Woooooow! What a great night! The Brenna Lynn, Kristy Lee Burky, and Once Again show at the symposium was awesome. About 50 people were dancing and having a great time in the black lights. I loved sharing the stage with the other artists - I've seen Kristy play before, and she was even better this time! I knew some of the words of her songs since I purchased her CD at the last show. Talk about talented! Once Again played after me and they were incredible. They played great throwback songs and had the whole crowd dancing and drinking. I loved when they threw my name into some of the songs they sang. lol. Not only did I get to play great music, I got to listen to great music!

I played from 9 - 10:30. This show rocked for a lot of reasons. The first being that a lot of my friends that have never seen me live were there to watch me perform. Another was that I had some audience members crying at some of my more touching songs. I got to play some BRAND new songs that I've written. It was the longest I'd ever played. People were dancing to my voice. And the coolest moment of my night: someone asked for my autograph on their ticket!

People complimented me on my variety - I played some great covers like Irreplaceable by Beyonce, Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel, and Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. I belted and I hit some high notes. I rocked some high-energy originals. And I had two original songs that were very quiet and deep - it was incredible how the entire world seemed to stand still and the whole club became silent as I sang. It was surreal.

I hope those who came out had as much fun as I did! Be sure to make my next show!!

xoxo Brenna Lynn

Cuyahoga Community College is where it's at. They have a Recording Arts Technology (or RAT) program - which I'm lucky enough to be a part of this summer! My "Survey of the Recording Industry" class was $300 to take, but I'm learning so much from it. I've learned a lot about the history of the recording industry, and have even started learning about revenue streams in the music industry. I hope that in the near future I can get a little demo CD, and maybe get in touch with a publisher that can help me get some of my original songs into the hands of some professionals. I'd love for Miranda Lambert to hear my song, Arm Candy ;)  
I'll be sharing some of the cool things I've learned in the RAT program class that I'm taking, so stay tuned for some good songwriting and music business tips!

On June 17th I had the pleasure of playing at the Symposium for the first time.
WOW! What a place! My converse lit up the in blacklight and the whole place was cool and clearly very music focused! The stage was awesome with a cool circle window in the background. The sound was blaring and the other acts sounded awesome. Kristy Lee Burky opened for me, playing awesome originals and a couple of classics. I loved when she played her song "I know" and couldn't help but sing along to "Linger" by The Cranberries. The band that played after me was "Mildred Hits the Afterburner." They were interesting to say the least. They had me up and dancing in no time. The whole place was laughing, singing, and even occasionally dancing while I played my show. It was an awesome time. Make sure you're at the next show on July 22 at 8pm so that you can experience the awesome vibes at the Symposium. Any requests on songs? Comment below!

So I decided to build some stuff...

Here's my DIY method of making a SUPER simple sound isolation booth for recording vocals (that really works!) without impressive tools or expensive materials.

Easy. Foolproof. Inexpensive. Functional.





Materials:
Cardboard Box (or another material box) (mine was about 2 ft x 2 ft, with a depth of about 5 inches)
Mattress padding foam
Black spray paint (optional)
Marker
Adhesive (simple or hot glue and some double sided tape works great!)

1) Start by planning the shape and dimensions of your box. I decided to make mine a trapezoidal prism by folding in the top and sides of the box. I can also unfold it into a shallow box with two side foldings. You can also make a rectangular box, or another shape.

2) Mark your box in such a way that you know where your boundaries are if you are folding the box in like I did. Also be sure to plan where you'd like to place your microphone. Mark and cut out a mic hole.

3) Spray paint the outside of your box if you desire.

4) After your box dries, measure the dynamics of each flat portion on the inside of the box.

5) Cut your mattress foam into pieces to fit the insides of the box. Mark the back foam piece where it lines up with the microphone hole in the box. Cut a simple X into the foam, so that the microphone can be slid into place, but the foam can be snug around the microphone.*

6) With the textured side of the foam facing up, attach the foam to the inside of the box.

7) Using the extra foam slivers, squish little pieces into the corners and edges of the box. If necessary, use duct tape to help the box keep its shape.

8) Slide your microphone into place and press record!

* If your microphone sits on a simple stand, you can cut a hole in the foam the size of the base of the stand, and place the mic towards the back of the box standing in the hole in the foam.

I hope this method works well for you! Comment tips, thoughts, or other ideas for DIY at home recording. I hope we all make it big and someday have real sound booths...but you've got to start somewhere!

<3

There are some BIG THINGS in the works right now.

Here's a hint...I've been spending lots of time in my room working with my new equipment...

I'm currently looking for some musicians to play with me in the Cleveland area. I need two other groups/musicians for each of the following dates at Symposium Night Club in Lakewood, Ohio

June 17
July 22
August 13
September 10

If you or someone you know is interested, please contact me at [email protected] or DM me on instagram @brennalynnmusic

I've been working on a lot of great things recently. Between classes, work, and the hectic life of being a college student, I spend all of my free time on music. Yesterday, I played at an Open Mic Night at the Smiling Skull Saloon in Athens, Ohio. It was a blast!

I've also been attending a singer-songwriter circle on most Tuesdays. My pal and inspiration, Bruce, invited me to come, and I've been loving every minute of it. In the 1804 lounge in Baker Center at Ohio University, songwriters gather to speak, collaborate, and share music. At the end of every session, a random word is chosen and we are instructed to write a song throughout the week that includes that word! Here's the catch, you only get one hour to do so. The purpose, as Bruce says, is "to remember to not take ourselves too seriously." I've been loving this relaxed and fun exercise. I encourage other writers to try it too!

I might be able to organize a free photo shoot with a photo student here at OU. That would rock, and potentially give me some future album covers! Any ideas for cool photos? Put them in the comments :)

Lastly, I've been trying to work on developing a social media presence. I'm like a grandma with technology so it's been a little rocky. But follow me on instagram to see what I've been up to! @BrennaLynnMusic

I'm no expert at this, but I'm having a fun, and you've got to start somewhere. "If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving"  Maybe I'll get to fly someday... :)