Alumni Spotlight: Singer, Songwriter Ginny Swanson '16 

Shorecrest audiences remember her as Ginny Swanson '16, the musical theatre triple threat who dazzled as Christine in the 2016 Shorecrest production of "The Phantom of the Opera." Audiences and artists in and around Nashville know her as Ginn, the lead singer of the popular Broadway band Hype Creek and an emerging pop-rock solo singer / songwriter. 

Over the last decade, Ginny has been a lead in live musicals; part of a cruise ship's traveling cast; dancer in music videos; singer alongside names like Blake Shelton, Jason Mraz and Sheryl Crow - to name just a few of the twists and turns in the early career of this hardworking and resilient performer. 

"Ginny Swanson was a great worker," recalls Shorecrest Performing Arts Producer and Thespian Director Michael McCarthy. "She was always ahead with character development and memorization during rehearsals and was a great company member. We really could not have produced ‘Phantom’ without her."

While Ginny's path has been anything but a straight line, she has continued to achieve her lifelong goal of being a working artist. "Since leaving Shorecrest and then college, I've always wanted to sing and make my living that way," reflects Ginny. "Any opportunity that I could make a living doing that, I've taken."

From Shorecrest Ginny went on to attend Belmont University where she studied musical theatre and business. While still an undergraduate, she was a top 10 semifinalist for the nationwide Broadway.com web series, "The Search for Roxie," casting for Roxie Hart in “Chicago the Musical.” Ginny graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2020, just as the COVID pandemic was making its initial impact. 

"I had a job lined up playing Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde' at a theatre in Chicago, but that ended up getting canceled due to COVID," Ginny recalls. The same fate befell her next dream job opportunity, traveling the globe while performing on a series of four-continent Regent Luxury Cruise voyages. 

Ginny's signature versatility, resilience and an impeccable work ethic carried her through the setbacks, and she landed at Bigfork Summer Playhouse in Montana, one of the few live theatres open at the time and where she'd worked during her college summers. There she played a number of lead roles, including Portia in "Something Rotten" - her favorite role to date. 

"I loved playing Portia," said Ginny. "I had a lot of experience playing the ingénue type of character - it was so much fun taking that type of role and putting a comedic spin on it." 

Following the summer season, Ginny was eager to keep working, though the effects of COVID were still impacting live performance. Combining her knowledge of vocal music with her business training, she launched a virtual vocal studio, teaching voice lessons online. The business, combined with the occasional film acting gig, helped her  build valuable skills she would come to lean on later in her career managing her band and producing her own music video. 

She continued to stretch herself and try new things when she joined Rubiks Groove, a popular cover band as the lead singer. "That was my first time singing in a band and I loved it. Some of my favorite memories onstage are with Rubiks Groove." 

Over the summer of 2022 she joined Cedar Point Live Entertainment in Sandusky, Ohio, performing three to four shows a day as the lead singer of the Swell Tones, a vocal group performing "classic ’50s doo-wop tunes with a new spin on current favorites."

Recalling her schedule at Cedar Point, Ginny says, "The afternoon shows were followed by a 90-minute parade where I'd dance the same exact dance nine times in a row, followed by a 45-minute night show." 

"It was literally everything you could put on a stage - singers, dancers, roller skaters, pogo stickers, fireworks, etc." laughs Ginny. "It was called The Cedar Point 150-Year Spectacular." 

As another summer season came to a close, Ginny found herself at a crossroads yet again. The live theater industry had not yet fully rebounded from COVID closures, and professional opportunities in musical theater were few and far between. She pivoted once again and leaned on her vocal skills and vast experience as a singer. What started out of necessity has grown into a thriving business, which Ginny now manages - in addition to being the band's lead singer. 

"I met Simon [Crawford, Ginny's bandmate and boyfriend] at Cedar Point, and that's really how Hype Creek became a thing," said Ginny. Formed in fall 2022, Hype Creek is a five-member premier party band based in Nashville. In 2024 alone they played 270 shows in 12+ cities/states, including corporate events for brands such as Morgan Stanley, Taco Bell and SpaceX. 

"Something unique that we bring is we are able to take requests on the fly, like a live jukebox," said Simon in a recent interview with the Nashville Voyager. "We play everything from rap to country to classic rock; our set list is constantly expanding. We are known for our high energy on stage, our versatility, our unique mashups and medleys and our musicianship." 

With Hype Creek as her day job of sorts, Ginny is discovering her voice as a solo artist, writing, singing, and even learning to produce her own music. "I'm finding my sound and am definitely discovering that I'm more of a pop artist," said Ginny. "My current songs are pop, disco-inspired, and have little elements of rock."  

"Someone gave me a piece of advice about describing yourself as an artist, and I learned to put yourself in the middle of a triangle and identify where those three triangle points are. For me right now, those triangle points are Christina Aguilera, Disco - classic fun disco songs - and Avril Lavigne, with a little bit of that rocker edge, but still girly and fun."  

Ginny has recently released three songs of original music, each one showcasing a different side of this multi-talented and versatile performer. Her most recent release, "1976," is a high-energy throwback to Studio 54 favorites, complete with an earworm rap interlude. With the support of her Hype Creek bandmates, she has performed showcases of her original music at Nashville hotspots including Whiskey Jam, Bus Call, Eastside Bowl and The Cobra. 

She recently released the "1976" music video, which she directed, produced and starred in. 

Watch the Video

"It’s definitely a grind and I’m proud of the way my band and I have worked really hard over the last two and a half years," said Ginny. "We really built our project from the ground up."

With more new music set to debut this summer, Ginn and Hype Creek will be touring in San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas in late June and early July, with rumors of a possible hometown show in the fall. 

From the Janet Root Theatre stage to Nashville's Broadway and beyond, Ginny Swanson '16 has always been one to watch!

You can find Ginn's original music on Spotify and Apple Music, or follow @ginn_sings on Instagram and TikTok.