Meet Hunter Gammel | (College) student, musician, pianist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hunter Gammel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hunter, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Colorado, but have moved around just a bit within the state. Currently, I live in a small town called Elizabeth. That’s where I graduated from high school, got my first job, and most importantly realized I wanted to go into a career in music.

While my parents were never musically inclined, I remember music still being a large part of my childhood. I remember always listening to music around the house, whether it was on the TV, radio, or a CD playing through the stereo. I specifically remember stealing my mom’s hot pink iPod Shuffle (a throwback, I know). She had everything from Lady Gaga to Adele loaded on there. I’m pretty sure I had all the words of “Paparazzi’ memorized by the time I was six.

I went to a charter school from second to eighth grade, and when I was in third grade we were told that the next year we were allowed to join either the band or orchestra. I wanted to play the violin, but there was just one problem: I suffered a stroke when I was born and was affected by only having partial function in my left hand and a mild case of Cerebral Palsy. Nevertheless, I tried the violin out anyway. That was short lived though. I accidentally hit my music teacher with the bow and decided to try an instrument that really only required one hand. That’s when I found the trumpet. It was easy to work around the limited function in my left hand, as all I had to do was hold the instrument with my left hand and finger the valves with my right. The next year though I got bored of the trumpet and wanted to try something new. At this point I remember having a love for Adele’s music (specifically the keys in her music) and began very interested in playing the piano. The same issue still persisted with the limited function of my left hand, but I decided this time that wasn’t going to hold me back. I begged my parents to buy a keyboard for me and to enroll me in piano lessons. I luckily had many piano teachers and music educators that believed in me. I would not be working towards a career in music without them.

Now, I am in college studying music, in a couple bands playing shows as well as recording music, and getting to live out my dreams of being a musician. Throughout the past decade I have been playing the piano, I have learned how important passion and perseverance are to achieving your goals and getting to do what you love. I am extremely grateful to wake up each morning knowing that I get to surround myself with music and people who love music. I am also incredibly lucky to have support from my family, friends, and educators.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Something that I am proud of in my music and what I think sets me apart from others is my “alternate technique” of playing the piano. As mentioned before, because of my disability I cannot play the piano like most others. I can only play with six fingers, opposed to ten. This is quite difficult, but I am proud of myself for overcoming this setback. Additionally, getting recognized for it from others shuts down the insecurities I once held because of my disability. The college audition process was the most insecure I had ever been about my playing because I feared I wouldn’t get into a music school because I couldn’t play the same as others. I doubted my abilities as a pianist, and almost decided to quit music because of it. Luckily, because the people around me who believed in me and supported me I was able to overcome my fear and wowed the music faculty at CU Denver with my unique skill set. Now halfway through my undergraduate, I have collaborated with many other musicians and worked on many musical projects with the incredibly talented student body our music program has to offer.

One project in particular I would like to showcase is my band, Tireshoe. We formed in March of 2022 because of a class we were all in that semester. I think what makes us stand out as a band is our diverse musical influences. All of us individually listen to, play, and explore different kinds of music. When brought together to write original music, I feel as if everyone is able to showcase their musical tastes and influences. A huge highlight for us this year was our first headlining show back in February. We got the amazing opportunity to headline at local venue, Globe Hall, and to our surprise, we sold out the venue! Another great moment for us has been releasing our original music. We released our first single, “Extrovert” in April, another song called “Petrichor” in May, and we plan on releasing an EP featuring those two songs (and a few more!) in a couple months! I’m super excited to see where we go after that release and when we enter the upcoming school year!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My absolute favorite place in Denver is the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, so I would absolutely take them to see a performance from the Colorado Symphony one night. I may play contemporary music, but I will always have a special place in my heart for classical music! Another place I would take them is Twist & Shout on Colfax. I love supporting indie record stores, and this one is my absolute favorite. There’s always something for everyone in there! One final place I would take them is Dutch Bros Coffee. It may not be local, but it is my favorite place to get drinks. They’ve got everything from coffee, to energy drinks, to lemonades, to sodas. Again, something for everyone!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shoutout to my parents, first and foremost. Without their support I would not be where I am today, and I cannot thank them enough for that.

I think some of my piano teachers and music educators also deserve shoutouts. Debbie Turnbull and Chris Churches challenged were incredible piano teachers, and still serve as mentors for me. And currently, Evan Shelton, Carmen Sandim, and Paul Musso at CU Denver inspire me to keep working towards my degree and career in music.

I also want to shout out all the members in my band, Tireshoe! With them I have never been more fulfilled while playing and writing music. With them I have discovered a new love for songwriting, live performance, and recording.

Last, but not least, I want to shout out McKenna Yates, one of my childhood friends. We started in beginning band together in fourth grade, and have always shared our love of music with each other. She continues to be one of my biggest fans. She has come to nearly all of my gigs and performances, and I am forever grateful for her support and friendship.

Website: https://tireshoetheband.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_the_music_guy/ and https://www.instagram.com/tireshoe/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmsm16u1CCZuz8jpY01kdrg

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2FSF6FW2cSD9WmMMF5Vz7I https://linktr.ee/tireshoe

Image Credits
Sydney Yllanes, Tatianna Dubose, Talen Niven, Gabrielle Dewolf, Kiefer Hunniford, Misha Kline