Brad RobinsBrad Robins and Shae Hunsaker are both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as “the Mormon Church”). Brad is one of the gentlemen of the world-famous trio known as GENTRI. Shae is a triple threat from Orem. UtahValley360 reports that “the couple harmonizes their lives with a front-row seat and a backstage pass to each other’s careers.”

Brad and Shae met in 2011 as members of BYU Young Ambassadors. The summer that they met, they toured South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland with the group. Brad says, “On Young Ambassadors, we had a variety of experiences — onstage, offstage, in the limelight, out of the limelight. That gave us an opportunity to see each other in different scenarios — spiritually, mentally and emotionally.”

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In March 2013, the couple was married. Brad graduated a couple of months later with a Business Management degree from the Marriott School of Management. He later took a job at Adobe. A year later, Shae graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music dance theater from Brigham Young University (BYU). The two have made performing their full-time passion. 

In 2014, Brad joined Bradley Quinn Lever and Casey Elliot to create the three-part harmony music group that is known as GENTRI. For the first five years of making music together, the members of The Gentlemen Trio each had full-time jobs. Brad recalls, “I would wake up early and go to work. When five o’clock hit, I was in GENTRI mode, either rehearsing, performing, networking or meeting, until about 1 or 2 a.m.”

Shae HunsakerAfter graduating from BYU, Shae spent three summers performing at Tuacahn Amphitheater near St. George, Utah. She did nine shows and played or understudied many iconic roles such as Sofie in Mama Mia!, Katherine in Newsies, Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical and Mary Poppins and Snow White in When You Wish.

For six and a half months of each year, Shae lived in St. George while Brad kept his job at Adobe and their home in Orem. When he wasn’t touring with GENTRI, he would trek south for the weekend so they could be together. Shae says, “He was willing to support me in a distant relationship for a length of time equal to a year and a half where he would drive four hours each way just to be with me on the weekends. If that doesn’t show love, I don’t know what does.”

Brad RobinsTowards the end of 2018, the members of GENTRI began discussing leaving their day jobs and pursuing music as a full-time career. Shae recalls, “When they started that discussion, they brought the wives in. They cared to know our opinions and feelings. Instead of just, ‘Hey honey, this is what we’re doing,’ all of us came to that decision together and it felt right.”

Brad says, “I get up every day looking forward to what’s next. I work five to six hours a day longer doing GENTRI than I ever did at my nine to five. But the days go so fast because I love it. That’s what has made enabling Shae to do what she loves [to do] so easy. I know what it feels like to do what I’m passionate about for all the right reasons, and I want other people to be able to do the same.”

GENTRI has released six albums – Gentri (2015), Rise (2016), Finding Christmas (2016), Prologue (2018), Hymns (2018), and Noel (2019) – under the Shadow Mountains record label. The trio has also been honored and blessed to perform beside such music greats like Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, and OneRepublic.

Brad and Shae now live in South Jordan, Utah, and Shae is back on northern Utah stages. During summer 2019, she played Ella in Cinderella at the Hale Center Theater in Sandy, Utah. She will return to the round during the 2020 season as the lead in Mary Poppins. Spending quality time together as a couple remains at the top of their priority list. When GENTRI tours, Shae comes along as often as her performing schedule permits.

Shae says, “Through our entire marriage, Brad has never let my light dim. He supports me in anything I’ve ever wanted to do and helped me feel fulfilled.” Brad adds, “We love traveling, we love performing and we love people. Touring allows us to marry those three worlds together. Just like in any relationship, we find ways to make our circumstances work — and not just make it work, but to make it memorable.” 

 

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