Easton's Brittany Ann Returns to Musikfest Friday

When you ask about influences, a lot of musicians might mention other musicians.

Folk singer-songwriter Brittany Ann Tranbaugh -- who performs as Brittany Ann -- names her parents as a main influence.

“Whenever we would have family get-togethers when I was really, really little, they’d just be like, ‘Brittany, sing a song!’ I’ve just been singing for a long time,” she said.

The Easton native -- who'll make her Friday -- says it was in middle school when she took the challenge of learning guitar to play along with her vocal talent.

Her life story can be heard on her album “The Good In That” throughout the Lehigh Valley, where she has been playing many live shows recently.

She remembers being determined to learn with her dad’s outdated guitar books from the 70’s.

“When I started playing guitar, my parents told me, ‘You have to listen to Carole King, you have to listen to Bob Dylan,’ and I did. I got really hooked,” she remembered.

She claims she learned better when she played by ear. So what was the first song she learned on her own?

“It’s really cliché, but I learned ‘Time of Your Life’ by Green Day, which is the ultimate first song on guitar. Then, I learned ‘You Were Meant For Me’ by Jewel. I was 11 or 12,” she laughed.

Tranbaugh decided to take her talent to the next level by writing her own songs once she started high school at the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Performing Arts. In the back of her mind, she always knew she wanted to eventually start writing; it was just a matter of when. Being at a performing arts school with other musically inclined students is what inspired her.

“It was an environment that was really encouraging. I just started writing all the time and playing out in cafés or wherever I could get a little gig, playing open mics and such. Then, I started getting my own gigs,” Tranbaugh explained.

Her shows have come a long way since high school, where she would perform covers by her favorite folk artists, along with the one teenage heartache song she had written herself.

“The song was really corny, like, (sings) ‘You’re so out of my life!’ It’s funny but people still request it at shows,” she laughed.

Like most college students, the Temple University American Studies major has learned a lot about herself over the past few years. At 20, she's already a veteran touring artist. 

Gene Shay, of the Philadelphia Folk Song Society, has called her "the future of folk music."

She draws from her life experiences and past relationships when it comes to songwriting. Her hope is that young people can relate to her lyrics and help them through any situation they may be going through.

“I think songs can teach you things. I don’t know if my songs are like that, but that’s what good songs should do,” she said.

“Every once and a while, people say something, like, ‘Your songs are really helping me get through this tough time,’ and that’s the coolest thing to hear. Something that you created is helping somebody, even if they can just sing along for 3 minutes and feel good for those 3 minutes. It’s amazing.”

Although she has played in big cities, such as Philadelphia, Boston, Memphis, and Toronto, you'll get a chance to see Tranbaugh closer to home at Musikfest's Lyric on Friday, August 12 at 7pm.

Although most of her songs are at a slower pace, she likes to perform her more upbeat tunes and even performs funny song covers.

“I love playing Musikfest. It’s great!” she said enthusiastically.

With such talent, effort, and time put into her music so far, Tranbaugh hopes to make a promising career out of her love for music someday.

“For me, it’s not about how much money I make or anything. I have all of these favorite songs and songwriters and if I can make somebody feel how I feel when I’m listening to the songs that I love, then that’s all I can ask for. I feel like I did my job and that’s all I really care about.”

For more about Tranbaugh’s music and tour schedule, visit www.brittanyannmusic.com or “like” Brittany Ann on Facebook. “The Good In That” can be found on iTunes.