Bea Hardy, DJ & Sonic Branding Partner for Belden
A Conversation About Sonic Branding With Bea Hardy
As with every design detail, the "soundtrack of Belden" was highly considered. Just as we supported local designers like Dumais Made and twenty2 Wallpaper, we wanted to lean on local talent to help us find the ideal music. Enter Bea Hardy, a Brooklyn-based DJ, music curator and sonic branding consultant, who also happens to have a family home in Litchfield County, so really understands the rhythms of our town, and in order to make our soundtrack sing, stayed with us for a few nights to hear the songs in situ.
BH&M: Bea, you work with global brands like Chanel and Nike and DJ epic dance parties at NYC institutions like Public Records. What drew you to Belden House?
BH: I spend a lot of time Upstate, it’s where I go to reset from the energy of the city, and that shift always influences how I listen. It’s a place where I connect with music in a different, very intentional way. My environment has a huge impact on the kinds of sounds I’m drawn to, and being up there leads me to dive into artists I might not seek out as much in New York, usually slower rhythms with more organic instrumentation. Because the area feels so creatively energizing to me, I’d been wanting to channel that energy into a sonic branding project. In a conversation with the Troutbeck team about curating music, they mentioned a new hotel, and that’s how the collaboration with Belden began.
BH&M: How would you describe the music identity you created for Belden House?
BH: When I visited Belden House for the first time, what struck me right away was how lively it felt: bright, colorful, airy, and full of light, especially compared to Troutbeck’s moodier and more intimate atmosphere. That contrast became a clear sonic cue. I wanted the atmosphere to feel calm, while also feeling joyful and elevated. I began thinking about warm acoustic textures, steady rhythms, and natural instrumentation that would match the brightness of the space.
" If the music is doing its job, guests won’t consciously notice it, but they’ll feel more present, more grounded, and more connected to the experience of being here."
Bea Hardy
All photographs of Bea by Jim Henkens
BH&M: How would you describe the music identity you created for Belden House?
BH: When I visited Belden House for the first time, what struck me right away was how lively it felt: bright, colorful, airy, and full of light, especially compared to Troutbeck’s moodier and more intimate atmosphere. That contrast became a clear sonic cue. I wanted the atmosphere to feel calm, while also feeling joyful and elevated. I began thinking about warm acoustic textures, steady rhythms, and natural instrumentation that would match the brightness of the space.
BH&M: What were some specific references or inspirations behind the playlist design?
BH: I drew on a 70s influence and layered it with contemporary selections and international sounds: from Brazilian bossa nova to Ethiopian jazz and Japanese fusion. The aim was to create a sound that felt timeless and textural, without feeling cliche or frozen in time.
BH&M: How do you see the role of music in a space like Belden House?
BH: A playlist can set a mood, but sonic branding gives a space its own voice. A Spotify “chill lounge” playlist isn’t built to pace a room or reflect a brand’s identity. When music choice is left to whoever is working that day, consistency gets lost, and with it the opportunity to fully express what makes a space unique. For me, sonic branding means designing music with the same care and intentionality as the furniture, the lighting, or the art. It’s another layer of how a place makes people feel. It’s about enhancing the experience without taking over. The sound should feel easy to sink into but never disappear entirely.
BH&M: How does your experience DJing for fashion brands influence how you curate for hospitality spaces?
BH: Through DJing for fashion events, I’ve learned to read a room with a different kind of sensitivity. In a club, the relationship is direct: it’s just you and the crowd. But at a brand event, there’s a third element at the center: the brand itself. The brand sets the tone for how it wants people to feel and what it wants them to remember. Music becomes a way to translate that ethos into atmosphere: making the space both cohesive and unforgettable.
BH&M: What do you hope guests feel when they experience the sound of Belden House?
BH: I want the music to feel like an invitation to unwind and tune into their surroundings. If the music is doing its job, guests won’t consciously notice it, but they’ll feel more present, more grounded, and more connected to the experience of being here.
"A playlist can set a mood, but sonic branding gives a space its own voice."