Both Hannah Miller and Berteal may have gotten a late start in pursuing music as a career, but it has not hindered either band from setting their sights on having long and meaningful careers.

As a part of The Tuscaloosa Arts Council’s Acoustic Night, Hannah Miller and Berteal will perform at the Bama Theatre Wednesday beginning at 6:30 p.m. The cost for admission is $5.

Miller, an Alabama native, did not start writing her own music until after college. She said it was a relatively delayed start, compared to most musicians and artists.

“Ever since I was little, I loved to sing,” Miller said. “I didn’t have anyone in particular who really inspired me, it was just sort of a first desire. But it was not until after I graduated college and got married that I thought, ‘What do I actually have to do to make this happen?’”

Since college, she has built quite a fan base, which helped her to fund her newest EP, O Black River, the second in a series of three EPs.

Miller’s music– a mix of blues, folk, Gospel and rock– is a true reflection of herself, she said.

“I am not always inspired by the same thing,” Miller said. “It is always something different. The album ‘Journey to the Moon’ was all love songs, but ‘O Black River’ was written at a time when I was seeking something. It was really about my spiritual journey.”

Miller said it has been a blessing to make music for a living, and whenever she is not writing or performing she gets restless.

“It’s also very empowering to know that I can do this on my own,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, sure, but it’s better than any real job.”

Berteal, made of brother/sister duo Kim and Chad Gentry, will open for Miller during Acoustic Night. The Gentrys began collaborating on music together recently in 2010, though the two grew up playing music together around the house and at church. Like Miller, it was not until much later in life that they began to pursue music as a career together.

The siblings, both employed by the University, have been playing locally together and have become well known in the community.

Kim Gentry has been very involved in several animal rescue organizations, and some of her lyrics reflect her passion for stopping animal cruelty.

“I started to get into songwriting, and I wanted to write about something I cared about,” Gentry said. “A lot of cruelty and abuse happens to animals, and I work with them a lot, so it comes out in my music.”

Their song, “On the Frontline” is a rally cry for people to help stop animal cruelty, she said.

Another of Berteal’s songs, “When a Mother Calls,” is a tribute to Bear Bryant and Alabama alumni.

“Over the years, I have been so struck by Alabama alumni and their love for this place,” she said. “It was that sort of sweet love for a place, and I was inspired to write from that. We did this song as a gift for those who love UA.”

Berteal said “When a Mother Calls” will be part of their set list for tomorrow night’s show.

Gentry said that what she loves about music is being able to express herself, but more than anything, music is about getting a message across.

“I try to write songs that folks can relate to,” she said. “I had a lady come up to me right after we did a benefit concert for a Haitian orphanage after the earthquake and say to me, ‘You don’t understand what that song meant to me.’ That meant more than anything to me.”

For more information about Hannah Miller, visit hannahmiller.com. For more information about Berteal, visit berteal.com or facebook.com/berteal.