Brenda Hartman began her musical journey on the violin in fourth grade, later switching to viola in middle school, where she discovered her passion for the instrument. This also sparked an interest in learning other instruments as well, and by the time she graduated high school, she was proficient in cello, piano, flute and voice in addition to violin and viola. 

Brenda went on to earn a dual bachelors degree in Music Education and Viola Performance from the Crane School of Music and a Masters of Liberal Studies from SUNY Stony Brook. During her time at Crane, Brenda served as principal violist of the Crane Symphony Orchestra and achieved notable success in chamber music, winning first and fourth place in the annual Crane Chamber Music Competition in both a string quartet and a viola/voice duet.

Brenda has been an educator for seventeen years, teaching for nine years in the Vestal Central Schools before joining the Niskayuna Central School District in 2016, where she currently directs orchestras for fourth, fifth, and eighth grades. She is a trained New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) adjudicator and judges at festivals throughout New York State. In addition to her teaching career, Brenda performs with the Schenectady Saratoga Symphony Orchestra, continuing her passion for performance.

Brenda studied viola under the guidance of Harriet Thomas and Shelly Tramposh, both of whom had a profound influence on her musical development. Brenda resides in Clifton Park, New York, with her husband, daughter, and two musically named cats, Melody and Harmony.