Baylor student and an up and coming singer/songwriter, has been making lots of noise throughout Texas and Nashville the past few years at local coffee shops as well as big name venues such as ACL Live in Austin, TX and The House of Blues in Dallas, TX.
With three EPs to her name already at the age of 20, Stevens has begun working diligently on her fourth EP which is scheduled to be released sometime in the Fall of 2013 or the Spring of 2014. Her newest project is entitled "Why Birds In Cages Sing" and will have seven tracks.
Stevens musical style and deep love for the craft of songwriting have evolved into a piano based pop sound that is heavily influenced by artists such as Sara Bareilles and Carole King.
In May of 2012, Stevens was named the Texas collegiate songwriter of the year and won the KUSP songwriting contest. She also has performed with big names such as Toby Keith, Jack Ingram, Sonny Curtis, Todd Agnew, Kirk Franklin, Steve Moakler, American Idol's Tim Halperin, and others.
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