About Grace
Pittsburgh native keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter/composer, and bandleader. Grace graduated from Loyola University Chicago having studied under Blue Note artist, Anthony Molinaro, accomplished bassist/composer Matt Ulery, and highly esteemed vocalist/conductor Kirsten Hedegaard. Upon graduation, Grace relocated to Nashville, TN where she performed daily on downtown Broadway fronting the Lower Broadway Band while also starting up The Affeltranger Music Company. Finally relocating back to Pittsburgh, Grace built Affeltranger Music Company up to 12 students in 6 months while performing at some of Pittsburgh’s best restaurants and events like Cioppino Restaurant and Cigar Bar as well as at Pittsburgh’s light show, Lamaze, and Pittsburgh’s Blues and Roots Festival with the Women in Blues band in 2019.
Upon the onset of Covid in 2020 - Grace’s music business, along with the rest of the world, came to an abrupt hault. Weeks prior to the shut down of Pittsburgh, Grace had opened a passion project business, Botanical Vegan Cafe & Market in Aspinwall. With music haulted, Grace poured all her energy into keeping the Cafe afloat, providing health to her community. As if a world wide pandemic wasn’t enough, Grace tragically lost her mother due to heart failure in June of 2020. Pushing through the tragedy, Grace and her husband found excitement and hope learning they were expecting their first child in 2022! Upon the birth of Artemus, “Arte”, Grace sold her cafe and focused on her beautiful baby boy, taking small opportunities to play music when she could through the end of the year.
In 2023, Grace made big moves to get back into the music world of teaching and performing with a new passion for early childhood music integration and a regular summer set at Sewickley’s premier events venue, The Sewickley Quarter. Performing through the end of the year with her band, Grace and her family decided it was time for a change and moved to the beach! Grace now teaches music full time in Wilmington, North Carolina and is building out drop in classes designed for parents and children to experience music together!
