Voice | Briar | All Levels | Period 3 | Week 2 (July 13-17, 2026)
Explore a blues song, a doo wop song, and a gospel song to help understand the wide spectrum of repertoire and styles that form the deep bag of tricks possessed by every great blues singer. We will have fun singing in a group, learn new repertoire, and root ourselves in the history of the tradition while we celebrate America’s heritage of great singers. This class will deepen your understanding of how blues underpins so many styles of American music, while also giving you new tools for interpreting music and finding your own voice within the tradition.
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.