Broda

Broda began her life as a mere twinkle in her daddy’s eye. After finally being forced from her mother’s womb, she spent her first years enamored with the sounds of Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. At the ripe age of six, she began singing and playing piano. Broda was unwavering in her musical pursuit despite her endeavors as an athlete throughout high school and college, but when she blew out a hip crushing her dreams of being an Olympic field hockey goalie, she knew that music was the path for her. Throughout her college career, she held a primary concentration in piano with a secondary in both voice and trumpet. Broda had the privilege of performing at Carnegie Hall, the White House, St. John the Divine, the Virginia Governor’s Mansion, and Jacksonville Square (to name a few). She even participated in several performances and a recording with Roy Clark for his “Christmas in Virginia” CD. Broda completed her final semester on the Dean’s List and received both a Visionary Leadership Award and a degree in Music Education with a double certification in instrumental and choral tracks. In her first year after graduation, she successfully ran her own private studio teaching both piano and voice which she still does on the side. Broda also joined the Waterworks Players theatre group as both the music director and active board member. She briefly taught in a public school until her dreams of a performing career became too strong to ignore. Broda performed as the keyboard player and backup vocalist for southern rock group, "Second Chance", and funk band, "Grey Sky Sally". Eventually, she became the lead singer, contributing songwriter, secondary keyboard player, and three-chord wonder guitarist of the instantly popular group, "Hep Kat", performing 'original jazz, blues, and a little something extra'. Despite their success, the members of Hep Kat found themselves seeking diverse goals, and made the difficult decision of "disbanding". Frustrated by the countless dead ends each of her former bands reached, she decided to seriously pursue guitar in the fall of 2006 in an effort to launch a solo career. Her varied influences of classical, country, folk, funk, and jazz combined to create her unique, Acoustic-Americana sound, and an old nickname became a new stage name: Broda had found her way. She spent 2007 performing locally around her hometown testing the draw of her music, and has been unstoppable ever since. By the fall of 2007, Broda found herself performing throughout the state, and in 2008 she was selected through an online submission as a showcase performer for the 2008 Indiegrrl Women in the Arts Conference. August 2008 marks the release of Broda’s debut CD, "Spiral Staircase", a compilation of her original songs reflecting her two year journey. “I found it so incredibly difficult to narrow it down to the 17 tracks included on this CD”, says Broda. “I feel I have progressed not only in my guitar playing, but also my songwriting along the way, but these songs are the first of many. I have already begun the second CD, 'The Story of Me', and hope to have it set for release in 2009. I am finally living my dream of sharing my music with the world. Each song is my life; my heart . . . and I hope the world wants to hear it as much as I want to share it. I think everyone can relate to something in this collection; be it a broken heart, a crappy car, fear of losing a loved one, or chasing a dream . . . it’s all part of the 'Spiral Staircase' of life . . . and I hope everyone enjoys spinning it".