Hello All!
I thought it would be appropriate for me to discuss my recent adventures in the realm of gigging musicians... I am now "one of them!" Haha... It's been fun, and I've met so many, shall I say... interesting people. ;-) It's funny to think that I'm doing this right now, because for a while, I'd just about given up on my original dream of becoming a touring, performing, recording artist.

When I came to Berklee two years ago, that was the reason I'd transferred here. I remember sitting in my dorm room at Chapman University, in Orange, CA, with tears welling up in my eyes as I browsed through the Berklee College of Music's website. To say that I was unhappy at Chapman is an understatement. Don't get me wrong, for I absolutely loved the academic side of the school. I felt thoroughly challenged there, and I worked hard for the 4.0 GPA I achieved throughout the 4 semesters I attended Chapman. I had started out as a Broadcast Journalism major in the Film School, and later switched my concentration to Political Science and International Relations. So, academically, I miss all of that. Despite this enjoyment of Chapman's intellectual offerings, socially, I felt out of place . I'd made friends, but the stereotypical mentality of Southern CA was very prevalent all over campus. I'm not usually one to buy into stereotypes (after all, I am a born and raised Southern CA girl at heart), but fraternities and sororities heavily influenced the campus, and I didn't feel that I fit into their mold (and I'm proud not to be a typical "red cup girl").

Cut to 2 years later, and I'm glad I made the move. I've been through a lot, and I'm stronger for it. For those of you whom I've shared and confided in during my toughest struggles, I must thank you for everything. I've been much more open about these battles I've fought recently, and I've been wondering if I might not start talking about them in this type of forum. After all, I pretty much assume that tabloids will eventually report nearly all of my deepest and darkest secrets anyway. If you're interested in this idea, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Anyway, the reason I really wanted to write today was to say that I've finally begun performing around Boston (since I've been telling myself I would for so long now). I've actually got a mailing list and I'm enjoying feedback from everyone. I had a very touching conversation with my father a week or so ago. Though he and I haven't always agreed on every issue, he has always supported me in all of my endeavors. During that phone call, he told me that he didn't want me to forget why I came to Berklee in the first place. I'm a Music Business major now, and in taking courses such as Accounting, Web Design, and International Economics, I've been singing, songwriting, and playing my guitar less and less. Because I'm a bit of a nerd at heart, the academic classes haven't bothered me at all, but the fact that I'm not doing as much music (especially songwriting) makes me really sad. My father helped to remind me that I belong with a microphone in my hand, standing before a crowd. At that moment in our conversation, I felt so loved by my dad, and any troubles he and I have had seemed to disappear. Thank you for being so supportive and proud of me, Daddy...

Well, I will be updating this blog soon with some of my most personal struggles in the hopes that it will be of help to others who are going through similar troubles now. I feel that my past experiences may help to shed some light on some of society's most pressing issues.

I'm starting to read a new book today. Perhaps you've heard of it? It's called Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue. I know it sounds like a Christian book, but it's actually non-denominational from what I've been told. There are three books in the series, so I'm lookin' forward to this. I'll let you know what I think of it as I go along!

I wish all of you peace, love, and light...
Don't forget about my myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/briannewidaman
I will be purchasing a domain name and posting a brand new website soon - elementarily designed by yours truly! ;-) Take care...

~Brie~