Meet Bryn Ripley of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryn Ripley.

Hi Bryn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been playing saxophone for 13 years, and it has been a wild ride!
I grew up in a very musical household, with my dad playing saxophone and leading a prominent music/jazz education program in Utah. Because of this, I was attending big band performances constantly, and grew a passion for jazz early on. I loved music, but never thought I would pick up the sax. I didn’t know any female saxophonists and didn’t really see it as a “girl instrument”, so it didn’t really seem like a possibility for me. When I was 12, my dad decided it was time for me to pick up an instrument and asked if I wanted to learn saxophone, like him. To make him happy, I said yes! This changed the course of my entire life.

My dad was the one who gave me my first saxophone lesson (it was only one though because we butt heads too much). I immediately loved the saxophone, and hit the ground running. Saxophone became my whole entire world throughout junior high and high school, and I knew I had found my path.
Through my dads music program, I was able to tour the world, record albums, and perform on stages with jazz legends, all when I was a teenager. This is what ultimately set me up for success and really showed me what my life could look like as a professional saxophonist.

After high school, I went to Brigham Young University and studied Commercial Music with a jazz studies emphasis. That’s where I met my now husband, who has become my partner not only in life, but music and business. Once we graduated from BYU last April, we immediately moved out to LA where Carson is working as a full time producer and I have done social media full time, founded an online saxophone community titled the Sax Academy, and received a record deal and released two EPs, all produced by my husband Carson. We are currently working on a Christmas jazz EP that will be released this December, and building an online course that will help musicians market themselves through social media!

I have been able to work with so many incredible female instrumentalists out here in LA, and I am hoping to use my music and platform to inspire other women to pick up the saxophone and find their unique voice in music!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I first began performing on saxophone, I had severe stage fright. This got to the point where I was throwing up and physically ill with every performance I had. Although I performed all the time, this extreme anxiety and fear went on all throughout junior high and high school. Each performance was so terrifying for me, but I never turned one down. After years of performances, I was finally able to overcome my performance anxiety and learned to enjoy being onstage and sharing my music! As I look back, I am so proud of myself for not giving up, as I now perform for millions of people a month through sharing my music online!
As I have begun professionally touring, I have had to overcome my fear of flying. Because I have OCD, and flying/traveling is a big trigger for me, touring has become extremely difficult. I dread each flight, but I am determined to take any opportunity I can to share my music with the world. This is something I am still actively working to overcome, and is honestly the hardest thing I have ever had to do! But every show that I can do across the world is worth every flight it takes.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional saxophonist, recording artist, educator, and content creator based out of Los Angeles. I have built an online platform of over 500,000 fans and share my music with people all over the world! My saxophone playing leans into jazz ballads & modern funk, as I see that as my soul music. I recently released a jazz EP titled “Prelude To A Grove”, with five tracks that are dedicated to my hometown, and saying goodbye to my childhood as I move to LA to pursue my dreams on saxophone.

I aim to use my platform and music to inspire other women to play saxophone! I mentor lots of saxophonists, including many women, through my online Sax Academy. Through the Sax Academy, I have helped players all over the world find their voice on the saxophone.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
That’s pretty much it! I would love to talk about women in the music industry and how we can support them.
Also, they can follow me on any platform @brynnersmusic if they want to stay up to date on all the funky saxophone and new music I release!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brynnersmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brynnersmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/bryn-ripley-saxophonist/100090511622927/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5gZfXmA3gHrYgvCiOrcr3Q
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@brynnersmusic?lang=en