Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Bravo
Hi Adriana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Yes! I grew up in Reno, Nevada and started by joining my school’s band and choir programs. Once I got to high school I knew I wanted to join the spring musical inspired by High School Musical growing up. I took some acting and singing classes at a local studio and then eventually got into community musical theater. Once I got to college, I didn’t know how to pursue music but I always knew it was something I was interested in. I started taking general courses like math, English and science since I knew every degree needed them and took singing lessons on the side. At the time I was actually considering Dental Hygiene as my area of study but a professor told me I should audition for the music program- maybe within a couple weeks of the audition. I didn’t know how it would go since it wasn’t something I was preparing for but then I ended up getting a scholarship for music so I ended up switching my major the next semester. I heard a music degree was hard to get but I went for it anyway and finished in 3.5 years. Throughout my schooling I studied classical and choral music and I thought it would be something I would pursue post college but in my last year of school I went to LA to explore the music scene and work opportunities and quickly learned that my passion wasn’t in singing classical music. After graduating I moved to LA not having an any close connections with anyone. I knew a few people but still didn’t know how to get started. I started going out to shows and meeting a bunch of great people along the way. I’ve been in LA close to two years now and I’m very lucky to have found people who have helped me get work as a singer and also explore my original 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?
It definitely hasn’t been easy. Growing up, I was very insecure because I grew up in an area that wasn’t diverse racially and culturally. When I realized I looked and was raised differently than my peers I thought someone in my shoes could never make it out of my hometown or be successful. It wasn’t until I got to college that I finally started seeing more diverse people and started to own who I was as a person. I also struggled through music school especially in the first year and I started to realize why so many people ended up dropping out or changing their major. I’ve always been determined so over time, my confidence grew and I put in a lot of time and effort to get better. Once I was close to finishing school, moving to LA was the next challenge. I had never moved out of my parent’s home so moving out of state was new and a challenge in itself. I didn’t know how I would do financially and emotionally being away from home and my parents long term for the first time. Moving to LA wasn’t easy especially in the first year, I didn’t have much money, I was constantly working my day job, trying to make friends and create a good social circle, stay on top of my day to day and finances, and hustling to get music related work (even if it meant I had to do things for little to no pay just to showcase what I can do and network). Luckily, I’m now getting to place where I’m still hustling but the balance is a little better and I feel more settled.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I sing and teach private music lessons for a living. I do also write my own original music and plan to release more- you can find some of my songs on all streaming platforms under Adriana Bravo. As for my singing work- I’m kind of all over the place. You can find me singing with my guitar at a few restaurants, lounges and hotels in the LA/OC area, sometimes with a band or a small duo setting. These gigs are usually just popular covers but they can be really fun. I also do them for private events which is really cool. I also am a singer for hire like if someone needs a song recording to be sung or churches always need singers so I get work that way. I love singing in groups so I sing with a few choirs around town like the Metropolitan Master Chorale and acapella groups like Filosophy. I’m really glad I have a variety of music work because it keeps things interesting and fun. The people I get to work with also make the experience so much better and at the end of the day I’m lucky I get to say I have so much with what I do with awesome people. As for teaching, it’s something I am passionate about and I love that I can help my students hone their interests and talents. It’s always exciting for me when I see my students improving and then being able to do it on their own. I’m most proud of myself for first and foremost making the move out here and actually pursuing what I said I would do. I know LA is not an easy place for most people so the fact that I can do what I love for a living and have fun out here is amazing in itself.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I would love to collaborate with musicians and songwriters! Instagram is probably the best way to reach out and support me. I usually post where I’ll be playing or performing on there as well. My username is @adrianabeee . You can also check out my website for my session and work samples at www.adrianabravovoice.com . My contact, teaching, event information can also be found there. Don’t forget to also search “Adriana Bravo” on streaming platforms to find my original music!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adrianabravovoice.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianabeee
- Other: https://www.gigsalad.com/adriana_bravo_los_angeles
