The name Briana means high, noble, exalted and strong. And her unusual surname Cowlishaw comes from the old English ‘coll’ meaning hill. These two names come together in the person of Briana, a young woman continually exalting and reaching heights in the jazz pop field.
Briana Cowlishaw will be visiting Tasmania for the first time in November and will take in dates at the Republic bar and MONA. Brianna will also take part in a special project at Hobart College with the Solomon art school looking at dance improvisation.
Indeed, it is improvisation that is also an important aspect of jazz singing. Briana, although very young, has a great talent for improvisation and she doesn’t find it too challenging at all in fact, she sees jazz as having ‘a freedom and innate spontaneity’ which lends itself to the ease of improvisation in being ‘in the moment’.
Briana believes the more experienced you are in jazz the more comfortable you become and she is up for the challenge of thinking outside the square with an open mind which gives jazz endless possibilities.
Briana explored some of those endless possibilities when she visited New York earlier this year. Briana says jazz is ingrained in American culture and she found working there refreshing with its lack of judgement and openness.
She describes the experience of travelling and meeting other creative types as stimulating and being alive with creative energy.
Briana likes what she calls the ‘go getter’ attitude of people who gather together to expend their creative energy in New York. The fact that there are go getters means there is also strong competition which is another challenge.
Paper Mache City’, the name of both Briana’s new single and album, is inspired by the power and energy of the New York, where creative types continue to add layers to art’s evolving expression.
It’s not just the busy city of New York that inspires Briana,she is also inspired by the simpler things such as a man in the street who smiles and makes her ponder ‘what life is all about’.
Brilliant Briana’s new single ‘Paper Mache City’ and the album of the same title are out now on iTunes.
Briana is appearing at MONA on Sunday 17th November at 1pm to 4pm.
http://www.mona.net.au/
The Republic Bar, Hobart on Sunday 17th November 8 –11 pm
http://www.republicbar.com/
Paula Xiberras
