Valerie Brazis

BLUES WOMYN LIVE @ ABQ PRIDE UNITED FOR EQUALITY! MAIN STAGE 3PM LOOK FOR MY FLOAT DURING THE PARADE AND CATCH FLYING GOODIES ILL BE TOSSIN DURIN THE PARADE!!!I would like to thank everyone for their continuing support, my friends and family are always at my gigs, cheering me on, and I love you guys!Born in Albuquerque, Valerie's music roots are firmly planted in the east mountains of New Mexico. Growing up in a musical family was not only an encouragement to her love of music, but a way of life for this young talented woman.Valerie has an early recolection of sitting on the floor as a very young child with her parents and shaking a tambourine to "Baby You Can Drive My Car" by the Beatles. As she grew from child to young woman, she always had the freedom and support from her family to explore new instruments. She has played piano, flute, african drums, and her main instrument, guitar. Classically trained by Ambrose Rivera, a collegue of Hector Pimentel, she became obsessed with learning more about guitar and the theory of music. In highschool she was one of the most admired and frequent performers in the guitar concerts was elected to perform the graduating song for her class in '99. In college, she cultivated her strong views of equality and women's rights, which led to many changes and opportunities in performance for young girls. Valerie was admired on stage playing both classical and contemporary songs by Patty Griffin, Sheryl Crow, Sarah Mclachlan, and the Indigo Girls. She always chose to sing beautiful compilations rich with melodic texture and always a message. After the shooting in Columbine HS, she sang a song relating to serious highschool trauma and turmoil like suicide, and depression. Her father is an accomplished songwriter, guitar player and singer, having released 3 albums locally. His flavor is bluesy, rocky, and in the old days his band sounded like the Beatles releasing a song on the east coast that hit number one "It's a Bit of Alright" . He formed his own publishing company, Chaco Jamoca Music, in 1993, and Valerie plans to carry on this business. Her mom, a talented pianist and guitarist as well, were the sole contributers to her influence in music. On any ordinary day they would be cleaning or gardening and listening to an array of music from Cream, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jimi Hendrix to Kenny Loggins, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, and Stevie Wonder, and her dad would quiz her on what key the songs were in. The blues called to her as she grew into a young woman. In her teens she explored writing her first songs, struggling to find the words to what she was feeling. She spent most of her time playing guitar, along with lying on her bed for hours listening to and studying the lyrics of Tracy Chapman, the Beatles, Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Patty Griffin, Janis Joplin, Nirvana, The Indigo Girls, and many others. Valerie would be pleased to have you as a friend!