Singer/songwriter and guitarist Trina Hamlin was born in the frigid city of Minneapolis, MN. She first began her study of music on the piano when she was a small child. By first grade she was entering local talent contests, winning often. In her teens she continued to perform, gaining experience and polishing her skills. After high school was over, she went on to earn a degree in Professional Music from Boston's Berklee College of Music. By this point in her life, she was often working with bands as a background singer and lending her voice to commercials. Not long after graduating from college, Hamlin moved to New York City, determined to make it with her musical career. She became a member of a band called Blue Leaves, where she supplied vocals and wrote some of the songs the group used. Though she worked hard with whatever band she was with at the time, Hamlin really wanted to try her chances at a professional solo career.