Brianna Tam is an up-and-coming electrical cellist based in

North Carolina.  Brianna combines her expertise in classical

technique with her creativity in expression to create

beautifully crafted, minimalistic pieces.

 

Brianna writes all of her music to create a unique live

electrical cello experience. She uses a loop pedal with a

variety of effects pedals to build her own orchestra and fill

the room with jaw-dropping and versatile performances. 

Besides performing her own music, Brianna arranges popular

music to add an entertaining flavor and further capture the

audience's imagination of what a one person show can be.

Brianna's arrangements span from Metallica to Justin

Timberlake, from Inception to Game of Thrones, and from

AWOLNATION to Kanye West.  

 

Brianna pursued music because it was her avenue of

expression.  She always felt compelled to arrange her

favorite works with her own style and write music that

accurately portrayed her current feelings, emotions, and

events in her personal life.  

 

When first starting music, Brianna was drawn to violin, but

positions for violin were already filled in her school orchestra. 

She was forced to choose something else; she settled for cello

and unexcited about her choice. While in grade school and high school, Brianna found herself playing in school orchestra, attending various festivals and institutes, and performing freelance gig work, but always found her love in writing arrangements and original composition.  Thinking that her path to a successful music career lied with classical music, Brianna attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music for cello performance.  She quickly realized the academic and more conventional cello performance path was not for her, and she left after her third semester.  

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Brianna ended up in North Carolina to start pursuing a career involving cello, setting aside her schooling.  She applied for and was awarded Principal Cellist for Spartanburg Philharmonic and Assistant Principal Cellist for Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. However, Brianna felt unsettled, knowing she wanted to create music but wasn't quite sure what she needed to fuel her creativity.  

 

About two years after moving to North Carolina, Brianna was able to get her hands on an electric cello and a Boss loop pedal; she had finally found the technology she needed to truly express herself.  She started to arrange her favorite works on electric cello and decided to showcase her work at local open mics.  While attending open mics, she met a rapper and formed a local hip hop band with him.  She filled the lead guitar position, performing in a five member band - drummer, vocals/pianist, rhythm guitarist, bassist, and electric cellist. It was in joining this band, Brianna started to morph into her true niche in music:  live, original composition performance.  The band fell apart due to COVID-19, but Brianna was equipped with enough experience to start a new solo endeavor of live one-person shows featuring her own music. Since her time with the local hip hop band, Brianna has learned how to write music that blends the enormous talent she possesses, while making her music relatable and exciting to listen. 

 

If you would like to stay up to date with Brianna's happenings, hear her new music, or inquire about professional opportunities please see the "Contact" page for further details.