Lorna Bracewell Loafie Awards Performance
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"She's got greatness in her. She sounds like an angel who swallowed Bob Seger," (Don Oja Dunaway, St. Augustine Record). Lorna Bracewell, with her throaty alto and aggressive guitar playing, inspired this review when she was only 18 years old.
By the age of 20, Bracewell was opening for artists like Dar Williams and Patty Larkin and the critics' tune sounded something like this: "Bracewell's words have a straightforward simplicity that takes some writers years of bad metaphors to achieve. She's a top-notch lyricist, able to handle heavy themes without sounding heavy-handed," (Gina Vivenetto, St. Petersburg Times).
Bracewell, now 25 years old, is a seasoned artist and performer with a resume that reads like that of someone twice her age: She has recorded and released five self-produced albums of original music on her own label, Braced Well Records. She has toured extensively in the United States and Europe and shared stages with artists such as Amy Grant, Melissa Ferrick and Heart. One critic, after catching Bracewell's opening set for Chris Isaak, dubbed her "the outspoken heir to the Ani DiFranco throne," (Sean Daly, St. Petersburg Times). Chrissie Hynde, after watching Bracewell play an opening set for her band, The Pretenders, called her "a beautiful person and a spirited player."
And these are just Bracewell's artistic achievements. She is also an educator and an activist who understands how the power of music can unite people for a cause. She is the founder, sponsor and host of On this Earth: Art to Inform, Enlighten and Empower, a series of concerts embracing themes of racial justice, sexual justice and religious tolerance. The performances raise funds for worthy causes like Habitat for Humanity, the YWCA of Tampa Bay and CASA (Community Action Stops Abuse) of St. Petersburg, FL.
Not content to simply sing about the issues that obsess her, Bracewell also lectures at colleges and universities throughout the United States on topics such as gender inequality and violence against women. Her workshop, "Love 101: Rethinking love, sex and power" was voted a Top Ten Session at the Florida Junior and Community Colleges 2006 SGA state conference. In 2006, Bracewell spoke at the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence state conference and served on a panel at the National Communication Association national conference.
