Andrea Brett
Hi, I’m Andrea and welcome to this page that’s about me. Let me just say in the beginning that I’m not really comfortable talking about myself, but Brydon told me I had to do this. “Who,” says he, “knows you better than you?” I suppose he’s right, although I think at times we all wonder if we know ourselves as well as we think. I guess I’m about to find out. I’m sure that as I write, even I will learn a thing or two.
I hope it’s okay with you that I don’t try to be brilliant or clever or even to make a lot of sense. I will just try to give you a little peak in to my heart and what comes out will most likely be a random smattering of thoughts.
So, first things first. Since you are visiting the website of a family singing group you should probably know- I love music! I have loved it for as long as I remember. I grew up in a musical family. “You sing and I’ll do the dishes,” my Mother would say. And even though I was very shy and it was painful and frightening at times, sing I did. My mom played the piano, my sisters & I sang, my Dad sang and my older brother played the trumpet. Even when I was very young, I would get goose bumps when I heard great harmonies. I remember Mom often saying that music raised her family. That thought stuck with me when Tom & I started raising children of our own.
When I was in my teens, we lived in Spokane, Washington, and in 1974, Spokane hosted the World’s Fair. Expo ’74 drew some great concerts to town and my Mom and Dad made sure I was in the audience to see such artists as James Taylor, Carol King, The Carpenters, and Barry Manilow. I went to see the Jackson 5 and my very first opera, I Pagliacci. I saw a performance by the London Ballet that truly changed my life. Never before had I seen anything so beautiful and so excellently done. Never before had I seen, nor have I seen since, a performance that merited 9 curtain calls. 1974 instilled in me a love for live music and live performance, though at the time, I honestly never saw myself actually being the one on stage. I didn’t know how to dream that big.
Even though I am now officially middle aged, my passion for music is greater than ever. Maybe it is because I’m middle aged that this is so. I realize that I don’t have as many years left to write the songs I want to write and to sing the songs I want to sing. That’s why after a 35 year hiatus, I started learning how to play the guitar again just last year. I also started playing mandolin and ukulele. Like my Dad always says, “There’s no time like the present!” That phrase means more to me with each passing day. There’s so much I want to do for the next half of my life!
I feel so blessed to be able to sing with my family. Honestly, it’s just really awesome. Even though there is a lot more to the music business than meets the eye, and this is the most difficult thing we have ever done, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Not only have I seen my family grow into fine musicians and performers, but I have also seen them develop into the finest people that I personally know. And believe me, as closely as we work together, I know them personally! It is a privilege to share the stage with them, but more importantly, it is a privilege to share all aspects of family life with them and to have them in my life to love. Thank you Tom, Briahna, Brydon & Garon for being who you are.
Though sometimes it may seem like it, my life really isn’t all about music. I like to cook, and I make really good soups and desserts. I like to read and I recently bought a Kindle and I’m so happy that I can make the words big enough that I don’t have to use reading glasses! I like to work out with the Zumba, Turbo Jam, and Hip-Hop Abs videos. Beto, Chalean & Shawn T are my personal trainers. I like having my hands in warm dishwater. I like taking warm, fluffy clothes out of the dryer and neatly folding them. (Someone else can put them away. I don’t like that part.) I love working with the Young Single Adults from our church. I love teaching them and learning from them. I love having them come and go from our home. I love the noise and the flurry of activity they bring. It helps to keep me young. I also love green. For some reason, I have to have green in my life. The Ozarks are perfect for me – so many shades of green. I love cherry limeade with a little vanilla. I love crème brulee and Lay’s Original Potato Chips. I love my little dog, a Maltese/Poodle mix named Mozart. Anyone who knows him, will tell you he’s the cutest and sweetest dog in the world! And, I love, love, love baby Ivan. He’s squishy and scrumptious and so, so nice. I love that he reminds me of my own babies, and I’m so grateful that Briahna is mothering him with so much tenderness and care.
I am truly a blessed woman. My life is full from morning until night and though I do have to admit there are days that I’d like to slow down a bit, I am so grateful to be able to do all that I do. I’m grateful that in many ways, I feel like my life has just begun. I’m excited for what’s around the corner, whatever that may be, and I’m thankful for family, friends and fans who have been and always will be there through it all.
FUN FACTS ABOUT ANDREA
Birthday: July 30
Artistic influences:
- My mom, Zoe Christensen
- My early piano teachers, Yvonne Kvocevich & David Hatch
- My high school Senior Comp teacher, Richard Duval, made me write more and better than I wanted to
- My sixth grade teacher, Rod Linton, who gave me my first (and only) leading roll in a musical
- Jr. High English teacher, Diane Nelson, who sparked my interest in poetry
- Vocal coach, the late Terry McCombs
Sounds like: Karen Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt
Favorite musical artists: the late Eva Cassidy, Earth, Wind & Fire, Linda Ronstadt, The Kings Singers, Sam Harris, Vittorio Grigolo, The Martins, David Wilcox, Colin Raye, Bobby Caldwell
Favorite movies: Singin’ in the Rain, Sound of Music, Anne of Green Gables, Mission Impossible 3, Father of the Bride, Sabrina, Elf, Up
Favorite books: The Scriptures, Mrs. Mike, Across Five Aprils, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, Jane Eyre, The War of Art
Who are some people who inspire you? My husband & children – they really are incredible people. Also, I’m inspired by my own Dad and my brothers and sisters, who are each so gifted and good in their own way. And even though my mom is gone now, she is still inspiring me every day. She is still one of the most influential people in my life. Also, I’m inspired by anyone who has the discipline to become really good at something they love, especially when they do it with love. Those kinds of people make a difference in the world. I’m inspired by people who weather life’s challenges with cheerfulness and grace – three people come to mind – Shannon Cloward and Almeta Lentz, and my dad.
Interests: Writing and arranging music, cooking, working out, playing mandolin, guitar, and ukulele.
Schooling: Two years at Brigham Young University, ""The School of Life: 30+ years as a wife, and 30+ years as mom!""
