Briana Lynn Hardyman; Passion, Determination, Power

When Briana Lynn Hardyman opened her mouth to show my family what happens when she sings, a spellbound silence fell over every member. The fact that such a level of passion and authority could come from the gentle young lady she appeared to be while talking thrilled all of us in an unexpected way; perhaps the fact that Hardyman’s voice amplified as well in our living room as the average artist’s does in a recording studio excited us because we were comforted that true talent still exists. Maybe we all felt sort of special in that privy-to- secret-information sort of way since were got the chance to hear a potential voice of the future before general society did. Though we may have been at a loss for explanation and could do nothing but applaud genuinely, Briana had just the right words to say about her impromptu mini-concert - “I’m so lucky, I get such a personal audience tonight.”

Briana Lynn Hardyman is a self-proclaimed product of many different styles of music; hints of Bonnie Raitt style versatility can be easily picked out of her songs, due to Briana’s open mind as concerns music. Artists such as Bonnie Raitt and Emylou Harris (both major influences of Briana’s) have been so influential because they don’t pigeon-hole themselves – they’re always fresh and interesting, and as Briana says, they “have allowed themselves to be instruments of incredible music and because they did it so well, they’ve inspired music for generations to come.” Realizing this, Briana is working to become an “instrument of music” herself – she spends time everyday writing down words that may turn into a song, and when it does turn into a song she finds somewhere to let it out. Wait a minute! I’m making it sound easy, and of course it’s never easy - there’s always obstacles, steps, fears, and doubts that have to be accomplished and pushed to the side. So, allow me to clear this up for you.

If you listen to a couple of her songs, it’s hard to believe that Briana would be shy about her voice. Even so, she had to overcome the common obstacle of stage fright before she even decided that she wanted to make music her career. Briana loved singing from as early as she can remember, telling us that her earliest memories of music was her mom singing “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Coat of Many Colors” when she was just a little girl. “I guess when I really started to sing was in church when I was about 17,” she says is one of the major points in the timeline leading to her becoming a professional singer. “I was terribly afraid of being in front of people though I wanted to perform very much. I just had to get past my own inhibitions and self doubt.” So, she took the path of acting onstage in various roles for years until she was comfortable with being in front of people and sharing something as personal to her as her voice, making her a unique stage-fright recovery case. So, at this point, she had the guts and she had the intentions…then what?

“After a brief period in New York when I was really forced to grow up and look at life and the world around me on a broader scale, music and live musical performance became something I not only loved and wanted to do, but needed to do.” Once she was sure that singing was what she wanted to do with her life, she ended up here.

“I don’t know that I had really thought out what I expected Nashville to be before I came here,” Briana Lynn Hardyman said. Yes, that’s right, like the majority of the town now, she’s not a Nashville native, but she’s learning the ropes quickly. She arrived a little over a year ago, with the hope of so many others: to fulfill her dreams of others being able to hear and love her music. Of course, there was a certain level of unfamiliarity around the place, but people with passion-induced stubbornness like Hardyman learn how to deal with that: she’s gotten over that beginner’s hump that burns down the dreams of many would-be singers.

“I guess it doesn’t seem as big as I once thought it was or as inaccessible now that I know people, places, and my way around,” she says, confirming that the city is now included within the radius of her comfort zone. “Nashville is a beautiful place full of life, lessons, hard knocks, and magical experiences.” Ain’t that the truth.

As is common knowledge, trying to find the right path in the music industry is never easy for anybody (unless you have a famous relative, maybe), and Briana is no exception. “I think that there are a lot of unfortunate things that occur when trying to make it in a tough career path that are really nobody’s fault, just a matter of people with different goals, ideas, or knowledge,” she says of the music industry. This can come in many forms, which includes scams, and people with the fervor like Briana’s are prime targets for such deceit. “I’ve paid a significant amount of money for false services, which once again is partially my own fault for not obtaining the knowledge necessary to make a better decision. And, probably the most common issue I’ve faced is being offered a great business venture when in fact the offer was based on me having personal involvement with the person offering.” But Briana’s persistence is like a housewife’s on Black Friday (only hopefully with less violence) – she has a general goal in mind, and she’s going to get what she wants no matter how many random obstacles she has to jump over. Most likely, every newly aspiring artist has run into some kind of trick, but it’s almost a right of passage and a proof of passion in the music industry - once you’ve fallen for something, you know how to avoid it next time. Briana knows that scams, schemes, and general foolishness comes with the territory now and is now a wiser, more wary artist. “I’ve come to realize and stand by the belief that nothing comes free and easy and that open, direct, and honest communication can prevent a lot of bad happenings.”

What have been the good parts so far? “The journey. The magical moments. The moments on stage when it’s so good and fun you can’t quit smiling. The moments with the guitar, pen, and paper when you finally say it right. The times when people are moved. The times when artists you respect and appreciate respect and appreciate you back,” Briana gushes. “All of those are the best.”

Comments like this are laced with traces of devotion-induced self-motivation, which is consistent with what Briana has accomplished in the short amount of time she’s been here. Looking at her Myspace page alone, not only does each of her solo songs have at least 2,300 plays, but she has a long list of upcoming gigs for her band “Good Souls” - pretty impressive for an unsigned artist who relies mostly on her own efforts to get her name out there! “There are countless stories of people making connections and getting recognized online,” she says of the internet music community. Because of this simple realization, most artists understand the importance of using the many available online outlets to Plug Yourself. Like many others, Briana uses Myspace, podcasts, sonicbids, email lists, and internet music communities to make connections. And since plugging music online is becoming ever popular, there’s always new ways to be heard or have a better chance of being heard; as Briana says, her online ways of plugging herself is “ever expanding”. Offline, she still uses the ol’ faithful of face-to-face social networking and live performances (her favorite venues so far are Past Perfect and The Commodore. She hasn’t backed herself into the “solo artist” category either – Briana enjoys making connections with artists that she admires and respects musically, letting them know that she’d like to work with them and taking the proper steps to make that happen, at least on a trial basis at first. Evidence of her open-mindedness to a group effort is shown through the fact she’s now a part of the group “Good Souls” with Dave Isaacs, who she calls “a brilliant artist, guitarist, writer, vocalist.”

Briana’s story so far is only a short beginning, and isn’t going to just stop there – it’s only been a year since she’s been in town, and so far the results have been exceptional, which just gives us hope that her career will continue in an uphill pattern. She has small term goals, such as certain venues she wants to play – like Norm’s River Road House and The Basement –, people she’d like to work with, and ears that she’d like to reach. And anyone that hears her belt it out can understand the general opinion that Briana Lynn Hardyman has the determination, the passion, and the high level of appreciation for what she’s accomplished to keep her going straight on ‘til morning.

Why not take a chance to behold? Check out Briana’s Myspace (or else).
Here’s the Good Souls Myspace as well.

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