When you ask young children what they want to be when they grow up, some typical answers include astronaut, princess, race car driver, or, in Hayley’s case, rock star. NPHS senior Hayley Smith is keeping her passion for art and music her priority as she sings for her own band, Hayley and the Fragile Hearts.

From a young age, Hayley has always had a love for the arts; she pursued many artistic endeavors including drawing, painting, and more recently, music. Everything fell into place when Hayley was only fourteen; she spent all her hard-earned cash on a $90 acoustic guitar. “I was hooked ever since,” said Hayley.

Guitar and singing was a natural attraction to Hayley, and by the time she was in high school, she had already landed some solo work. “I would play at coffee shops and festivals and such,” she said.

After a while, Hayley became less content with being a solo artist and looked for another option to up the ante: “There’s only so much you can do as a solo artist,” she states. “I wanted to go for something bigger.”

Her wish was granted at one of her festivals when she was approached by Tyler McMaster, currently a student at Montgomery County Community College. He had a solo performance before Hayley’s, and after watching hers, he pulled her aside and informed her that he wanted to work together.

Hayley and Tyler began their time together writing duets and performing together. It wasn’t long before both Hayley and Tyler wanted to expand their duet. Tyler convinced his friend, Charles Rafaelle, also a Montgomery County Community College student, to be the drummer for their band. With Hayley singing and Tyler playing bass, the only thing missing was a lead guitarist.

After Charles accepted Tyler’s offer, he contacted his friend Dan Beaver, who is also a current MONTCO student. He agreed to be the guitarist. And thus, Hayley and the Fragile Hearts were born.

Thanks to all the hard work and dedication of each band member, Hayley and the Fragile Hearts have been living the dream of a new band. “We’ve recorded some demos and perform at local places and festivals” said Hayley.

But being a part of a successful band isn’t all fun and games. “The most stressful part about being in a band is booking the shows. It’s so difficult to work with everyone’s schedules and working out the transportation issues,” said Hayley.

Along with juggling the duties of leading her band, Hayley also has to focus on high school and her future in college. One obstacle she’s had to overcome was moving from Central Bucks South to the North Penn High School last year.

Although Hayley has had to overcome the obstacles of a confusing schedule and a larger school, she has grown to love being a North Penn Knight. “I love this school!” said Hayley, “Everyone here is more open to artistic ideas and I feel really accepted.”

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(Submitted photo www.facebook.com/HayleyAndTheFragileHearts)