Spring Break
We take a look at the music of Lynn O'Brien
Nora Maberry
Issue date: 1/13/06 Section: the Big Picture
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"I watch all these people in the green street bar
social masks and whiskey flasks
give a name at the door
let your shirt collar loose
till you hear the siren of police cars."
At 18, Lynn O'Brien isn't old enough to sing in a Green Street bar, but she is old enough to write songs about them. O'Brien grew up surrounded by music and has been writing songs since the age of nine.
"I always sang everywhere, especially in public restrooms, what great acoustics!" O'Brien says.
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"The ensemble made me discover a new love for jazz singing and style and now I incorporate jazz vocals into my own music," O'Brien says.
Both of O'Brien's parents are musicians and her aunt is a songwriter. It's no surprise that O'Brien and her sister, Emma, grew up surrounded by music.
"My family is just an incredible group. We harmonize and play together, around town or in the house, for holidays or Christmas caroling," O'Brien says.
The O'Brien family is connected through music, this was especially true of Lynn and her grandmother. O'Brien's grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's disease and died in December 2004.
"Music connected me to my grandmother," O'Brien says. "When she couldn't remember anyone's name, including her own, she could appreciate or remember a song."
It also is what connects O'Brien to many people. Her family, her musical partners, her friends and audience members all take something away from her performances. Jessica Wise, a high school senior in Champaign, Ill., saw O'Brien perform at the school's talent show.