MARLBOROUGH – Many people can’t carry a tune in a bucket, as the old saying goes. But Marlborough’s Jared Hanrahan was blessed with a gift for all things musical.
Hanrahan, 20, already has a decade of professional appearances on his resume, playing a variety of instruments, including the guitar, bass guitar, piano, trumpet, and drums.
He’s also been writing and singing his own songs.
Since the age of 10, Hanrahan has been recognized for his talent, and he plans to continue his career in the music world.
On stage at 10 years old
Hanrahan’s father, David, serves as his son’s agent.
David Hanrahan is a videographer and unwittingly began his son’s musical career when he took him to a shoot he was doing for the Steve Marshall Band in New York City at a fundraiser for Superstorm Sandy victims.
Marshall and Hanrahan became friends, and the musician suggested Hanrahan bring his two sons to the event.
“I was only 10, and he put a guitar in my hands and taught me chords in the first hour,” Hanrahan said in a recent interview. “I joined his band on stage, and it was televised in Manhattan.”
Following that debut in New York, Hanrahan continued as a guitarist, playing with a variety of well-known musicians at charity events.
When it was suggested he add singing to his repertoire, he did, eventually taking lessons for four years with Pamela Wolf, a singing coach at Brandeis University. “After two years, my voice changed, and we had to just about start over again,” Hanrahan said. “Now, my range is from low to a falsetto.”
He began teaching himself to play the piano at 15, and he learned the trumpet in eighth grade.
From Faneuil Hall to Cannes Film Festival
Hanrahan attended Marlborough public schools through eighth grade. But, at that point, he was touring almost every weekend, and it became impossible to attend school regularly. So, he finished his high school education online.
His schedule filled with appearances at charity events, fashion shows and even the Cannes Film Festival.
Boston fashion shows led the way to trips to Paris fashion shows.
He entertained at coffee shops on the streets of Nice.
As part of the Street Performers at Faneuil Hall in Boston, at 15 he played on New Year’s Eve and was heard by Phil Lipof, a news anchor for NBC.
Lipof chose to do a feature on the talented teen.
Hanrahan appeared on American Idol in 2019, and he has been featured at the House of Blues in Boston.
“Touring is my favorite thing to do,” he said. “I enjoy playing for crowds.”
That being said, he recalled one private awards party at Gillette Stadium where he had been booked to sing the National Anthem.
“There were so many big celebrities there, I was really scared that I’d forget the words and ruin the whole thing,” he laughed.
A sound engineer as well
Six years ago, Hanrahan decided to up his game and built a home studio so that he could write and produce his own songs.
Hanrahan told the Community Advocate that he hopes to drop a new single in a few weeks alongside a music video.
“What no one knows is that I am also a sound engineer,” he said. “I use Pro Tools to track the piano, guitar, bass and vocals. I even produce for some other artists.”
Hanrahan has a video highlighting his musical appearances.
Looking for a record label
As for his future plans, Hanrahan’s goal is to be on his own tour to clubs across America, singing and playing his original numbers.
“I want to work as hard as I can to put together my music portfolio, with covers and photo shoots,” he said.
He said that he wants to build his music career until he can find a record label interested in working with him.
“In the meantime I will push and market and play and post as much as I can,” he said.
Hanrahan is on Instagram at “Jared.Hanrahan”.
He has booked live performances at local venues, such as Firefly’s and Kennedy’s Pub in Marlborough, and he is looking to perform locally again in the future.
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