Women continue to top the charts, and as much as we love the world’s biggest stars, local artists deserve an equal amount of love.
State College is home to a variety of female musical artists, each with their own unique journey.
Kat Leverenz
After graduating from Penn State with a degree in music in 2020, Kat Leverenz has expanded her passion for all things music.
Her YouTube channel houses original music and covers from popular female artists like Joni Mitchell and Alicia Keys.
She works collaboratively with guitarist Zach Dennis, and in 2024, they released their first album, Cut the Wires, a mashup of folk and indie sounds.
Outside of her music career, she works as a vocal instructor in Nashville, Tennessee, teaching students how to control their voice, breathe and present themselves when performing various genres of music.
Hannah Bingman
Hannah Bingman has produced four studio albums: “Loam,” “Right, Right Now,” “Live @ the Kind Cafe” and “Truckload of Philosophers”
After winning the Susquehanna Folk Music Society’s songwriting contest in 2006 and finishing third in the Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriting Competition in 2016, Bingman secured herself as a force in the Pennsylvania songwriting scene.
Music remains her main priority, but she has also previously explored different facets of life, including farming, woodworking, working as a prison librarian and Appalachian Trail hiking.
Fans can find her at any place where music can be played, whether it be solo or with her band, the Dilly Beans.
Anna Pearl Belinda
Belinda, a 2019 Penn State graduate, has consistently surrounded herself with Penn State culture since graduation, everything from performing in the community to working at the university.
Her original music can be found on YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify, as well as covers and collaborations with other local artists, including Leverenz.
Although her passion remains singing and songwriting, she specializes in ukulele, piano and guitar, all of which have contributed to the unique country sound that can be heard in her 2023 single, “Cut My Hair.”
When she’s not performing, she can be found working one-on-one with students as an administrative support assistant for the Engineering Advising Center at Penn State.
Natalie Race
Race is best known for her work with Pure Cane Sugar, a band that performs all throughout State College, including Cafe 210 West and Antifragile Brewing Co.
The female-fronted band has music and lyrics that deal with difficult themes, such as grief, death and the intricacies of life.
In 2013, Race and her bandmates recorded their second album, “Pure Cane Sugar,” live at The State Theatre for their fans, who demanded that they perform the album live to capture the energy that each performance brings.
The band’s music is a mix of rock, country, blues and Americana, which has continued to cement its reputation within the State College music scene.
Molly Countermine
Countermine is a force to be reckoned with, whether it be in her music or in the classroom as a human development and family studies teaching professor.
She has performed at Penn State THON, presented a TED talk, taught thousands of students and created a musical career with bandmate Ted McCloskey and their band, the Hi-Fi’s.
After getting her start at The Phyrst, Countermine joined the bands Maxwell Straight and Pure Cane Sugar, but after realizing she wasn’t able to keep up with the tedious demands, she decided to start the Hi-Fi’s.
Her 2018 album, “Baggage & Bloodlines” features original music, although most of her performances are centered around covers of popular hits.
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