Melissa Bernadt

     Melissa Bernadt grew up working on her family’s 333 acre farm just outside of Steinauer, Nebraska.  Her love of music started at a very early age.  She cannot recall a time when she wasn’t singing.  At the age of six she began exploring the piano, progressing to coronet, and finally settling on the french horn.  Over the next several years, Melissa’s desire to learn more about music only grew and led her to Doane College where the french horn finally lost out to vocal music.  In college, she studied opera, musical theatre, art songs, and jazz.  She had not even finished her music degree when her country roots came calling and Melissa began writing songs.  After college she continued to perform music on the stages in Lincoln, NE playing many characters of beloved musicals.  Yet, she continued writing music.  The hunger to share her own music lifted her from the theatre, and eventually set her down in California.  Circumstance and a chance meeting landed Melissa as a member of the Merchants of Moonshine.