Happy birthday to me! (09.17.13)
I'm a proud new member of two Chicago-based vocal groups: Suspension and Deep Dish - can't wait to start singing with them. :)
Miss Illinois USA pageant (9.01.13)
I have been selected as an official State Finalist in the 2014 Miss Illinois USA pageant! I am so excited to try something so new and outside my comfort zone, I can't wait to meet all the other participants, and I'm looking forward to representing the state of Illinois! The next few months will be filled with health and fitness goals, and I'm hoping to learn a lot from the experience - wish me luck!
UPDATE (9/30/13): If you would like to donate to my Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the pageant sponsorship fee, you can do so here. Thank you so much for your support!
UPDATE #2 (10/18/13): Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who donated to the campaign! I'm so humbled to have such amazing support from my family and friends - I'm already hard at work preparing for the competition! Can't wait!!
UPDATE #3 (11/25/13): I had an amazing time competing at Miss Illinois USA. Shout-out to all of the incredibly talented, driven, beautiful, ambitious women I met, as well as the staff for running a smooth event. And major congratulations to Alexis Atkins, Miss Illinois 2014!
UPDATE (9/30/13): If you would like to donate to my Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the pageant sponsorship fee, you can do so here. Thank you so much for your support!
UPDATE #2 (10/18/13): Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who donated to the campaign! I'm so humbled to have such amazing support from my family and friends - I'm already hard at work preparing for the competition! Can't wait!!
UPDATE #3 (11/25/13): I had an amazing time competing at Miss Illinois USA. Shout-out to all of the incredibly talented, driven, beautiful, ambitious women I met, as well as the staff for running a smooth event. And major congratulations to Alexis Atkins, Miss Illinois 2014!
The Vocal Company (8.14.13)
I am pleased to announce that I have officially signed on as a recording engineer / producer with The Vocal Company (TVC)! I'm currently working with Men in Drag, The Illinois Rip Chords, The Ransom Notes, and The Xtension Chords, and I can't wait to make more music as TVC expands across the Midwest! Many thanks to all who made this development possible - especially my first mentor, Chris Rishel, as well as my TVC mentors, Dave, Mark, Nick, Ted, and Jeston, and my Soup2Nuts mentors, Deke and Bill. Couldn't have done this without you guys!
RIP Matt Ryd (8.06.13)
Matt Ryd was a Chicago musician and producer, and alum of Purple Haze a cappella. Matt passed away on August 4th after a long battle with anxiety, depression, and eating disorder.
To one of the most compassionate, funny, kind people I've had the pleasure of knowing - you changed the world for the better. I hope you saw the positive influence you had on everyone who knew you or heard your music. Rest in peace, love.
UPDATE (9/22/13): Matt's Soup2Nuts family came together to produce an a cappella cover of Matt's most famous song, "Healed." All proceeds go to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), two organizations with which Matt was involved. You can purchase the track on Loudr or iTunes.
To one of the most compassionate, funny, kind people I've had the pleasure of knowing - you changed the world for the better. I hope you saw the positive influence you had on everyone who knew you or heard your music. Rest in peace, love.
UPDATE (9/22/13): Matt's Soup2Nuts family came together to produce an a cappella cover of Matt's most famous song, "Healed." All proceeds go to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), two organizations with which Matt was involved. You can purchase the track on Loudr or iTunes.
Next Level Two and Next Level Songwriting (7.07.13)
The past two weeks have been filled to the brim with music education. I've been at Sled Dog Studios for The Vocal Company's Next Level Two (which focused on recording, editing, arranging, mixing, and production techniques) and Next Level Songwriting (which focused on... you guessed it... songwriting), and I've been learning so much. From the knowledge of Tat Tong (producer/songwriter for T2 Productions and Universal Music Group) to Austin Willacy (songwriter/soloist for The House Jacks) to Chris Crawford (founder/CEO of A Cappella Records) to Tom Anderson (owner/arranger at Random Notes) to the rest of the incredibly qualified and talented staff and students, I've learned a ton in a short amount of time. I'm excited to apply all this knowledge the rest of this summer while I'm interning here at the studio!
SheSings: First Annual Women's A Cappella Festival (6.25.13)
This weekend, Men in Drag flew in from all across the country to attend The Women's A Cappella Association's (WACA) first annual SheSings festival in Eugene, OR. It. Was. So. Perfect. We performed at the Friday night showcase alongside Divisi, Synergy, Honey Whiskey Trio, Divine, and The Riveters - an incredibly diverse and powerful and inspiring lineup. On Saturday, Men in Drag performed in Ben Stevens' famous Essential Listening workshop and I taught a workshop on DIY Recording, and that evening Musae and Julia Easterlin headlined. I'm so thankful to the rest of WACA and all its supporters for making such a space available for women in a cappella. Look out for the Best of Women's A Cappella compilation album coming soon!
FReestyle A Cappella Camp (6.21.13)
#ALLTHECAMPS! I had the pleasure this week of returning for the second consecutive summer to work with young singers at my former high school in Murrysville, PA. We talked about everything a cappella, from arranging to belting to choreographing to recording, and the students learned three songs in just 4 days! They're going to continue working on these songs and more throughout the school year, and I'm going to continue to workshop them when I'm in the area and also just be really proud of and excited for them always.
Camp A Cappella (6.16.13)
This week, I was a counselor at the first annual Camp A Cappella, produced by Brody McDonald and Deke Sharon, at Ohio State University. I had an amazing time teaching the aca-major Songwriting, directing an inspiring, creative, and talented women's group, and getting to know both the counselors and students alike. At the end of the program, the group I led gave me flowers and a hand-written card that contained notes like this:
"It's nice to have someone treat us like musicians not kids."
"Thank you for giving and inspiring the confidence I needed to bust loose and be free with my music."
"You've inspired and helped me grow as a singer/performer!"
"Thank you for making my love for a cappella grow!"
"You are so sweet and funny and please come back next year so I can come back and be in your group again!"
"It's nice that this world has women like you, convicted and flawless."
AND THEN I WEPT FOR DAYS.
"It's nice to have someone treat us like musicians not kids."
"Thank you for giving and inspiring the confidence I needed to bust loose and be free with my music."
"You've inspired and helped me grow as a singer/performer!"
"Thank you for making my love for a cappella grow!"
"You are so sweet and funny and please come back next year so I can come back and be in your group again!"
"It's nice that this world has women like you, convicted and flawless."
AND THEN I WEPT FOR DAYS.
Goodbye to Men in Drag and Voices in Your Head (6.09.13)
I owe more than I can ever repay to Men in Drag and Voices in Your Head for giving me a creative outlet, a place for my love for vocal music to grow, and, most importantly, a family and a home. You all mean more to me than I could put into words, and so very simply: thank you. I can't wait to support you as you grow beyond what any of us can even imagine.
NYC with Lady Jaye (5.20.13)
As you may or may not know, I and 5 other talented, badass women recently started a vocal group called Lady Jaye (like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!). This week we got together for the first time in The Big Apple, navigated public transit, started learning music, ate a lot of food, had a photoshoot, got some new fans, and generally had a really killer time. Can't wait for the next retreat where we'll shoot some videos!
Boston Sings and CARA Wins (4.8.13)
On Friday, Markie and I won the 2013 Best Scholastic Original CARA for "Something in the Water" with Men in Drag at the Boston Sings Festival's Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards Ceremony! We're so honored and excited! And Chris Rishel/Voices in Your Head won Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement/Song for "We Found Love!" Later that evening, Voices debuted our Ableton-inspired set and won third place in the collegiate competition; congratulations to UCD Mix on their awesome set and for taking the crown this year!
On Saturday, I led the "Sex On Stage" workshop again, this time alongside the inimitable Lisa Forkish. And Saturday evening, Postyr Project performed beautifully and also with a couch on stage because they CAN. It was lovely seeing everyone again - thanks for a great weekend!
On Saturday, I led the "Sex On Stage" workshop again, this time alongside the inimitable Lisa Forkish. And Saturday evening, Postyr Project performed beautifully and also with a couch on stage because they CAN. It was lovely seeing everyone again - thanks for a great weekend!
SingStrong Chicago (3.25.13)
This weekend I SWOONED listening to and meeting The Swingle Singers, sang with NOTA at the afterparty open mic, fawned over Julia Easterlin, watched a ton of other amazing groups, birthed a new group with the Chicago Single Singers, saw a lot of great friends, and made a lot of amazing new friends. What did you do?
Fourth Place at ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal (2.23.13)
Men in Drag received fourth place at our first-ever ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) quarterfinal! Check out our set here!
LA-AF (2.04.13)
As always after festival weekends, I have too many emotions to actually be able to say a lot about the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival. But know that it was great. And know that high school a cappella (specifically Vocal Rush and Unstrumental) is ripping everything I thought I knew to shreds in the best possible way. And know that Dakaboom really should just emcee everything else in my life, ever. And know that Jake and Roo and the rest of Mo5aic slayed it. And yeah, know that maybe you should just come next time.
Seven CARA Nominations! (2.01.13)
SEVEN. Seven 2013 CARA (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award) nominations between Voices in Your Head and Men in Drag. I am OVERWHELMED!
Voices was nominated for Best Scholastic Original Song (Chris Rishel & Bri Holland for "Life of the Mind"), Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement (Chris Rishel for "We Found Love") and Best Mixed Collegiate Song (for "We Found Love").
Men in Drag was nominated for Best Scholastic Original Song (Bri Holland and Markie Gray for "Something in the Water" [lol @ competing against myself in this category]), Best Female Collegiate Album (for Late Nights, Parades), Best Female Collegiate Arrangement (Bri Holland for "Hurt"), and Best Female Collegiate Song (for "On the Wing," which actually WON the 2012 Best Female Collegiate Arrangement CARA, so we're extra ecstatic that people like this song so much).
Thank you so much to everyone who worked on these tracks and to the community for this support - I'm so glad you like what we've been working on, and I can't wait to give you more!
Voices was nominated for Best Scholastic Original Song (Chris Rishel & Bri Holland for "Life of the Mind"), Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement (Chris Rishel for "We Found Love") and Best Mixed Collegiate Song (for "We Found Love").
Men in Drag was nominated for Best Scholastic Original Song (Bri Holland and Markie Gray for "Something in the Water" [lol @ competing against myself in this category]), Best Female Collegiate Album (for Late Nights, Parades), Best Female Collegiate Arrangement (Bri Holland for "Hurt"), and Best Female Collegiate Song (for "On the Wing," which actually WON the 2012 Best Female Collegiate Arrangement CARA, so we're extra ecstatic that people like this song so much).
Thank you so much to everyone who worked on these tracks and to the community for this support - I'm so glad you like what we've been working on, and I can't wait to give you more!
Soup2Nuts (1.12.13)
Just got back from an amazing intensive production seminar in San Francisco/Milipitas with Grammy award-winner Bill Hare, and Executive Producer of NBC's The Sing-Off, Deke Sharon. I learned so much from the team, and I've returned with fresh energy and ideas. Can't wait to get started on some new projects!
"Cherry Pie" selected for BOCA 2013 (12.24.12)
I'm so honored and pleased to announce that Men in Drag's "Cherry Pie" has been selected to appear on the 2013 edition of compilation album, Best of Collegiate A Cappella (BOCA). Voices in Your Head's "We Found Love" was also selected, so I'm extremely proud of both of my groups right now. Congratulations to everyone, and a hearty thank you to Varsity Vocals for the honor!
Late Nights, Parades released (12.08.12)
Men in Drag has released our new studio album, Late Nights, Parades! I did a lot of the arranging/recording/editing on the album, and I'm so proud to be part of a group that stands for what Men in Drag stands for. The closing track on the album (and my first-ever arrangement), "On the Wing," has already won a 2012 CARA (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award) in the category of Best Female Arrangement, and was selected to appear on compilation album, Voices Only 2011. The album also features Men in Drag's first-ever original song, "Something in the Water" (music/arr by yours truly, lyrics by Markie Gray), "Cherry Pie," the parody music video of which we debuted this past summer, and several other tracks that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between. Much blood, sweat, and tears were poured into the making of this album, and I hope you all find at least a piece of it to thoroughly enjoy.
Next Level 1.5 (11.23.12)
About a week ago, I was given the amazing opportunity to attend Next Level 1.5 (an intensive a cappella production course, including workshops on arranging, sequencing percussion, and more) at Sled Dog Studios. I think my love for Sled Dog is obvious enough, so I won't belabor that here. I want to thank all of the professionals and students alike for everything that you've taught me. I can't wait to apply all of this new knowledge to the next album I produce! (Ransom Notes - I'm lookin' at you.)
"Titanium" music video (11.07.12)
Voices in Your Head just dropped our "Titanium" music video! We hope you enjoy! (And if you're interested in purchasing the single, you can do so here!)
SoJam (11.04.12)
I can't even begin to put into words the exhilaration and inspiration and awe with which SoJam X has left me. And so I won't try. I will only say: thank you, Fork, Pentatonix, The Edge Effect, and CASA, for one of the most memorable a cappella experiences of my life.
Review: The Chicago Maroon (11.01.12)
Thanks to everyone who's been coming out to support me at the Logan Cabaret Series. It's a cool space to try out new music and get feedback. This week, The Chicago Maroon did a feature on the series and reviewed my latest performance - and they were so kind! Excerpt below!
"Singer Bri Holland, a fourth-year music major, was a tough act to follow. Not only did she demonstrate a vast vocal range, but she has the talent to know how to use it. Elements of pop and jazz to folk and blues blended rather seamlessly in her covers of “Dance So Good” by Wakey!Wakey! and “Other Side of the World” by KT Tunstall. Yet it was in her two original songs—“Gold” and “Weightless”—that her insightful poeticism, as inviting as it is imaginative, was revealed. “It’s a mad moment when you don’t feel a thing,” Holland sang in “Gold,” which explores how jarring heartbreak shatters dreams of the future. The listener eagerly follows her stream-of-consciousness lyrics, wondering where she will end up, anticipating more of Holland’s powerful voice."
"Singer Bri Holland, a fourth-year music major, was a tough act to follow. Not only did she demonstrate a vast vocal range, but she has the talent to know how to use it. Elements of pop and jazz to folk and blues blended rather seamlessly in her covers of “Dance So Good” by Wakey!Wakey! and “Other Side of the World” by KT Tunstall. Yet it was in her two original songs—“Gold” and “Weightless”—that her insightful poeticism, as inviting as it is imaginative, was revealed. “It’s a mad moment when you don’t feel a thing,” Holland sang in “Gold,” which explores how jarring heartbreak shatters dreams of the future. The listener eagerly follows her stream-of-consciousness lyrics, wondering where she will end up, anticipating more of Holland’s powerful voice."
AcappellaFest (10.22.12)
Thank you to everyone who came out for Chicago's AcappellaFest! I had a BLAST performing with Men in Drag and Voices in Your Head, emcee-ing the Collegiate Competition, moderating the "Sex On Stage" workshop with the ladies of Sonos, and of course planning the festival's curriculum with my #1, Ben Stevens. Congratulations to the whole team, and can't wait to see many of you at SoJam in 2 weeks!
Music video with Peter Yang (10.03.12)
If you haven't yet checked out my first collaboration with Peter Yang, "Give Your Heart a Break," you can do so here! AND we just dropped the music video! A million thanks to Peter, Sled Dog Studios, Rachel Chalhoub, and everyone else that made this awesome!
#37 on A Cappella Blog's "Cool 100" List (9.11.12)
Thanks so much to Mike Chin and the rest of the team at The A Cappella Blog for placing me on the list! It's a true honor to be among such great names and talents.
Welcome! (9.10.12)
Hi there, and thanks for checking out my website! Over the next few months, I hope to keep building on the site and updating it with new content. Stay tuned!
Cheers,
Bri
Cheers,
Bri