User:AbbyBrown

Abby Brown is a guitarist originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since 2009, she has been a student at Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts studying Guitar and Songwriting, with a minor in Gender Studies. She has played on various recordings, and in 2010 was in a Boston-based rock/hip-hop band. Inspired by folk and singer/songwriters, she views songwriting as storytelling and a means for social activism.

Musical Background and Outlook

In the summer before 7th grade, I found a cheap guitar and a beginners book in my basement and began teaching myself. It was during this summer that I realized my passion for music, and proceeded to study music theory from every book I could get my hands on. During high school, I played guitar for the jazz band, jazz ensemble, show choir band, pit band, and various jam bands, while also performing at benefit concerts and coffee shops as a singer/songwriter. I also played clarinet for the wind symphony and pep band. I worked part-time jobs and used all my earnings to buy recording gear, and made a demo CD at the age of 16. After high school, I moved from Cedar Rapids, IA to Boston, MA to attend Berklee College of Music. Since being at Berklee, I have played in a rock/hip-hop band, and on various studio sessions. I am currently half-way through my education, and hope to spend my time creating music and eventually get a Master's in either English or Political science.

My Music

Inspired by the music of The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and current music such as Brandi Carlile and Ray LaMontagne, I am attempting to create music of this genre in a tech-based generation. I am drawn to the message of songwriters, as well as the innovative use of technology in modern music, and I hope to figure out how to combine these two things with my own music. I write primarily for an acoustic guitar and voice, and enjoy collaborating with other musicians to round out my music. I am also inspired by spoken word poets such as Andrea Gibson and Anis Mojgani, and poets of the Beat Generation, and try to incorporate their strong use of written word with music.