An energetic former Air Force Brat, Briana Lewis has always enjoyed music and performing and was always in a choir or band growing up. She began her flute studies at age ten with Debbie Blake and continued with other teachers and didn't stop playing. Diagnosed with ADHD as a child, Briana's love of music came as a relief to her Mom, thankful that her child finally stuck with something. Along with regular band and private lessons, she also attended band camp (don't) and later joined the local Base chapel choir. She continued her flute studies with Dr. Tracy Doyle at Adams State University while partaking in various vocal and instrumental ensembles including the jazz choir, 68 West, and a woodwind trio. She graduated Cum Laude in May of 2012 with a BA in Flute Performance. She was also inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda and officially became a member in May 2012.
Post graduation, Briana sang and acted in Albuquerque's local musical theater scene while freelancing as a flutist. While working at the New Mexico Philharmonic as an administrative assistant, she also taught at the Phil's Young Musician Initiative program. As a teacher's assistant in the youth program, she was involved in the flute and choir classes and ran her own class of Outdoor Music Games which involved music and movement. She was also involved in the productions of 9 to 5: The Musical, The Producers, Shrek: The Musical, and Young Frankenstein: The Musical.
In July of 2015, Briana graduated Cum Laude with her Masters in Flute Contemporary Performance with a Concentration in Studio Production at Berklee College of Music. There, she studied flute performance with Perico Sambeat and voice performance with Celia Mur. She also studied songwriting in master classes and private instruction with Patrice Rushen, Nona Hendryx, John Oates and Bonnie Hayes. In different ensembles, she studied Latin Jazz, Samba and Mediterranean while she performed in various venues around Valencia, and played on over 20 student recording projects. For special performances, she performed with Danilo Perez at the 2015 Pop and Jazz Conference and for the Jacopo Mezzanotti charity orchestra concert, Music for Autism.
In addition to her hefty performance and recording schedule, Briana commissioned and produced a song for the Young Musician Initiative Program, the song first being performed and recorded by Berklee students and later performed by the YMI students and enjoyed by their families (proven by a cellphone video). In early 2016, Briana performed in a musical production as Gary Coleman in Avenue Q at Chestnut Street Playhouse. Later on, she released her first EP 'Heritage' and was featured in the Songwriter September section on the Collectives Soundwaves website. Briana guested in the music video series Anielle and Friends in late 2016 and continued playing with the Motions Worship band into 2017.
Briana was always an advocate for mental health and has incorporated positive and effective mental health practices in her music. Dealing with general anxiety disorder, ADHD, and depression, she soon realized how important it is for people to receive the support they need to continue creating and sharing art.
Briana has now relocated to New York City where she teaches privately and performs around the city. She made her unofficial NYC debut in the Gallery Players New Play Festival 2018 and her official NYC debut as ensemble in the opera 'The Story of Harriet Tubman' with Utopia Opera soon after. Then performed a set at the 'Tuesdays at 9' event at Naked Angels NYC before Covid shut everything down. Thankfully things are coming back bit by bit and while they are, she'll be performing virtually on sessionslive.com (check https://sessionslive.com/artists/event-schedules for dates) and teeny, tiny shows (dates tbd) around NYC. Briana finished cutting live session vinyls courtesy of Leestavall Sound Recordings in May 2022. Be sure to check out her live-streamed shows on SessionsLive.com and much more on her YouTube channel!
Post graduation, Briana sang and acted in Albuquerque's local musical theater scene while freelancing as a flutist. While working at the New Mexico Philharmonic as an administrative assistant, she also taught at the Phil's Young Musician Initiative program. As a teacher's assistant in the youth program, she was involved in the flute and choir classes and ran her own class of Outdoor Music Games which involved music and movement. She was also involved in the productions of 9 to 5: The Musical, The Producers, Shrek: The Musical, and Young Frankenstein: The Musical.
In July of 2015, Briana graduated Cum Laude with her Masters in Flute Contemporary Performance with a Concentration in Studio Production at Berklee College of Music. There, she studied flute performance with Perico Sambeat and voice performance with Celia Mur. She also studied songwriting in master classes and private instruction with Patrice Rushen, Nona Hendryx, John Oates and Bonnie Hayes. In different ensembles, she studied Latin Jazz, Samba and Mediterranean while she performed in various venues around Valencia, and played on over 20 student recording projects. For special performances, she performed with Danilo Perez at the 2015 Pop and Jazz Conference and for the Jacopo Mezzanotti charity orchestra concert, Music for Autism.
In addition to her hefty performance and recording schedule, Briana commissioned and produced a song for the Young Musician Initiative Program, the song first being performed and recorded by Berklee students and later performed by the YMI students and enjoyed by their families (proven by a cellphone video). In early 2016, Briana performed in a musical production as Gary Coleman in Avenue Q at Chestnut Street Playhouse. Later on, she released her first EP 'Heritage' and was featured in the Songwriter September section on the Collectives Soundwaves website. Briana guested in the music video series Anielle and Friends in late 2016 and continued playing with the Motions Worship band into 2017.
Briana was always an advocate for mental health and has incorporated positive and effective mental health practices in her music. Dealing with general anxiety disorder, ADHD, and depression, she soon realized how important it is for people to receive the support they need to continue creating and sharing art.
Briana has now relocated to New York City where she teaches privately and performs around the city. She made her unofficial NYC debut in the Gallery Players New Play Festival 2018 and her official NYC debut as ensemble in the opera 'The Story of Harriet Tubman' with Utopia Opera soon after. Then performed a set at the 'Tuesdays at 9' event at Naked Angels NYC before Covid shut everything down. Thankfully things are coming back bit by bit and while they are, she'll be performing virtually on sessionslive.com (check https://sessionslive.com/artists/event-schedules for dates) and teeny, tiny shows (dates tbd) around NYC. Briana finished cutting live session vinyls courtesy of Leestavall Sound Recordings in May 2022. Be sure to check out her live-streamed shows on SessionsLive.com and much more on her YouTube channel!
Feel free to download my Music resumés below
| brianalewistheatreresume.pdf |
| brianalewisvoiceresume.pdf |
| brianalewisfluteresumé.pdf |
