The best thing about days when it rains is the sound of tires rollin' along a wet road outside my window... That, and the Diana Krall jazz I have come to adopt as my rainy day play list.

My life has never been in such an upheaval as it's been over the last few months. Basically, almost every possible confusing thing that could have happened to me DID happen. I suppose I can go so far as to say that someone I was falling for - fast - introduced me to the pain of being cheated on. It was a first for me. I won't go into any details, but I will say that it has shown me that I need to re-evaluate my priorities. I am normally a very spiritual person, and suddenly I'd lost my way in a never-ending valley of confusion and distractions. Will I find it in me to trust this person again? That question has played over and over in my head, and I'm realizing that all I have to do is reach over and turn off the replay button. What if I just returned to my core self - the part of me that is so spiritual and philosophical - perhaps the rest would fall into place. I've also realized, as we all eventually do after we've finally climbed out of the painful trenches of betrayal, that I must be able to count on myself before I can lean on anyone else or count on their respect, trust, and love. One word... confidence. I had been on a good track of self-love and the sincere belief that I was capable of anything I wanted to accomplish in life -- well, I'm back on that track....FINALLY. As far as the personal relationship that crashed and burned goes, I honestly have no answers for that one yet. I won't have them for a while, I suspect.

Anyhow, the semester is winding down -- it went by so quickly! I will take a few weeks to relax before I start a full class load for Berklee's full summer semester. Unlike other colleges, where my 14 credits would normally mean I'd be taking about 4 classes (5 tops), I will be taking 7 classes. Believe it or not, this is actually the lightest schedule of any of my other semesters here at Berklee. I took 11 classes during one semester last year. I'll be working hard this summer, but hopefully that won't be without a lot of progress being made - I'm singing in the Walk For Music fundraising event in Boston on May 22, I've entered to be considered for the 2005 Boston Folk Festival, and as soon as spring finals are done, I'll be seeking venues for more gigging. Recording is also on my To-Do-List. I'll be recording new material as well as re-recording some of my songs -- which, with any luck, will be chosen for the Dorm Sessions album for Heavy Rotation Records (HRR) due to come out in September. HRR is a label run by Berklee and co-directed by music business interns from our own program. Say a little prayer (whatever kind you believe in) for me if you can. This would be a fantastic opportunity for me to be heard on a broader scale!

I hope that all of you are doing well. The city of Boston is blooming slowly but surely! I can feel a big shift in the energy that surges through the city... it's alive and breathing.... awakened for all of us to appreciate. Take a moment to admire Mother Nature at Her finest. :-) Spirit always comes through - and the universe is always cradling us even in our darkest hours. Have faith in life, in Spirit, and in yourself...

More to come soon...

With Love and Light...
~Brie~

P.S. E-mail me if you'd like to hear some of my recordings thus far....