Today we’d like to introduce you to Britt Lightning.
Britt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always loved music and started out playing the flute. That all changed the summer before high school when I heard Eddie Van Halen and decided to trade in the flute for an electric guitar. My entire focus in life changed and all I could think about was being a rockstar in a band. I grew up in the ’90’s but became infatuated with bands from the ’80’s that seemed to have so much fun on stage and most importantly had wailing guitar solos. I joined my first band about a year into playing guitar and started performing in bars and clubs around Boston when I was about 16. I had an all-female metal band called Jaded throughout high school and college that did well and we toured a lot. My parents were always very supportive- my dad would help carry my half stacks into the clubs and my mom would sell our merch. However, when I wanted to go to Berklee School of Music for college, they were opposed. My dad would ask me, “Did Jimi Hendrix go to Berklee? How about Santana? If you are going to be a rockstar, you will just have to figure that out. If you’re going to go to school, you need to study something that you can use to get a real job if you need it.” I ended up getting a degree from Northeastern University in Music Business, which has proven to be pretty handy now – thanks dad.
Growing tired of managing Jaded, I went to an audition for Lady Gaga. I got all the callbacks and was the runner up but ended up not getting the gig at the end. However, a few months later I received a call from someone who had seen me at that audition and brought me into another gig, playing for 22-time Latin Grammy Award-winning artist Alejandro Sanz. This world tour showed me dreams can come true- it was everything I had ever wanted and more. This led to many more gigs with top artists.
I always had a poster of the LA skyline in my bedroom growing up and finally moved to LA six years ago and can’t imagine living anywhere else. I am the guitar player for the all-female Platinum selling 80’s rock band Vixen and am the Musical Director for Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp unites people with their musical heroes through a life-changing experience. During COVID, when we couldn’t do the live Rock Camps, I helped produce and host over 150 online masterclasses with top artists like Roger Daltrey of The Who, Alice Cooper, Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and more. We have five live camps already planned for the first quarter of 2022. In between touring and working on Rock Camps, I try to find time to hike, hit the beach, paint, work on photography and write music.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any road to anything worth working hard for is ever smooth. The biggest lesson I have learned through my experiences are to not be attached to a particular outcome and that there is not only one direct way of getting somewhere. Lifeworks in weird ways. The main highway to your destination may have road construction, accidents or detours and you have to learn to navigate through any situation. You can still make it from point A to point B, but it may take you longer than expected, and you may encounter many other experiences along the way that may make you think you will never get to where you wanted to be going. But if you stay true to yourself, I think you will eventually find what you were looking for along the sinuous journey that is life. I think maintaining dedication, hope, faith, kindness and appreciation for what it is that you do have, is all very important.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a guitarist that has played for various artists and am currently the guitarist in Vixen. I also am the Musical Director for Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, which connects people with their musical heroes and dreams and changes lives through music- a truly magical experience. Rock Camp brings people together from all walks of life for an unforgettable experience with legendary rock stars such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Paul Stanley, Steven Tyler, Slash, and many more. It is open to all ages and experience levels. You can learn more at rockcamp.com.
I am most proud of following my dreams and continuing to do what I love which is working in the music industry, on both the creative/artist side and on the business side. I am proud to do what I do despite it being very difficult at times, despite people telling me not to and facing opposition, and am proud to have not let failure be an obstacle but rather a learning experience.
What sets me apart from others is everything. We are all unique and have our own energies. I couldn’t be like anyone else if I wanted to.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I am a risk taker. I can’t handle wondering what could or would have happened if I did not act on a situation I am intrigued by. I don’t always think being a risk taker is a good thing, I think in certain situations like with your own well-being and with money, it can be dangerous. However, I do believe risk yields reward and that you cannot live in fear. You have to be willing to take chances and see what you’re truly capable of, and you cannot be afraid of failure. If I lived too cautiously, I would never have had the amazing life experiences I have had thus far. I have no regrets from any risks I have taken.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: brittlightning.com, rockcamp.com
- Instagram: brittlightning
- Facebook: brittlightning
Image Credits
Ray Rodriguez, Fernando Lezaun, Anthony Johnson, Rescullente
