Summer's Almost Gone

Hello Again, My Friends!

      As summer draws near to a close, I am proud of the accomplishments I have made. I finished recording all the tracks on my upcoming EP, and had my single professionally mastered by my friend, Will Borza of Sony. Have a listen!



    The single will soon be accompanied by a music video that I directed, which was shot by my brother, Dustin Westover, starring myself and the devastatingly handsome and talented, Mike Escamillo. Be on the lookout for "The Reward" music video in the month of September!
    My show at the Rep in Newhall on July 30th was a great success, largely due to my talented bandmates: Mike Escamillo on keyboard, Jesse Fletcher on guitar, Chris Wakelin on drums, Blake Collins on bass, and my lovely friends Jillinda Palmer and Stormie Cueto singing backup vocals. I was so excited and thankful to see so many beautiful, smiling faces show up to watch my show and hear my music. Thanks again to everyone who made it out to downtown Newhall that night. Live video recordings are still to come, but for now, here are a few photos, taken by people in the audience that night:

Here is the beautiful flyer for the show, created by my good friend, the talented artist, photographer, and graphic designer, Kay Kelman (nakedcanvasart.com):

Yes, the summer is ending, and a brand new and exciting year of teaching high school music is upon me, but my work here has just begun. As the music video wraps and the album is being mixed and mastered, I am planning my official Brittney Westover "Anything is Possible" EP Release Party! I'm still deciding on a date and venue, but I promise to update you as soon as it is decided! In the meantime, come see me and Mike perform at a Tribute to TV Theme Songs Night at the Satellite in Silverlake this coming Tuesday, August 18th! We will be performing classic cartoon and drama theme songs from the 80s, 90s, and today! Don't miss it! The fun begins at 8:30pm.

Enjoy what's left of the summer! I'll be at an SCVi Staff Retreat in Big Bear this weekend, hopefully escaping the brutal end of summer LA heatwave! Stay cool, my friends!

Love & Grace,

Brittney

(Here's a pic of me & my love in Washington state at the beginning of summer. Cheers!)

Back in the Saddle

   Greetings, Friends & Family, New & Old!

    I realize it's been quite awhile since I last posted....there is a reason for that! One year ago, I graduated from Longy School of Music of Bard College, earning my Master of Arts in Teaching  degree and Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music. Around the same time, I got hired as a full-time Music teacher at SCVi Charter School in Castaic and moved from Pasadena back to Canyon Country to be closer to my new job. Building a brand new high school Music Program proved to be a very demanding and time-consuming endeavor. From August 'til June, I poured every ounce of creative energy and every spare second into my job as a music educator. I'm very proud of the many accomplishments and learning experiences I garnered throughout the school year, but now that it's summer and I've got a little extra time on my hands, it's time to get back to creating my own music.
     I'm very happy to announce that I am 3/4 of the way through the recording process of my very first EP as a solo artist. The 6-song record, tentatively titled, "Anything is Possible," was recorded, mixed, and mastered by my true love, Mike Escamillo, and produced by Mike and yours truly. I would venture to say that the songs are a good representation of my many diverse influences and eclectic experiences as both a musician and a scholar of music. One song is an obvious 60s girl group doo-wop throwback, while another is more of a country gospel lullaby. Several songs don't really quite fit into a clearly-marked genre box, and that's what I like about them. It may be hard to define me as an artist, but I revel in the complexity and take pride in the fact that I come from a diverse musical background and have an appreciation of music of all styles and eras. Three of my songs feature lush background vocal harmonies and three feature stunning string quartet arrangements. The recording process has been quite unconventional, as well, and features a little help from several good friends of mine, including Brian McLaughlin on drums, Dave "Mustang" Lang on upright bass, Blake Collins on electric bass, and Jake Gideon on guitar.
     The album will be finished by the end of July, and I will be having a record release party in Los Angeles in August (date & venue TBD). For my local Santa Clarita friends and family, I will be having a sneak preview performance on Thursday, July 30th, at the Repertory East Playhouse (aka "the Rep"; 24266 Main St., Newhall, CA 91321) at 8pm.
   I just wrapped a photo session for album art with my good friend, Karla Kelman, and will be starting production on a music video for my single, "The Reward," with the aid of my talented brother, Dustin Westover, next week. Stay tuned for these and other promotional materials, as well as info on how to get a free digital download code when the album comes out!

    Thanks again for keeping up with me. I can't wait to share my music with you! Here is a little sample:

   Now imagine this song with a full band and a string quartet! I hope you like it!


Love & Grace,


Brittney

A Thankful Time of Year

Hi Everyone!

   It just occurred to me that I haven't updated my blog in awhile. As a matter of fact, my last entry was in February, and a lot has changed since then.
    The Damselles & the TC4 finally released our much anticipated, first full length LP on August 6th, 2013, entitled, "Know How to Party." You can buy the digital album or a limited edition cd here:
http://thedamselles.bandcamp.com

Here is our awesome album cover art, photography & design by the great Sterling Andrews:

The release of the Richie West Band's first album, Last Two-Step in Texas, has been delayed due to lack of funds. It's 90% done being mixed, but we are still trying to save up for the mastering process. As most of you know, we started a kickstarter campaign in 2011 so that we could bring the band and a film crew back to my family reunion in Childress, Texas, to play my dad's songs for his relatives and visit his grave. I am very grateful to those who donated to our trip, and I am determined to fulfill your rewards, even if it takes me the rest of my life.

      For those of you who are unaware of the Richie West Band, it is a country band I put together in order to honor the songs written by my late father. Here is a link to our kickstarter page, where you can find out more about the back story: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1259019086/last-two-step-in-texas

It's really important to me to get my dad's music into the world.

If you or anyone you know is interested in donating to the completion of this monumental tribute album to the songwriting talents of my father, the late Richard E. Westover, or Richie West, I am accepting donations of any size through Paypal. You may find me by my email address, which is brittneywestover@gmail.com. 

In the meantime, while we are finishing up mixing the album and saving the funds for mastering, the Richie West Band has been performing every month in John Ennis's Country Western Show at the Trepany House!  Here is a video from our show on June 6th, 2013:

 A Cowboy's Woman- RWB @ the Trepany House 6/7/13

It just so happens that we are having another show tomorrow, November 3rd, at 8pm! Here is the flyer for that show. We sincerely hope you can make it! If not, we host John Ennis's Country Western show the first Sunday of every month, so please join us on December 1st for our Country Christmas Show!

Last month was a very special time for me. I celebrated the turn of my third decade here on Planet Earth, and I had a show to celebrate. Here is a video clip of me performing a song I wrote called, "To Give You My Love," at my 30th birthday show at the Trepany House (courtesy of my nephew, E-Stro):

To Give You My Love 10/6/2013

    I also started a new Master's program this summer. Some of you know that I had started Boston University's Online Distance Program last year to try and earn my Master's degree in Music Education. Well, I wasn't exactly getting what I needed out of the program, so I quit that one and joined a different program in July, 2013. I am very proud to be a part of Longy School of Music of Bard College's MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) and Teacher Credentialing Program. I am a member of the second cohort of students to join this very new program, but I have to say that I am extremely excited and privileged to be a part of it. Our campus is at the Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) in the Rampart district, and since our school has a partnership with the LA Phil, we get to mentor and teach the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA). YOLA at HOLA is an El Sistema nucleo. El Sistema is a program created in Venezuela by Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu to stimulate social change through music. LA Phil conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, went through this program, and now endorses YOLA at HOLA. Here is more info about Longy/Bard's MAT program:

http://heartofla.org/2013/08/news/hola-welcomes-2nd-cohort-mat-students

You can learn more about El Sistema here: http://www.ted.com/talks/jose_abreu_on_kids_transformed_by_music.html

I feel really fortunate to be associated with the MAT students in my cohort. They are all amazingly talented and compassionate individuals who are excellent musicians and very competent and dedicated teachers. We are currently rehearsing for an MAT Chamber Orchestra concert together, for which I wrote an arrangement of the Italian aria, "O Mio Babbino Caro," from the opera, Gianni Schicchi, by Giacomo Puccini. Here is a recording of me singing my arrangement of the aria with the MAT orchestra:

https://soundcloud.com/brittney-westover/o-mio-babbino-caro

And that should bring us up to date with what has been going on in my life in the last 9 months since I updated this thing! One new development in my personal life: Mike and I adopted a new dog last month. We found him roaming the streets of Pasadena with no tags, no collar, and no microchip. When no one responded to our Found Dog flyers, we brought him to the Pasadena Humane society, who put him in their online database. After a week of no one coming forth, we legally adopted him and named him Buster. Luckily, Buster gets along really well with our other 2 dogs, Pepper and Marley. We are very happy to welcome him into the Wescamillo clan! 

    Thanks for keeping up with me, people! I hope you enjoy some of the media I have provided! If you like anything you have heard or watched, please feel free to drop me a line! I always love to hear your input. I hope to see you at tomorrow night's Country Western show! Message me to get the password for 2 for 1 tickets! 

Until next time, be good to each other, and yourselves. 

Love & Grace,

Brittney

An Early Spring for 2013

Happy New Year, Friends and Fans!

     We survived the dreaded Mayan apocalypse of 2012! That means 2013 will be extra lucky, with oodles of rewards for everyone! I am anticipating success, thriving, and pure abundance from every direction! It might not feel that way quite yet, but the groundhog predicted an early spring this year, and I think that's a good sign of what's to come. We better be ready to accept all the good that's coming our way. ARE YOU READY?!?!

Here is what you have to look forward to in 2013:

•      The Damselles & the TC4 will be releasing our highly anticipated first full-length album, "Know How to Party," chock full of original songs, late Spring. Love songs, dance songs, the-boy-done-me-wrong songs, the Damselles have a little something for everyone, and we know how to keep a party fueled with pink-hot GIRL POWER! Check out our latest music video for the funky single, "Man Like You":

• The Richie West Band will also be releasing our first full-length record of my Dad's best country songs. The album, "Last Two-Step in Texas," is due out late April, and the documentary about the making of the album will be done by the end of the year, so keep your ear to the ground! Here is one of our latest mixes: 

• Yours Truly has reconsidered the notion of releasing an EP, and has decided to be a little more ambitious and release a full-length record this fall. This shall be the crowning achievement of my solo career thus far, so I'm hoping to have a huge birthday bash to celebrate my music and the event of turning 30 in October. Keep your eyes peeled for your invitation. Here is a single from the album to chew on 'til then:

 
    So, these are just a few of the things that are keeping me busy this year. I also started a Graduate Degree Program last year, and am currently pursuing my Master's Degree in Music Education through Boston University's Online Distance Education Program. If all goes as planned, I should have my degree by September 2014.
   Many of you know that I teach voice, piano, and musical theatre for a living, and I'm always looking for extra teaching opportunities, so if you know of any, holla at me! I'm going to be recording a series of Vocal Warm-Up cd's for Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced students soon, so let me know if that's something you might be interested in purchasing, and I will give you a special discount! In the meantime, I'm happy to share the first vocal warm-up cd I recorded back in 2006 with you FOR FREE! Just give me your email and I will put it in a dropbox folder for you. I would love to hear your feedback on that cd so I can gather ideas and suggestions for my next series of warm-up cd's. Here is a sample from my first warm-up cd:




   Like I said, you have many rewards to look forward to! Get ready to reap them all, and be rich with happiness and abundance.

Be well, my friends. Have fun and enjoy yourself! The world is our discotheque! Let's dance!


Love & Grace,

Brittney

Gearing up for Fall

     Hey there, folks! I hope you all had a great summer and are enjoying your Labor Day Weekend. It's almost time to leave the lazy, lethargic, heat-stroke-victim feelings of summer behind, and get back into the swing of things as fall approaches. I, for one, am looking forward to cooler days, and being more productive. And Pumpkin Spice Lattes!!

     This fall is going to be a very busy time in my life. I'm going back to school on Tuesday! Hooray for me! I'm beginning an online Master's of Music Education program through Boston University. I'm sure that will keep me busy. Here are the classes I have to complete: BU Master's of Music Ed Curriculum

     In addition, all 3 of my musical projects are trying to release albums by the end of the year! The Damselles & the TC4 just mastered our first full-length record! Here is a very EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PREVIEW! I might get in trouble for sharing this so early, but I can't help it! It's too tasty! Have a listen~ "Dig Up That Hatchet"- The Damselles & the TC4
    We will be returning from our 5-month long hiatus to perform at this year's Lobsterfest at the Port of Los Angeles on August 15th. Hosted by KROQ!
Port Of Los Angeles Lobster Festival & Music Weekend Lineup Announced « The World Famous KROQ – Alt Rock Music News, Photos, Videos, Concerts

     The Richie West Band is almost finished recording our first LP, as well, due out in January 2013. I'd like to share a very rough mix of one of our favorite Richie West Songs.
"Aching" rough mix- The Richie West Band

     I've also been busy recording my originals, and would love to release a few of them as an EP by November. My life is a juggling act right now, though, so I'll have to see how many precious hours this Master's program is going to eat up.  Anyway, here's one that's pretty close to being done. Not sure if I have posted this on my blog before, but I would like to post it here so that you may compare it to my other projects and hear the diversity of all the styles of music I like to sing. I hope you enjoy it!
"The Most Important Thing"- Brittney Westover

Thanks for keeping up with me, everybody! Cheers!


Love & Grace,


Brittney

Still in the Game!

Hey There, Folks! How's your summer so far? Mine is going great! The Damselles & the TC4 have been working closely with producer, Paul Smith, to finish mixing our first full-length album, due out this fall! Here's a preview of a preview of what to expect:

Stay tuned for the "Man Like You" official music video, coming soon!

     The Richie West Band is a little closer to finishing vocals on our first full-length album, as well, thanks to Joe Napolitano and the efforts of lead singer, John Ennis and guitarist/backup singer, Adam Kurtz. John's lead parts are now finished, and all that's left are my lead parts and background vocals, and Adam's background parts in a few songs. After that, Jillinda Palmer and Joe Napolitano will work their hocus pocus and put all the pretty pixie dust and sparkly finishing touches on the recordings, and they will be done. The challenging part will be to find someone to mix and master the recordings at a rate I can afford, and then duplicate some cds. I'm working on putting together some shows for the Richie West Band to play, so keep an eye out and an ear open for that. It will most likely be towards the end of summer. I am really excited to be finishing up this record. It already sounds phenomenal, even missing some vocal parts and barely mixed. I know my dad would be extremely proud. :) 

     Here's what last week was like, as we recorded at Hillandale Studios in Highland Park on the hottest day of the summer thus far. We couldn't turn the a/c unit on in the vocal booth because it would have been too noisy. But we all sweated it out, because we are champions! Thanks to Nick Weidner for filming on that sweaty day, and capturing the moment with these beautiful HD videos!

This one is a two-parter, so here are both parts:

Tuesday, July 10th, Part 1

Tuesday, July 10th, Part 2

    Later on that same night, I had the pleasure of working with Joe Napolitano and Jillinda Palmer again as we all supported Hi Ho Silver Oh onstage at the Echo for their record release show. Jillinda plays keys and sings backup vocals in that band already, and Joe recorded and mixed the album. I'm a big fan of Hi Ho Silver Oh, so I was flattered and honored when lead singer, Casey Trela, asked me to be part of the chorus of backup singers at this very special event. He even let me have a vocal solo in one song! Check it out:

(Thanks to Mike Escamillo for filming these lovely videos on his iPhone 4S.)

   

 This was how the show ended. Casey decided to take the whole band into the middle of the audience for an intimate, acoustic encore.  I have never heard the Echo so reverently quiet. It was truly a magical moment:

     I want to thank my friends and family for supporting me throughout my musical journey. Just the fact that you have made it this far through my blog means a lot to me! I am still working on recording my own tracks with the help of my boyfriend, Mike Escamillo. My goal is to have an EP ready to release digitally by my birthday this year. That's only 3 months away, so we better get cracking! I will be posting various stages of mixes along the way to get your opinions. Like this one, for example!

The Most Important Thing 07-02-12

I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for listening. 

     Oh, and there's one more thing I'd like to share with you all! I have an appointment to audition with the producers of The Voice on August 15th (thanks to Rebecca Balin for hooking that one up!). They want me to prepare 3 songs to sing, preferably contemporary, up-tempo tunes (within the last 5 years). They warned against ballads. I don't listen to a whole lot of popular music, so I was wondering if you have any suggestions of songs that you think might suit my voice well. Thanks for any input or feedback you can give. I love you all. 

Enjoy the rest of July, and stay cool!

Love & Grace,

Brittney

Howdy, Friends!

     I've had a busy couple of months...how bout you? It's been fun, though. I've been enjoying the sunshine, and leisurely getting things accomplished. Mike has been helping me record my original songs, and my good friends, Joe and Jillinda have been helping me record vocals on the Richie West record, so that's still coming along. Nick Weidner just sent me a video from the first recording session we did back in February, so take a look! (Click the link below!)

Last Two-Step Recording Session Wrap

     Here is a link to a duet that Mike and I recorded together. It's still not quite finished being mixed, but we are getting closer, and I would like to share it with you and get your opinion if you haven't heard it before!

Duet- "To Give You My Love"

     I threw a couple other unmastered tracks from the past onto Soundcloud, so if you enjoy that track, be sure to check out the others!

     Mike and I will be performing this Sunday night, June 10th, at 1642 in Echo Park at 7pm. I am excited to have the backing vocal talents of Jillinda Palmer and Emily St. Amand-Poliakoff on 3 songs with me this time! Here is a flyer for the show:

     And now, just for fun, here is a video of me singing Led Zeppelin at karaoke recently:

     American Idol doesn't know what it's missing! Haha. Maybe the Voice will take me. 

Cheers, Everybody!

Love & Grace,

Britt