Laura Bryna is an American country music singer. She has released one album, Trying to Be Me, for the defunct Equity Music Group label, and has been involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
[edit] Biography
Bryna was born in Mount Airy, Maryland on December 25. When she was young, she gained an interest in country music on road trips to Washington, D.C. while her brother was in a hospital there.[1] After attending Philadelphia's University of the Arts, she starred in a musical called Rasputin and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. There, she got internships at Sony Tree Publishing and DreamWorks Publishing, and later signed to Equity Music Group, a label owned by singer Clint Black, in January 2006. Mike Kraski, head of the label, said that he became aware of Bryna after she co-wrote and recorded song titled "Make a Wish" for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[2][3]
Bryna toured with Black in late 2007[4] before Equity released her debut album, Trying to Be Me, in January 2008. To promote the album, Bryna broadcast the music video for the single "Make a Wish" on flat-screen monitors in the Luxor Las Vegas and Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for one month.[5] She also performed at the Fashion Show Mall and had 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) images of herself on top of the Luxor's tower. On January 14, she held a release party for the album at the Luxor, and included a bonus track called "I Don't Have a Thing to Wear" on a special edition of the album which was released only at the Luxor and Excalibur.
Country Weekly gave the album two-and-a-half stars out of five, praising Bryna's voice but criticizing the album for containing "some of the most over-the-top tear-jerkers in recent memory."[6] Jacquilynne Schlesier of Country Standard Time similarly said that Bryna had "lots of character in the phrasing", but said "most of the lyrics sound like songs you've heard before."[7] PopMatters also criticized the album for "play[ing] a variety of obvious cards in her pursuit of country or pop audiences."[8]
In April 2008, Bryna joined the board of directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic. She also released another single, "Life Is Good", in early 2008.[9] Bryna left Equity in December 2008 when Black closed the label.[10] She has continued to tour and perform at various venues, including a performance at the House of Blues in 2009. In 2010, she became the host of GoTV Networks' True Country show.[11]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Trying to Be Me (2008)
[edit] Track listing
| Writer(s) |
| 1. |
"Life Is Good" |
Billy Crain, Tammy Hyler, Liz Rose |
3:32 |
| 2. |
"Maybe She Fell" |
Pat Bunch, Georgia Middleman |
4:15 |
| 3. |
"Set It on Fire" |
Tony Mullins, Danny Wells |
3:36 |
| 4. |
"Room 228" |
Victoria Banks |
3:08 |
| 5. |
"Same Dog" |
Jennifer Hanson, Mark Nesler, Tony Martin |
3:06 |
| 6. |
"Make a Wish" |
Laura Bryna, Jeff Batson, Roger Sarchet, Steven J. Williams |
3:31 |
| 7. |
"Out the Window" |
Marv Green, Chris Lindsey, Hillary Lindsey, Aimee Mayo |
3:21 |
| 8. |
"640 Battlefield Dr." |
Bonnie Baker, Connie Harrington |
4:13 |
| 9. |
"According to the Radio" |
Monty Powell, Keith Urban |
4:08 |
| 10. |
"She Can't Save Him" |
Sherrié Austin, Will Rambeaux, Steven J. Williams |
4:20 |
| 11. |
"No Man's Land" |
Kaci Bolls, Marty Dodson, Liz Hengber |
3:01 |
| 12. |
"Smoke from a Bridge You Burned" |
Skip Ewing, Donny Kees |
3:46 |
| Writer(s) |
| 13. |
"I Don't Have a Thing to Wear" |
Monty Holmes, Monty Criswell |
3:40 |
[edit] Singles
| Year |
Single |
| 2007 |
"I Don't Have a Thing to Wear" |
| 2008 |
"Make a Wish" |
| "Life Is Good" |
| "Hometown Heroes" |
[edit] Music videos
| Year |
Single |
| 2007 |
"I Don't Have a Thing to Wear"[12] |
| 2008 |
"Make a Wish"[13] |
| "Life Is Good"[14] |
| "Hometown Heroes"[15] |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Persondata |
| Name |
Bryna, Laura |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
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| Place of birth |
Bel Air, Maryland |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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