For Kimmy Everman, B.S.C. ’09, J.D. ’12, music has never been a passing interest. It has been a constant.
She received her first guitar at age 13 and began combining poetry with music, developing a songwriting practice she carried into her years at the University of Miami. As an undergraduate, Everman studied journalism, creative writing and poetry, exploring forms of expression that continue to shape her work.
“I really utilized that degree in creative writing and poetry in my songwriting,” she said. She credits her professors and peers with helping her embrace feedback and think creatively about storytelling.
Following her undergraduate degree, Everman remained at the University to earn her law degree. Although she does not practice law, she said the experience gave her confidence and continues to help her understand contracts and navigate the business side of music.
Through each chapter of her life, songwriting remained part of Everman’s identity. As she devoted much of the past decade to raising her two daughters, however, sharing that work with a wider audience took a back seat.
“I’m making time for me,” she said. “While I didn’t really have my own thing going on outside of my kids, I was losing myself and my identity a little bit.”
She never stopped writing, estimating that she completes about one song each week. The change was not a return to songwriting, but a decision to pursue it professionally. Of the songs she had been developing, “Trophy Wife” felt like the right introduction.
Everman worked on the single with her childhood friend and fellow alumnus Allan Blank, B.B.A. ’09. Initially, they planned to pitch their songs to other performers. “Trophy Wife,” however, felt too personal to give away.
“I remember that moment where I said, ‘This one’s going to be for me,’” she recalled.
The provocative title is intentionally tongue-in-cheek. Rather than portray herself as a conventional “trophy wife,” Everman uses the label to confront assumptions placed on women.
“The concept of the song is about being more than just that one box of being a wife and a mom,” she said. “It’s about yearning for more.”
Everman describes the single as a feminist statement about the societal labels that affected how she saw herself, rather than a literal account of her marriage. Her husband, also a School of Law alumnus, has supported her music and understood the message behind the song.
The response surprised Everman. She expected to release the song primarily for her own fulfillment, but its message connected with women experiencing similar questions about identity, creativity and purpose.
“Our worth doesn’t decline as we get older and as we have kids,” she said. “We’re still capable.”
Everman hopes her music encourages women in midlife to revisit dreams they may have postponed. She also wants younger listeners, including her daughters, to understand that their passions deserve attention.
“It takes a leap of faith and it takes a little bit of courage to do something new when you’re no longer a kid,” she said. “But it inspires others and it’s a beautiful thing.”
Songwriting has also helped Everman continue learning about herself. She describes it as a form of personal expression that brings unspoken feelings to the surface and reminds her not to dismiss the value of her perspective.
With more songs planned, Everman is embracing a chapter that feels new and deeply familiar. She may be a recent arrival on music platforms, but she is not new to songwriting.
