Profile / Review
Stephanie Hayward
Portland Singer/Songwriter

One day, a few years ago, Stephanie Hayward walked into Londonderry Music in New Hampshire, to buy some sheet music for her classical piano lessons. She’d been taking classical piano since she was a child, without liking it much. She wanted to sing more than anything else.

She walked to the back of the store and discovered the sheet music rack for the popular music of the day. It that moment, she made the connection between the classical piano skills that she had been learning for years and the ability to read and play these popular tunes. She hasn’t looked back since.

“I love to watch the big field on a bright night when the wind comes, it almost looks just like sea / and I can pretend I’ve got your big eyes to tell me, I’m exactly where I’m ‘sposed to be” - ‘Sposed to be, by Stephanie Hayward.

Portland Singer/Songwriter Steph Hayward

Today, Stephanie is exactly where she’s ‘sposed to be; she’s enjoying her work as a performing songwriter, and her immersion in the Portland music scene, more than she ever though possible. Her strong, supple voice is her primary instrument now; the piano is the medium through which she is able to channel her songwriting and singing talents. But her early studies on the piano are very evident in her great keyboard chops and her ability to write wonderful, piano-friendly, folk/blues pop tunes.

She’s been gigging regularly lately in Portland venues like Blue, The Dogfish Bar and Grille, and The Gorham Grind. She also gets back to Portsmouth, NH, occasionally, where she began her gigging career in the open mics in that other port city.

She had moved to Kittery, Maine, several years ago, and took a job teaching at the Breakwater School in Portland. Prior to this new job, she had been working evening shifts, but now, with her nights free, she began to explore the open mic opportunities in Portsmouth. She began to play every week at the open mic at The Press Room, and every week she made sure she had a new song to try out. The crowd at this open mic included Portsmouth based artists like Jon Nolan, and was a very supportive, tight group of songwriters and musicians.

As she gained confidence, she started playing at other open mics in the area, and finally landed her first paying gig at the Orchard Street Chop Shop in Dover, NH. She found herself playing her folky, bluesy tunes in this ritzy jazz piano bar, and felt a little out of place, but things must have clicked for her there, because she’s been playing gigs for them ever since.

Her commute to work in Portland convinced her to move here in June of 2006. She found a great apartment on the Eastern Prom, and with that first summer off, she found that she was able to really get to know the city and enjoy it. She jokes about comparing her discovery of the music scene here in Portland with the switch from black and white to color in the movie “The Wizard of Oz”, when Dorothy arrives in the magical land.

She began to “write like crazy” after her move, and found her songs changing from tunes drenched in leftover teenage angst, to more mature, interesting story songs about people and their relationships. As she writes more, she has been dropping her earlier songs from her repertoire in favor of the new ones, which she likes much more. This continuously evolving body of work is bringing her lots of opportunities to try out new ideas and songs.

Her music consists of strong melodic lines that let her highlight her great voice, built on a solid harmonic foundation and interesting rhythmic variations. Her lyrics and song themes range from the melancholy blue of “Child of Misfortune” and “Catapult”, to the playful, joyful, “Maple Tree”. This is music that you will love to listen to while dining, having a couple of drinks and some friendly conversation, or when kicking back at home after a long day. It will entertain you, facilitate social interaction, and rejuvenate your spirit.

Stephanie has a live CD available, that she recorded at The Gorham Grind; she is working hard to establish a presence on the internet, but hasn’t got that in place yet. Look for her performances in local Portland venues like Blue and The Dogfish Bar and Grille, and in her old Portsmouth haunts such as The Blue Mermaid and The Press Room. She is worth seeking out!

All the best to you!
Bob McKillop

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