Voice | Briar | All Levels | Period 1 | Week 2 (July 13-17, 2026)
After giving singers the tools to warm up and maintain a bedrock of good technique, Briar will help singers connect with their emotions through the voice. Students will learn to observe, adapt, and incorporate elements of the techniques used by essential blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Esther Philips. This exploration will be paired with breathing techniques that will expand your range and deepen your relaxation while singing. For Briar, singing is about being free to express yourself without fear–this class expands that freedom and shrinks your fears.
About the Instructor
Briar is a singer of vintage jazz, blues and original music. By blending a powerful voice with stories about the history and origins of her music, she shines a light on singers and tales that have been forgotten by the country that created them. Raised in the small community of Chimacum, Washington, Briar uses her music to help explore her unique background as a black woman from the rural Pacific Northwest. Whether belting Bessie Smith numbers or crooning original songs about Sherlock Holmes, her performances are defined by her combination of grace and playfulness, elegance crossed with down-home bravado.In addition to her regular engagements as a singer and ukulele player, Briar teaches music for Seattle JazzEd, is a leader of the Rhapsody Project, and is currently pursuing a degree in Environmental Science from Olympic University.