Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Valera.
Brittany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story starts in Coral Springs, Florida where I was born, raised and lived for over twenty years. I have always been a creative individual. Besides visual arts, my greatest passion has always been writing poems, lyrics, and singing.
In kindergarten, I recorded my first song using a tape recorder borrowed from the school media center. My mother was my scribe since I did not know how to write back then. For years, I continued filling Mead Composition notebooks and journals with original lyrics.
I participated in Chorus in elementary and high school. In high school, I was in Chamber Singers and participated in Florida Vocal Association Solo & Ensemble, All-State, and All-County. Sight-reading music and performing Italian arias for auditoriums boosted my courage on stage.
After high school, I began leading vocal worship at my local church. I held a few Worship (Music) Director positions for each of their student through young adult ministries.
There needed to be a balance between working multiple jobs, teaching vocal lessons, doing makeup for weddings and completing my degree. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Florida Atlantic University. Throughout those years, singing for a couple of private events and church were my only musical outlets. At the church, I met my husband who plays guitar for our band, Jamina.
Just a year after we got married, my husband’s old bandmates contacted him for a new project. They needed a guitarist and a singer. For the last three years, I have been enjoying writing melodies and lyrics for my first original band. Jamina began in 2016 and is steadily growing in the North Miami, Hialeah, North Broward and Fort Lauderdale areas.
Has it been a smooth road?
The journey I am on has had many bumps.
Mental, emotional and physical health and finances were some of my largest personal hurdles. If you lose love for yourself, you lose motivation for your craft. As women, it is easy to go through a lot and put on a brave face. I had to learn to confide in a few trusted individuals as I fully broke down and rebuilt myself.
My biggest hurdles for my craft have been lack of time or resources and comparison. It is really easy to look at others who have been able to dedicate more time and resources to their dream and think you are “behind” or “unworthy.” Stop the negative self-talk! You are the only you, so do what you can do.
As women, there is a lot of external pressure. We are fed contradicting narratives. We are told to be independent and domesticated. We should reach for the stars and keep our head out of the clouds.
My greatest advice to young women would be to do what you love and be your biggest advocate. When doubt creeps in, combat it by looking at what you have done instead of what you have not.
As long as you stay true to your passions–what has been there within you since the beginning–rarely will you lose yourself. As long as you are your biggest advocate, it does not hurt as much when others are not in your corner. As you grow up and start defining your identity, supporters will eventually surround you. Give love and respect to yourself and others.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a Career Development Specialist at a state college, a freelance makeup artist and vocal coach. Currently, I am focusing on my day job and the original band.
For Jamina, I am the lead vocalist, lyricist, band administrator, and social media manager.
Jamina is an original alternative metal band in South Florida. The band is Tony Rodriguez (bass/vox), Gus Peña (rhythm guitar/vox), Paul Valera (lead guitar), John Westbay (drums) and myself, each of us have years of experience as musicians. We have nine songs completed and are recording our debut album.
Our music is unique because it pairs heavy, technical instrumentation with melodic clean singing and a positive message. Our music is progressive, energetic and features mezzo-soprano vocals.
We take pride in creating and making decisions as a cohesive family unit. We respect work and home responsibilities and regularly spend time outside of rehearsing, recording and performing, Once we are able to let loose on stage, our enjoyment and cohesiveness is evident, We give each set our full selves; in turn audiences greatly appreciate the moment.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My childhood set a drive that I needed to prove something. My parents gave my younger brother and me a better childhood than they had, but there were still many hurdles and high expectations.
I needed to be resourceful and be my number one fan. I was an eccentric child who appreciated the arts, which were not always understood or able to be fully supported.
Eventually, the work ethic learned has set me up to reach my own goals. I have become wiser with emotion and tact. I care less about approval, which in turn has created confidence. Now, that I am on my own, I have earned respect which feels a lot better than approval.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (954) 800-5336
- Email: jamina.band.us@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jamina.band
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jaminaband
Image Credit:
Christian Sesenton, Reinier Rivero, Roberto Lopez, Jamil D. Lewis, Michelle Tran
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