Brittanie Graham turning love of performing into career in the music industry

INA, Ill. - With experience both on stage and behind the scenes, Rend Lake College alum Brittanie Graham has turned a love for theatre and performing into a promising career representing songwriters on Music Row in Nashville, Tenn.

The Mt. Vernon native started her education at RLC in the fall of 2006 with a tuition waiver for the Theatre Department. Appearing in nearly a dozen shows on the RLC stage since the age of 13, the aspiring singer took her experiences as a performer to behind-the-scenes work at ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers); the largest performing rights organization that protects its members’ musical copyrights.

“I work in licensing and help collect fees from businesses using music. The fees that are collected are then distributed back to our 510,000 songwriters,” said Graham of her day-to-day career. She added the job is a great start to something she hopes to turn into a creative outlet.

Brittanie Graham uses her love of theatre everyday at her job with ASCAP. The RLC graduate dreams of one day becoming a professional performer.

“My dream job is to be a professional singer; however, I’m going back and forth with what I’d want to do outside of that. I think it would be great to work artistically within the theatre community that is growing in Nashville. Something I’ve recently dreamed of doing is becoming someone who signs talent to a label. I’d love to seek out talent,” said Graham.

The ’08 graduate left RLC with an associate of arts degree with a special emphasis in theatre. No stranger to Theatre Professor and Director Tracey Webb, Graham said the plays and musicals helped teach her how to adapt in the real world.

“When I was in the theatre, I learned how to adjust to different types of people by portraying different characters,” said Graham. “I learned very quickly the importance of hard work and determination to reach a deadline, which was often opening night. I also worked backstage for the kids’ shows at RLC, which helped me learn the value of patience. I don’t feel I had that before.”

"It's hard for me to pick a favorite memory, because there are a lot of great ones. I truly believe that I would not be close to where I am today without my experiences in the RLC Theatre."
- Brittanie Graham, LEFT, RLC Theatre alum

In fact, Graham said it was the close proximity to her home that brought her to RLC, but it was the Theatre Department as a whole that kept her coming back for more classes.

“In the theatre, I learned to work hard, think fast, and persevere when stress is high. I have carried all of these with me to this job,” said Graham. “I chose RLC because it was familiar and comfortable. I chose theatre because I started doing shows with Tracey when I was 13 years old, but I fell in love with the department. My acting classes, Tracey, and the entire theatre program were highly beneficial to me and I learned so much from them.”

Naming a number of roles she’s filled over the years, Graham remembers playing the lead role in “Cinderella,” the spring 2008 musical, and Marty in the 2007 spring musical of “Grease” as her favorites. On the side, Graham also does promotional videos and voiceovers for radio ads. Despite the number of activities she’s done outside the classroom, some of her favorite memories come from the halls and classrooms of RLC.

“It’s hard for me to pick a favorite memory, because there are a lot of great ones,” said Graham. “My favorite would have to be the final for one acting class. I played Ouiser Beadreoux in a scene from ‘Steel Magnolias’ along with some good RLC friends. We laughed so much during all of our rehearsals and had such a great time. I truly believe that I would not be close to where I am today without my experiences in the RLC Theatre.”

For more information about Rend Lake College, visit www.rlc.edu.