Today we’d like to introduce you to Kodachrome Babies
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi! We’re the Kodachrome Babies from Northeast Ohio. I’m Hannah Hartman (guitar), and my bandmate is my older sister Mallory Gerstacker (ukulele). As kids, we were both involved in various music and arts programs, and we both took piano lessons as young children and learned the foundations of music through these lessons. Mallory started percussion in middle school, which transformed into drum line and steel drum band in high school, and she also worked behind the scenes on high school theater productions. I played the cello starting in 5th grade and continued until after high school, and I also played in my high school’s steel drum band. I was active in choir and theatre as well. I picked up the guitar around 8th grade but didn’t start playing very seriously until Mallory took an interest in ukulele in 2009. That’s when we began playing together just for fun. Over time, friends and relatives began asking when they could see us play, and eventually we were offered actual gigs! Since then, we’ve played countless gigs and released three studio albums: “Developing” in 2015, “A Very Kodachrome Christmas” in 2016, and “The Simple Things” in 2024. In the fall of 2023, Mallory moved with her family to Cleveland, OH, which opened up new opportunities for us. We are now exploring this new scene and are excited about the possibilities!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve always approached the band as kind of a side gig art project—not a professional career—which has kept it fun. We typically let the gigs come to us rather than seeking them out, and that’s kept us busy between our day jobs. The struggles we’ve encountered are common to any musician—broken strings, forgotten equipment, etc.—but aside from that, it’s been a fairly smooth road for the Kodachrome Babies.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work falls under the Employee/Professional category. For the past 17 years, I’ve worked at my hometown radio station in administrative and sales roles. Although I wasn’t a DJ, I did on-air work with live broadcasts and commercial production. I’m proud of the work I did to promote our local farmers market and help it grow. Very recently, I took a new position at our local branch of the United Way, so now I will be able to use all the skills I developed and community network I built during my career at the radio station to serve the work I do with the United Way. I’m excited to channel my passions into the work I do for this nonprofit that serves so many wonderful health and human service agencies. I think what sets me apart from others is I’m not afraid to get up in front of a crowd to speak, sing, or lead a conversation.
Mallory’s work falls under the Artist/Creative category. Mallory says, “I knew pretty early on that I was meant to be an art teacher. Every single art class I took was great, and I found success with the arts through my high school years. I studied art education and studio arts at Kent State University and pretty quickly started teaching once I graduated. I’ve held various art teaching positions working with the youngest learners to high schoolers, adults, nursing home residents, at-risk youth, event attendees, and even other art teachers! When the world shut down in 2020, this included my own very recently opened art studio and classroom. I was devasted and lost, but one of the amazing things to come out of those early pandemic days was the rush of artists moving online to teach workshops to make a living. I happily studied many new media in depth during this time: traditional sign painting, improvisational quilting, watercolor, plastic fusing, and more. I was able to dive deeper into my own art and hone in on my “trash to treasure” philosophy. Fast forward to 2025! I am almost two years into life as a Cleveland transplant and have been finding my community. I recently accepted a new position teaching folks about creative reuse through an amazing second-hand art supply store and nonprofit. I am excited to continue exploring this amazing city and all the like-minded people it attracts.”
What matters most to you? Why?
We are active in our communities and the various challenges they face and will always stand on the side of human rights, so we often volunteer our time for events and people that need support. We were both activated in 2020 to get involved in our local community around the issue of racial justice, and we remain involved in local groups with missions that align with our beliefs. We were raised by parents who instilled the values of respect for everyone, fairness, and equality, and that undoubtedly shaped us into the adults we’ve become. Mallory and I also both care a lot about recycling, sustainable practices, and green living in general. As previously mentioned, Mallory operated an art workshop that focused on utilizing trash to create beautiful artwork, and she even makes our Kodachrome Babies T-shirts out of upcycled materials. I recorded a podcast through my work with the radio station about how to recycle properly in our community according to the local rules and regulations. It’s not easy being green!
Pricing:
- Merch including CDs, stickers, buttons, and T-shirts are available by donation at any of our gigs
- Find our music on the music streaming service of your choice
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kodachromebabies.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kodachromebabies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kodachromebabies
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KodachromeBabies
