Local singer-songwriter Alanna J Brown to perform at Bluesfest  

Alanna J Brown, Glebe singer-songwriter, will perform at Bluesfest in July. 

Photo: Robyn Best 

Local singer-songwriter Alanna J Brown to perform at Bluesfest  

By Robyn Best 

Alanna J Brown loves nothing more than to play her guitar and sing her original songs, and one of the next stages she’ll be hitting is Bluesfest on July 13.  

“I was in shock when I first found out. I applied, just as every musician applies to be part of Bluesfest. And when I got the email saying I was selected as one of the musicians, I had to read it a couple times to be like, is this real,” Brown said. 

For as long as she can remember, Brown has always been playing music, starting with the violin at the age of three. “I grew up in a very musical family. My parents are not professional musicians, but they play multiple instruments, and it was very heavily encouraged that I take lots of different music lessons as a kid,” she said.  

From there, it stemmed into songwriting. “I got into poetry and then combined them both, and so started writing songs and then writing music.”  

Brown knew for most of her life that her goal was to make music her full-time job. To do that, she studied at Humber College taking a Bachelor of Jazz. “Through that program, I learned how to turn music into a career, through doing career studies, through studying how to be your own marketer, how to be your own manager and how to make money performing your own music,” she said.  

Not only did the program help teach her how to manage her career, it also helped her launch her first EP. “As part of our final project in our fourth year, we got to go into the studio and record original music and come out with a physical EP of our music,” she said. 

“So, they walked us through the whole recording process, finding other musicians, charting out your music so they could be part of your projects. And then even when it came to distribution, they helped us in figuring out how to get our music out there, be it online or through CDs,” Brown said, adding that she not only left college with a degree but also with “a physical copy of my own personal music that I could hand out as a resume.” 

After graduating, Brown moved to Banff National Park. Because of family ski trips there when she was younger, Brown fell in love with the town and decided it would be her home for the foreseeable future.  

“I ended up singing full time for the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, for the Fairmont Chateau, Lake Louise and a bunch of the other resorts out there. And then that turned into me becoming a wedding musician out there,” she said. 

Eventually, Brown met her husband in Banff where she had her first son. “That was during the pandemic, and we realized really quickly that we didn’t want to be that far away from family.” The three of them moved to the Glebe in 2023.  

The decision has paid off, as Brown now has regular gigs in the area and has developed a fanbase. “My favourite is when I’m singing in a bar, and someone will come up and request a song that I’ve written. And then, to me, that means the most, because it’s like, oh, you actually listen to my music and you’re here supporting me.”   

As for what those fans can expect at Bluesfest? “It’s going to be all original music dating back from the past 10 years of my life, and it’s just me and my guitar. Most of my songs are inspired by time spent in nature, time spent on canoe trips, meeting different musicians throughout my life. It’s really just a story of my life, and I’m hoping people can connect to it,” Brown said.  

Along with older music, those seeing Brown can expect some new pieces as well. “My goal, once I got accepted into Bluesfest, was to write three new compositions to have for Bluesfest ready to go. I’ve completed one of them so far, so I still have two more songs to write in the next three months.”  

Brown is also excited to see some of the other performers. “I’m really excited that I happen to be singing the same day as Shania Twain. She’s a big idol of mine, a fantastic, powerhouse Canadian female singer. So, I’m very excited to see her perform.”  

In the meantime, you can find other local performances at Brown’s website at https://www.alannajbrown.com. 

Robyn Best is a graduate of the Carleton school of journalism.