Meet Brooke Blakeslee | Pianist/Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke Blakeslee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I decided to pursue this career because music is my passion. Music has been a part of my life since I was a young child. I felt that I would be doing a disservice to both myself and the world around me if I didn’t share my gifts in some way. In addition, music allows me to challenge myself. Whether it is learning a new song to play, writing songs, recording, mixing, or producing–all pose a challenge. I get great satisfaction when I accomplish these things and when my followers enjoy my work. I also believe deeply that life would be meaningless without art. Often times people take creativity for granted–you don’t just see it in music! It’s in the movies you watch, the books you read, the songs you hear on the radio. I wanted to be a part of that artistic sort of contribution to the world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think something that sets me apart is my choice of songs. I do a song from a movie every Monday. I decided to do this because I feel it is relatable to most people. No disrespect at all to some incredible pianists out there, but some people think that playing the most “notes” in a song is what matters. While that is definitely the most impressive, I’ve learned that people just want to hear the songs they know! Don’t bother learning a Mozart, just play that pop song everyone has been hearing on the radio. Lol. I actually am a classically trained pianist and LOVE classical music but am able to play both which I think makes my brand unique. I also really love to play jazz.

As I mentioned before, music has been a part of my life for basically my whole life. I started singing my favorite Disney songs when I was a toddler while standing on top of our mailbox outside. Haha. From there, music classes were always my favorite and I was in choir and piano lessons. I went on to Minor in Music at Texas A&M. All of that to say, I have a lot of knowledge about music. So I am a bit of a nerd in that way. I think it makes me a great music teacher. Being in choir has, surprisingly, helped me with music production, and it has also helped me with music transposition–I don’t know a ton of musicians who know how to transpose.

I am proud of many things but mostly how I’ve taught myself how to produce using Garage Band. I made the tough decision to invest in a Macbook Pro and I am so glad I did. It really improves the quality of what I put out there. If you’re wondering what I am talking about with quality, it’s basically being able to use a microphone and then editing the sound so that if you popped in some headphones it sounds legit. I am also proud of how quickly I can learn new pieces now. Nothing will improve your piano reading skills more quickly than having to learn 12 pieces in 7 days (yes, I did that as a church pianist!).

People should know that no matter how easy it looks on the outside, what I do requires a ton of hard work. You guys may only see a 1 to 2 minute clip, but there are several hours, days that go into each performance. Musicians work really, really hard to get to the level we are at, to maintain that level, and to constantly improve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Way too many places in Fort Worth to list here! But to name a few: -Stockyards. This is where you’ll see the ‘Texas’ stereotypes for real! Cowboy hats, people on horses, old Western buildings, etc. If you’re not from Texas, you MUST go.
-Magnolia Avenue. This is my favorite area. It’s historic so the architecture is interesting and the streets are narrow which makes it perfect for strolling along. Avoca has amazing (strong) coffee and super friendly workers! Chat Room is a great bar to literally chat with locals, and Yucatan Taco Stand has some of the best margaritas in town!
-Sundance Square. Check out the swanky Scat Jazz Lounge…it’s tucked away in an alley. Mi Cocina has the best Tex Mex around, in my opinion, and their Mambo Taxi margarita is to die for!
-Panther Island Pavilion. It’s like a mini ‘beach’ with a little sand area and canoes you can rent to float the Trinity River. They have food trucks on Saturdays and sometimes live music! I like renting a bike (they are located all over town), riding it to Panther Island, and jumping in the river to cool off!
-Trinity Trails. Start at the Trailhead near Press Café where they have a farmers market on Saturday mornings. From there, you can walk left or right on the trail to some cool places! Woodshed has great barbecue and a large outdoor patio, and MUTTs Canine Cantina is a dog park where you can drink!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I thank God for my success. It has never been an “easy” choice to pursue a creative career. It’s not exactly the beaten path. I prayed for many, many years that somehow music would be a part of my life.

I also would like to thank my boyfriend, Syed. He has been instrumental (No pun intended–LOL) in helping me get started and stay consistent with sharing my music. Without his belief in me, I’m not sure where I would be. There are definitely days when I don’t feel like working on it, or I don’t feel good enough and I get stuck inside my head. He always helps push me out of that.

Instagram: @brookeashleemusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPYfdRfdzQ1DIKz7kThRjeA

Other: You can reach me via Email or Text if you want to schedule a booking or lessons! bblakeslee45@gmail.com (682) 288-2228