Each fall, students select an artist to be the next “Pioneer Star.” The label partners with Red Caiman Media Studios, an advanced commercial recording facility located in downtown Pittsburgh, to produce a professional EP featured at an album release party at Stage AE. Pioneer Records also works with the Point Park University Music Video Workshop course to produce a music video single.

Our 2022-23 Pioneer Stars:

Shayna is a junior at Point Park University, pursuing a degree in cinema production. Shane is a sophomore currently studying at CCAC. Their love of music is what brought them together. A year and a half later, they are still playing and collaborating on over a dozen original songs. Their style ranges from singer-songwriter to folk, with heavy r&b and funk influences.

Hickory Bluff is the musical project of Point Park student Gavin McGee, an American Indie Folk artist with warm vocals reminiscent of Mt. Joy, The Luminaries & Bon Iver. His story begins in a bedroom loft, where he and his brother recorded songs that were written in a pocket journal on the Appalachian Trail. Hickory Bluff’s debut single "Us 2" combines atmospheric and intimate sounds with socially conscious lyrics that explore personal themes of memory, mental health and human connection

Bryana Appley is a Pittsburgh native singer/songwriter. Bryana has received three Taco Bell Live Mas Scholarships and is approaching half a million views on YouTube. Bryana’s scholarships went towards her Point Park University education, recently graduating in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports, Arts, and Entertainment Business Management. Bryana is also full-time with the organization Women Who Rock, which shines a spotlight on women in music and raises funds for life-saving women’s health and cancer research.

Past Pioneer Stars