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Bio |
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Home Performance |
Brenda has a beautiful voice that seems to wrap itself around each
note and makes it her own! When did Brenda start performing? What is Brenda's philosophy on performing? The first thing you notice about Brenda Freed is her contagious laugh and her boundless energy, charged with passion and personal power. Brenda Freed is a musician who wears many hats reflecting her many interests. Her "hats include performance, teaching, music therapy, songwriting, publishing, recording, and philanthropy. Brenda has a good time wherever she goes. She loves life and has always been one who tries to do as much as she can every day. In Brenda's world, there are rarely enough hours in the day to accomplish what she would like, yet, she is serious about allowing herself to be spontaneous, whether to have fun with her husband or friends (including Jumper Kitty and T-Birdy dog) or to be supportive of their needs. Brenda values the special relationships in her life and they are her first and foremost priorities, no matter how busy she gets. She also thrives on live performance (Performance Highlights). Performing and a few special friends have been her lifelines during challenging times. Brenda was interviewed in the Spring 2005 Issue of the Arts & Literature
magazine Literati Magazine. When did Brenda start performing? Brenda Freed is from Burnside, Iowa. One might ask, "Where the hell is that? It is a town of about 100 people 80 miles north of Des Moines. Even with the limited opportunities of a small town, Brenda has been singing all of her life, at every opportunity imaginable, and she always knew she would do something associated with music. She started by singing solos in church as a young girl where very early on, she developed an ear for singing harmony as well. However, organ was the first instrument she studied starting lessons at age seven. Piano and trombone came 4 years later (dropping the organ except for an unsuccessful attempt at church organist) and at age 13, she got her first guitar and taught herself to play. Within a few months, she was performing publicly, singing and playing guitar, which she continued throughout her school years. In college, Brenda started playing and singing in cover bands and
continued doing so until she arrived in Texas in 1991. From
that point on she has been writing much of her own material and playing
as many as a 100 gigs a year for several years. Click
here for more performance highlights. A lover of adventure, Brenda has traveled spontaneously in Europe,
Mexico, Canada, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. She has covered most
of the U.S., including a 9,000-mile bicycle trip that brought her to
Texas from Iowa (by way of Canada, Nova Scotia and the East Coast)
in 1991, guitar in tow. She arrived in Texas at the time of
the Kerrville Folk Festival. She worked on staff and performed in the
staff concert. She decided to stay in Texas one year. The
plan was to write songs and pursue performing in Austin while finishing
her thesis for her MA in Music Education/Music Therapy. She
would work and save money and continue on the bike trip at the end
of that year. She did everything she planned EXCEPT she never
left Texas. It was the end of the bicycle trip and the start
of Brenda's career as a singer/songwriter. Brenda has performed throughout Texas, on the East Coast, in Ireland, and toured California, the Midwest and England several times. "Performing on an elevated stage in front of 3,000 people is such a rush, she says, "Just having that experience like we did when Texas Hot Flash opened for Charlie Daniels was amazing! However, some of her favorite performances have been smaller audiences in intimate settings or performing the Douglas and Freed Songbook Concerts to people who truly appreciate hearing live music from their pasts. Brenda has performed in concert halls, small auditoriums, festivals,
house concerts, churches, bookstores, retirement homes, pubs and bars,
indoors, outdoors, you name it and under any kind of conditions from
freezing and raining to humid and muggy to the beautiful breezy open
air festivals of England. Click here for performance
highlights. Brenda's voice has been compared to and influenced by Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Diane Schuur, and most recently, Nora Jones. The variety of styles of these singers reflects the versatility of Brenda's voice. This vocal versatility and her eclectic taste in music have made Brenda's music difficult to categorize because she also writes in a variety of styles. However, the common thread throughout her music is her strong voice that has an incredible range and is clear as a bell, no matter the style of the song. Brenda has always loved harmony and since childhood has harmonized to any music she hears, whether a harmony part was being sung or not. She grew up harmonizing with groups like the Beatles, Peter, Paul & Mary, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Simon and Garfunkel so these performers have been the major influences of how she hears harmony in the female vocal groups she has put together. Interestingly, even though she had never listened to much of the Andrews Sisters, Brenda's group, Texas Hot Flash, was often compared to them. Brenda's favorite songwriters are John Prine, Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett,
Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Cindy Walker, and San Marcos, Texas
local favorite, Terri Hendrix. What is Brenda's philosophy on performance? Brenda's philosophy is: "I define my own art and I determine
if it is any good or not. No one else can define my art for me. The
bottom line is for me to feel good about my art,
to love what I am doing and to have a good time doing
it. Whenever I start worrying about
what others think, I always get into trouble and all the enjoyment
goes out of performing. The only way to stick to my philosophy
is to constantly be raising my own bar and working on meeting it. The real challenge
is for me to maintain a sense of fearlessness about the whole thing." 2006 – Texas Hot Flash and Moondance Treasures Music Publishing produced a room at the National Folk Alliance showcasing over 40 musicians, (3 who became 2006 Kerrville New Folk Finalists); Brenda performed live on KCTI Radio, Gonzales, TX with Texas singer/songwriter legend, Aaron Allan Him and Her performed regularly throughout the Texas Hill Country 2005 – Texas Hot Flash, Brenda's main performing group at that time, won an Austin Music Award in the Austin Chronicle Music Poll for Best Performing Band in their category Texas Hot Flash released 3 CD's: What You Hear is What You Get, recorded live at Pioneer Town Theater as part of the Wimberley Concert Association Concert Series; Live! Underground, recorded live in Longhorn Cavern Cave, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Burnett, TX, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, recorded live at Moondance Recording Studios, Dripping Springs, TX Texas Hot Flash Venue Highlights – Opened for Charlie Daniels Band at the Firefly Festival in South Bend, IN and toured the Midwest; Belton Concert Series, Mary Hardin Baylor University, Belton, TX; Bugle Boy, Le Grange, TX; Opened and shared the stage with Sara Hickman at the American Music Therapy Conference, Austin, TX; Longhorn Cavern, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Burnett, TX; Leeann Atherton's SXSW Barndance Him and Her perform on the Outer Banks, NC; Rhythm Room, Phoenix,
AZ 2004 – Texas Hot Flash placed 4th for Best Performing Band in their category in the Austin Chronicle Music Poll Texas Hot Flash Venue Highlights – Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena, CA and toured Southern CA; Cactus Café, Austin, TX; Live Oak Coffee House Series, Austin, TX; Casbeers, San Antonio, TX; Wimberley Concert Association Concert; KEOS Radio Live Performance, College Station, TX; Leeann Atherton's SXSW Barndance; Texas Hot Flash Christmas Show taped at Austin Community Television and aired locally Brenda Freed and Michael D'Eath started performing as Him and Her and they performed in Monterey, CA and Texas Hill Country Venues The Douglas and Freed Songbook
Concert Series added a Cole Porter
Show and performed at retirement homes, care centers and private parties
throughout Austin and the Texas Hill Country 2003 – Texas Hot Flash placed 6th for Best Performing Band in their category in the Austin Chronicle Music Poll Texas Hot Flash Venue Highlights – Old Settler's Festival, Driftwood, TX; Friend's Fest, Recreation Plantation, Dripping Springs, TX; KEOS Radio Live Performance, College Station, TX; Leeann Atherton's SXSW Barndance, Austin, TX; Texas Hot Flash videotaped at Austin Community Television and aired locally and won an award at the station Texas Hot Flash developed an a cappella 30's and 40's show which they performed at retirement homes and private parties throughout Central Texas and incorporated into their regular shows Brenda started playing bass with O'Malarkey, an Irish/Celtic band, and continued playing with them until summer 2006 The Douglas and Freed Songbook Concert Series added a Rodgers & Hammerstein
Show and performed throughout the Texas Hill Country and Austin, TX 2002 – Brenda's a cappella group became Texas Hot Flash while performing all over the Kerrville Folk Festival campground; Texas Hot Flash – a cappella and then some – performed throughout Central Texas Venue Highlights - Belton Concert Series, Belton, TX; Waterloo Ice House, Austin, TX; KUT Public Radio's FEMME FM Live Performance, Austin, TX Texas Hot Flash developed an a cappella Christmas show and performed
throughout Central Texas every Christmas season through 2005 2001 – Brenda released her 3rd CD, Smilin' Inside , which received air play along with her other 2 CD's in 15 countries and 23 U.S. states Venue Highlights - Waterloo Ice House, Austin, TX; Live Oak Coffee House Series, Austin, TX; KUT Public Radio's FEMME FM Live Performance, Austin, TX; Radio interview on KCTI Gonzales, TX Brenda formed an a cappella group to perform her original a cappella music during her regular shows which later became Texas Hot Flash Douglas and Freed Songbook Concert Series was developed
starting with the Rodgers & Hart Show and performed in Austin and
the Texas Hill Country 2000 – Brenda performed with Michael D'Eath and guitarist, Val Roessling. The Freed trio toured England and played all over Texas Venue Highlights – The prestigious 12 Bar Club, London, England; La
Kiva and Ms. Tracy's, Terlingua, TX; Lazona Rosa, Austin, TX; Casbeers,
San Antonio, TX; KEOS Live Radio Performance, College Station, TX 1999 – Brenda and Val formed the Brenda Freed Band and the group played throughout Central Texas, including Gruene Hall, Gruene, TX; Casbeers, San Antonio, TX; Friends Fest, Recreation Plantation, Dripping Springs, TX; Opened for Albert & Gage at the Executive Surf Club, Corpus Christi, TX and toured to Arkansas and West Texas Brenda released her Sort It Out CD with Val Roessling and the Brenda Freed Band that received airplay in 9 different countries and in several U.S. states and the Freed Duo toured England and the Midwest U.S. Freed Duo Venue Highlights – 12 Bar Club and Acoustic Café, London; Casbeers, San Antonio, TX; Anderson Fair, Houston, TX Brenda nominated for the Humble Time Rising Star Award 1998 – Brenda released her Freed - Until Daylight CD with Val Roessling and the Freed Duo played throughout Texas and toured England for 2 months playing festivals, concert halls and pubs; Toured the Midwest for 2 weeks Freed Venue Highlights – In England - 12 Bar Club, London; Cambridge Folk Festival, Cambridge; Featured act at Tapeley Festival and Broxbourne Festival; Opened for Vance Gilbert, Rouse House Concert Series, Austin, TX; Hosted concert series at the Austin Youth Hostile and opened for Bill Oliver, Annie Clark, Darcie Deville, Michael Smith & Kate Wallace, David Lamotte and Eric Moll Brenda's song, Simple Words, received honorable mention in the Just Plain Folks songwriting competition 1997 – Brenda was the weekly guest soloist with a jazz band in Fredericksburg, TX and discovered her love for jazz standards. She also continued the Freed Duo playing throughout Central Texas 1996 – Brenda teamed up with guitarist, Val Roessling, and the two played together as Freed all over central Texas Brenda's solo act opened for Sara Hickman at Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas; Brenda toured solo in England for 3 weeks playing pubs and festivals including Colchester Arts Center, Snape Festival and a solo concert at Antrim Arts Festival, Antrim, Northern Ireland Freed At Last female trio hosted and played at the weekly singer/songwriter night at the Saxon Pub, Austin, TX; Played regularly in the Texas Hill Country; Opened for Chuck Pyle, Rouse House Concert Series, Austin, TX; Played Poor David's Pub, Dallas, TX 1995 – Freed at Last female trio played regularly throughout the Texas Hill Country; Opened for Kimmie Rhodes at Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, TX and Dana Cooper at Suzanna's Kitchen, Wimberley Methodist Church Concert Series; KFAN Radio Live Performance, New Caanan Farms, Dripping Springs, TX 1994 – Brenda formed a female trio called Freed at Last with Linda Sriro and Susan Petros Brenda and Francie Meaux Jeaux did a repeat tour of the Midwest including Sanctuary in Iowa City, IA and Java Joes, Des Moines, IA; Opened for Austin Lounge Lizards, Poor David's Pub and Mary Ann Price, Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, TX; KFAN Radio Live Performance, Fredericksburg, TX 1993 – Brenda re-released her first tape, Freed at Last, with Francie Meaux Jeaux on bass and the duo toured the Midwest; Played Uncle Calvins, Dallas, TX; Heartland Café, Chicago, IL; Java Joes, Des Moines, IA and the Mill Restaurant, Iowa City, Iowa; Played regularly in Texas Hill Country 1992 – Brenda released her first solo recording, Brenda Freed, a tape of all original music; Brenda performed solo throughout Austin and the Texas Hill Country including Gruene Hall, Gruene, TX; San Antonio Folk Festival, San Antonio, TX Pre-Texas – Brenda sang in Brenda and the
Wild Husbands, Iowa City, IA |
