Trumpets, Empty Jars and the Internet

October 2, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

erica bryan, beaverdamusa.com, behind the micI’ve been very reflective lately. I’ve been reflecting about all the great opportunities I’ve had and how I got there. It’s been amusing to reminisce on how, nine times out of ten, I got there…from the internet!

Just this past week I went to a radio station and the station manager asked me, “So how did we get in touch with you?” My answer was something like, “Well, I met this guy on twitter, and he invited me to play at this benefit concert, and then told me you all would be emailing me about coming by the station.” I stopped and thought- this amazing opportunity came from someone I met on twitter? Crazy! And Awesome!

Then, from this same opportunity, I received the chance to open for Joe Diffie next weekend at a festival. I would have never been able to book that myself!

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Radio Interview with WJJM in Lewisburg, Tenn.

When I recall some of my other radio interviews, I remember that they came about from people I met on the internet too. And If you follow me on my Facebook page, you’ll see that I have had numerous Q&A’s, interviews, and features–and most of them came from people contacting me on Twitter.

Who knew that the internet would become my record label?!

I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am that people have been taking a chance on me without even meeting me! And although I owe a lot of it to these individuals, I also know there is something greater at work. I’ve been reading through the Bible story of Gideon recently, and it’s struck me how God’s way is never the way we expect. Gideon was just a simple boy when an Angel told him he would become the “Mighty Warrior” to defeat the seemingly indestructible Midianites.

At first it seemed like the Israelites may have had a chance when the army had 32,000 men to fight, but God whittled this number down to a mere 300. Then, Gideon instructed his men to only bring torches, trumpets, and empty jars. What?! How much faith did that take to go into war without real weapons? Crazy!And that’s how I feel God is working in my life. In my mind, there are logical ways to navigate this “music business,” but God’s way is certainly different. He’s giving me empty jars and a trumpet and He’s creating something I never would have expected out of them.
PictureSo if you feel like God is handing you empty jars to fight with, just go with it. Because if there’s one thing I learned from Gideon (spoiler alert!), it’s that if God is on your side of the battle, you’re gonna win.

Filed Under: Erica Bryan: Behind the Mic · Tagged: , , ,
About Erica Bryan

Erica’s passion for performing started when her mom brought her to her first theatre audition in Pennsylvania when she was eight years old. She didn’t make the cut. But the next year, she went back to the same audition and got the part. From an early age, Erica learned that with hard work and persistence, anything can happen. After her first show, there was no question that performing is what she would do for a living.
When she was twelve years old, her family moved to Roswell, GA, where she heard Country music for the first time. After listening to Reba and singing lots of Shania Twain karaoke, Erica decided she wanted to be a Country singer. Some years went by and, although Country music was always in the back of her mind, she started focusing more on her theatre opportunities, which led to her decision to study Musical Theatre in college.
While still in college, Erica performed professionally with Opera Birmingham, and spent her summers performing at theme parks and theatres. After graduation, she moved to New York City to continue her professional theatre career. While in New York, Erica got to train with Broadway’s finest actors and was cast in leading roles in Regional Theatres around the country. During one of her shows, Erica had the opportunity to perform with a Country band on the side. Call it coincidence or fate, but Erica was back singing Country music in the middle of a theatre contract, and she fell in love all over again.
After another year in theatre, it became clear to Erica that it was time to move to Nashville, TN and pursue her original childhood dream of being a Country artist. Shortly after arriving to Nashville, she landed a day job working for country hero, Reba McEntire, at Starstruck Entertainment. By night, she began crafting her own songs and writing skills. Within a couple months of songwriting, Erica’s songs started receiving the highest honors from the Nashville Songwriters Association. She recently released her debut single “This House Is Haunted,” and is receiving radio play in multiple countries. For the Country Record describes Erica as, “one of those rare multi-talented people who most only dream about becoming.” Erica is currently touring with her original music and plays keys, ukulele, and guitar to anyone who will listen.

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