Hello! My name is Brittany and this is my story.
I was born in Chapel Hill, NC in 1995 and have lived in the middle of the state ever since. As far back as I can remember I have always loved to sing. My parents have always loved going to the beach and I would sing the whole three hours nonstop until we arrived there. At the time, it was mostly Disney songs from “The Little Mermaid” and “Hercules.” My dad always had a guitar in the corner of the room and would play some John Denver songs at times.
On my fourth Christmas, I got my first ever, real life guitar. I didn’t know how to play it, but I still had it and I loved it with all of my heart. I would strum my fingers across the strings just to feel out-of-tune vibrations.
On my fourth Christmas, I got my first ever, real life guitar. I didn’t know how to play it, but I still had it and I loved it with all of my heart. I would strum my fingers across the strings just to feel out-of-tune vibrations.
As I grew older, I started to get more serious about playing so I asked to start taking lessons. But first, I had to get a much larger guitar. For a few months I learned how to read music and play the guitar so that it wasn’t so out of tune. After a while, I was getting frustrated that I wasn’t learning the songs that I wanted to. I wanted to sing and play; not just play. My guitar teacher ended up moving to another state and I ended up setting my guitar down for a while (3 years to be exact).
Being a shy little girl, it was even hard for me to sing in front of my extended family. If I saw somebody I didn’t know, I would hide behind my parent’s legs. In 8th grade, I decided it was time to sing in the talent show; something I had always wanted to do but was too afraid to do it.
I remember it so clearly. I sang “Invisible” by Taylor Swift from her first album. They played the track on a boom box (because iPods weren’t out at this time) and it was just me and the microphone. This was the first time I was singing in front of anybody. I looked out in the crowd and every eye was on me. Instead of making me nervous, it made me excited. My aunts and uncles were there, all of my teachers I had ever had, my classmates, my friends from other grades, everybody. I looked at my mom and she was crying, I looked at my aunts and they were crying, I looked at one of my friends and she was crying. Man, everybody was crying. That was the biggest applause I had ever received and from that point on, I was addicted to being on stage.
When I picked the guitar back up at 12 years old, I wanted to take lessons again but I wanted to learn the songs that I wanted to learn. Not only did I want to take lessons, I also wanted it to be on electric guitar… so I begged for an electric guitar. By this time I had forgotten where all of the notes on the guitar were and I had also forgotten how to read music. My parents introduced me to a guy who was going to teach me to play what I wanted on the electric. The first song I learned was “Sweet Home Alabama.” Not that that was my first choice, just that I was shy and wouldn’t speak up about anything and I wouldn’t tell him what kind of music I liked.
Finally, I wasn’t so shy around him and I told him that I liked to sing. Now, I wanted to go back to acoustic guitar, so I brought out my first full sized acoustic guitar. My teacher saw it and said, “That’s a little big for you…” After talking to both of my parents, he had convinced them that I needed a smaller guitar. Honestly, it looked like the guitar could have swallowed me.
I came back with a new slim-line Yamaha electric acoustic. I learned “Jesus Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “Teardrops On My Guitar” by Taylor Swift (who is still my favorite artist). I was about 13 years old now and in my freshman year of high school. During this time, I developed my love for songwriting. I started studying how people wrote songs and how to make them sound good. This was when I wrote my first good song. It had a hook and everything! My teacher saw the potential in the song and asked if I had any more. I did.
My teacher was in a band at the time and asked if I wanted to perform some cover songs and a couple of my originals between their sets. Of course I did! My second time ever singing in front of people! Yes!
The night I played, it was one of the biggest football games at my high school between us and the rival team, so all of my friends were at the game, but I was playing a show and there was nowhere else I would rather be. All of my family was there and that was enough for me. I think my mom was more nervous than I was. The show went great! The band even asked me back to play between their sets again later down the road.
Being a shy little girl, it was even hard for me to sing in front of my extended family. If I saw somebody I didn’t know, I would hide behind my parent’s legs. In 8th grade, I decided it was time to sing in the talent show; something I had always wanted to do but was too afraid to do it.
I remember it so clearly. I sang “Invisible” by Taylor Swift from her first album. They played the track on a boom box (because iPods weren’t out at this time) and it was just me and the microphone. This was the first time I was singing in front of anybody. I looked out in the crowd and every eye was on me. Instead of making me nervous, it made me excited. My aunts and uncles were there, all of my teachers I had ever had, my classmates, my friends from other grades, everybody. I looked at my mom and she was crying, I looked at my aunts and they were crying, I looked at one of my friends and she was crying. Man, everybody was crying. That was the biggest applause I had ever received and from that point on, I was addicted to being on stage.
When I picked the guitar back up at 12 years old, I wanted to take lessons again but I wanted to learn the songs that I wanted to learn. Not only did I want to take lessons, I also wanted it to be on electric guitar… so I begged for an electric guitar. By this time I had forgotten where all of the notes on the guitar were and I had also forgotten how to read music. My parents introduced me to a guy who was going to teach me to play what I wanted on the electric. The first song I learned was “Sweet Home Alabama.” Not that that was my first choice, just that I was shy and wouldn’t speak up about anything and I wouldn’t tell him what kind of music I liked.
Finally, I wasn’t so shy around him and I told him that I liked to sing. Now, I wanted to go back to acoustic guitar, so I brought out my first full sized acoustic guitar. My teacher saw it and said, “That’s a little big for you…” After talking to both of my parents, he had convinced them that I needed a smaller guitar. Honestly, it looked like the guitar could have swallowed me.
I came back with a new slim-line Yamaha electric acoustic. I learned “Jesus Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “Teardrops On My Guitar” by Taylor Swift (who is still my favorite artist). I was about 13 years old now and in my freshman year of high school. During this time, I developed my love for songwriting. I started studying how people wrote songs and how to make them sound good. This was when I wrote my first good song. It had a hook and everything! My teacher saw the potential in the song and asked if I had any more. I did.
My teacher was in a band at the time and asked if I wanted to perform some cover songs and a couple of my originals between their sets. Of course I did! My second time ever singing in front of people! Yes!
The night I played, it was one of the biggest football games at my high school between us and the rival team, so all of my friends were at the game, but I was playing a show and there was nowhere else I would rather be. All of my family was there and that was enough for me. I think my mom was more nervous than I was. The show went great! The band even asked me back to play between their sets again later down the road.
During my four years in high school, I was highly dedicated to playing on the varsity softball team but I still made time to sing. The first two years, I didn’t play shows so much, but I still wrote a ton of songs.
My junior year, I took a guitar ensemble class. After a few days in the class, the teacher noticed that I was more advanced than the rest of the students and decided he was going to teach me to record my own songs. So, instead of doing what the rest of the class did, I did my own thing. When it came time to perform at the end of the semester, I performed either my own songs or Taylor Swift covers.
After two years of guitar ensemble, I went to a local community college where one of my friends introduced me to a band in a city not too far away from me. I made a demo CD and sent it to them. After a few days, I was asked to come sit in at a rehearsal. After that, I was asked to come back for every rehearsal. Pretty soon, I found myself studying for midterm exams and learning 60+ songs for the new band. I came so close to telling them that I couldn’t be in the band but I pushed through and I am so glad I did. I met so many people during the 2 years the band stayed together.
My junior year, I took a guitar ensemble class. After a few days in the class, the teacher noticed that I was more advanced than the rest of the students and decided he was going to teach me to record my own songs. So, instead of doing what the rest of the class did, I did my own thing. When it came time to perform at the end of the semester, I performed either my own songs or Taylor Swift covers.
After two years of guitar ensemble, I went to a local community college where one of my friends introduced me to a band in a city not too far away from me. I made a demo CD and sent it to them. After a few days, I was asked to come sit in at a rehearsal. After that, I was asked to come back for every rehearsal. Pretty soon, I found myself studying for midterm exams and learning 60+ songs for the new band. I came so close to telling them that I couldn’t be in the band but I pushed through and I am so glad I did. I met so many people during the 2 years the band stayed together.
The band broke up and I wanted to keep playing, so that’s what I did. I was being asked to play at local festivals and Art Walks and I gratefully took every offer. Now, going to school at UNC Greensboro, I’m playing acoustic shows and writing songs as often as I can. I even got asked to open up for Nantucket! Yes! That Nantucket! The very Nantucket that toured with AC/DC when they had their “Back In Black” tour in the summer of 1980.
Recently, I’ve gotten into modeling and acting and have started working on my career with that.
People ask me what I do and who I am. I am a person of many things. I’m a Christian; I pray to God. I’m a daughter; I love my parents. I’m a student; I study a lot. I’m a musician; I play music. I’m a writer; I write songs, poems, and, eventually, I want to write a book. I’m a singer; I sing my songs. I’m a dreamer; I dream about doing things. I’m a doer; I do my best to do the things I dream about. Dream with me.
Recently, I’ve gotten into modeling and acting and have started working on my career with that.
People ask me what I do and who I am. I am a person of many things. I’m a Christian; I pray to God. I’m a daughter; I love my parents. I’m a student; I study a lot. I’m a musician; I play music. I’m a writer; I write songs, poems, and, eventually, I want to write a book. I’m a singer; I sing my songs. I’m a dreamer; I dream about doing things. I’m a doer; I do my best to do the things I dream about. Dream with me.
