About the band
Stars In Sapphire was formed by guitarist Bridget Gindhart and vocalist Bernadette Bratina, and is local to the State College, Harrisburg, and Mechanicsburg areas. They are a pop/rock group that combines influences from artists like Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks, Florence & The Machine, and Dua Lipa with their own high-energy sounds and empowering lyrics. They are known for their "all-black costumes with pops of sparkles (which made it) hard to take your eyes away from the band". (PSU Collegian)
Bridget and Bernadette (BB) met their freshman year at Penn State where they were both studying to be Music Majors. They played for campus events during Homecoming Weekend while studying in the program. After graduation, Bridget moved to Nashville for a year to play and teach guitar as BB finished in the opera program. They decided to join forces and play in the Harrisburg area in March of 2023.
Since then, they have played for Penn State's THON for 15,000 people twice, once in 2023 and in 2024 for a one-hour "Barbie" themed set, played for Pop and Celtic music festivals in the Harrisburg, State College, and Gettysburg areas, released their first single "Illuminate", placed second in a Battle of the Bands, and will be making their debut at Mickey's Black Box at Rock Lititz this August.
MEET THE MEMBERS
Bernadette (BB) Bratina
lead vocals
Since the time she was told her constant singing was distracting to other students in the first grade, BB has always been making music and performing in one way or another. After graduating from Penn State as a Vocal Performance Major where she received Undergraduate Recognition Jury Honors and won the Classical Women's Upper College Division of the Allegheny Chapter of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), she and Bridget started creating music together. BB's experience in performing in musicals, operas, dance recitals and concerts makes her a well-rounded, energetic performer and singer. She never misses an opportunity to put her best sparkly boot forward to put on a good show, just like this past February when they played for THON at Penn State. The Daily Collegian wrote "Bratina’s stage presence was undeniably done with ease. It was clear she was having a lot of fun, and because of that, the dancers and other people on the floor flocked to the stage to sing along. She also consistently interacted with the audience."
Bridget Gindhart
lead Guitar
At the age of 6, Bridget packed her essentials which included her guitar and a stuffed animal and decided to run away from home. Even though she only got a block down the street, this would be a foreshadowing of her life 6 years later when she’d finally learn to play the guitar and come to the realization that she wanted to make music her entire life. She jumped at any chance to perform, write, or record music as a teenager and eventually received a BA in Music on Guitar from Penn State. After graduation, she moved to Nashville, TN where she taught guitar and learned the ins and outs of the music industry. There she started her YouTube channel called “RidgeBits” which has since received over 4 million views and over 22k subscribers and she went on to receive an endorsement from PRS Guitars as one of their upcoming Pulse Artists. Bridget then moved back to PA to start Stars In Sapphire with BB and enjoys getting to “run away” with her guitar to shows across the state with the band.