We recently connected with Debbie Briggs and have shared our conversation below.

Debbie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

After I heard the applause following my solo performance of Sleeping Beauty’s “Once Upon A Dream” in the 2nd grade talent show, I was positively hooked. I declared “performing” as my passion and purpose and never looked back. …Or, at least that’s the story my Dad tells to anyone who will listen.

And, to be honest, that story is not far from the truth. My drive to express myself creatively did start before I hit double digits. But, my professional pursuits took on many shapes before landing here. As it turns out, my road to band leadership and songwriting is somewhat of a meandering path… more on that, next!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

ABOUT: DEBBIE BRIGGS is a Twin Cities based singer, songwriter, and band leader. She performs weekly throughout the metro with “DEBBIE BRIGGS Vintage Jazz” and is the co-founder of the band “The Good Time Gals”.
Whether belting out an original tune or pleasantly crooning the classics, she blends together a sound of her own making that draws the listener in. Her unique flair is influenced heavily by the vintage vocal styling and sensibilities of the 1920s-1960s, as she pulls inspiration across multiple genres from vintage jazz and swing, to old country and blues….

IN MY OWN WORDS:
I’ve always had a penchant for anything creative and was encouraged from a young age to explore that. My parents were quick to casually sing songs from old musicals and The Great American Songbook, they’d play records of vintage jazz, old country, and big bands. We would also watch old movies and musicals where the glamour and timelessness of old Hollywood style was revered.
As a kid, I could hardly wait to dig into professional training. My vocal lessons started in Middle School and additionally I did every school play and community theatre production imaginable. After High School, I was accepted as a B.F.A. Musical Theatre major at U of WI- Stevens Point and got my training there.

Following University, I moved around a lot. First up, my move to NYC (sight unseen with 2 suitcases in hand and a pocketful of dreams- just like the plot of any good musical). There, I performed professionally as an actor/singer in shows that ranged from Off Broadway to to essentially paid extra work at The Metropolitan Opera, to various leading roles at summer stock productions, National Tours, and Regional Theater work and everything in between. My creative path also inspired a move to Philly where I entered into the world of TV and Radio primarily working in the world of voice over. From there, I relocated once again, this time to Los Angeles where I surprisingly shifted away from performing altogether and for years I barely sung at all. In fact, I became a professional dog trainer of all things. I loved it and later opened my own dog training company training the beloved dogs of movie industry folks and well-to-do Angelenos. But around 2017/18 a big breakup with my long time romantic partner prompted a change and I moved from LA back to my roots in Minnesota.

Rebuilding life in MN was daunting at first and I felt the deep urge to perform once again…This time, longing for a different form of expression. …I wanted to lead a band. At this point, though I had years of professional performance and vocal training under my belt, I had no real sense of how to lead a band. But with good intuition, a bit of luck, and some serious of elbow grease, I managed to connect with some fellow talented kindred spirits that helped get things off the ground, making my dreams of starting my own band a reality.
First up, “Debbie Briggs Vintage Jazz” established in 2019. The original band members included bassist: Jeffrey Sugerman, pianist: Bernie Wollenberg, and drummer: Sam Kjellberg. I will be forever grateful to these three for their help, inspiration, patience, and heartfelt belief in my abilities as I worked to break into the local music scene.

In time this project continued to evolve which prompted a shift in the band model. I found it worked well for both flexibility and networking to hire a rotating cast of players on a gig by gig basis, and that still rings true today. Now, I have the pleasure of working with a great many players and I am so honored to have the opportunity to connect musically with so many talented musicians!
DEBBIE BRIGGS Vintage Jazz is not my only project though. I also have “The Good Time Gals” co-founded with Twin Cities guitarist/singer Myra Burnette on New Year’s Day 2020… yes, just in time for the pandemic! Ha.

Somehow, “The Good Time Gals” managed to work throughout Covid times despite the many obstacles in place. This project is near and dear to my heart and afforded me the chance to explore arranging tight harmonies and unique arrangements for the first time. It seemed to me that even with the challenges of the pandemic in place, people were taking notice of “The Good Time Gals” and more and more gigs were coming our way. And while my music career was gaining traction, my personal life hit a wall that would change me and my music forever…

My dear and talented sister, Catherine McNerlin (or “Cat” as we affectionately called her) was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer around this time. And it wasn’t until her untimely death in 2021 that I decided to go full-time music.

My sister, a gifted songwriter who did many amazing things, but she never had the opportunity to fully pursue her dreams of music as she imagined she might. So after her death, it became clear to me that life is too short to not fully pursue my creative passions.
In 2021, after going full-time music, I began writing and performing my own songs and released my first set of originals with “The Good Time Gals” ’22 debut album titled “Whiskey Kisses” featuring myself – DEBBIE BRIGGS (vocals), Myra Burnette (guitar/vocals), Alissa Jacobsen (fiddle), Beth Varela (drums), and Liz Draper (bass). This project has been a beacon of joy and self expression in my professional career. But, with life being all “lifey” and bandmates being called away to other projects or in some cases whole new Cities, the momentum of this project has somewhat slowed. That said, The Gals will feature a limited run of shows and special events this summer. Our album speaks for itself and you can enjoy “The Gals” anytime you wish, streaming on all major platforms and available for purchase on band camp.

Throughout that time Debbie Briggs Vintage Jazz remained active and ever evolving. And all that leads us to today, where “Debbie Briggs Vintage Jazz” is gearing up for the summer season ahead and hopeful to record with this project in the near future. You can catch my new residency series starting May 4th at 8p, and continuing every Saturday, at The Velveteen, in Stillwater. Every week you can catch my duo or a duo act that is curated by me.

I am also actively seeking new collabs and opportunities to moonlight with other local musicians and bands. On that, you can expect to see and hear a lot more from “Debbie Briggs” in the near future. Life is just too short to not do what you love! And I have a lot of love to give to my art.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

We need to stop cutting funding and access to Arts and Music Education from our schools and community ed programs. On a personal level, I don’t know what I would have done without the benefits and sense of belonging afforded to me by the exposure to Arts and Music in my youth. But, far beyond my personal connection to the field, The Arts are proven time and again to fuel innovation and creative thinking for ALL, not just the artistically inclined.

We know this because it has been stated in countless studies. In one such study done by Brookings University involving 10,000 3rd-8th grade students it was discovered that enrolling students in art classes improved their writing scores by 13% and lowered disciplinary issues by 3.6%. Furthermore, it bolstered students college aspirations and confidence levels across the board, but especially amongst Elementary aged children. Innumerable other studies have further illustrated the clear cut benefits of Music on overall brain health and neuroplasticity. So, whether we are creating music or just listening to it, we are better because of it!

I understand that it takes all types to make the world go round, and I am glad that we are providing solid outlets and financial backing for the mechanical, technical, mathematical and scientifically inclined. However, we need everyone’s gifts and all will grow under the influence of the Arts. When the societal advantages of the Arts and creative thinking to are so clear cut, I have to ask why we continue to treat art and artists as though they are expendable or second-class? We are not just meant for extra curricular activities…

Art in some form or fashion is NOT intended for the few, but instead it’s intended for the masses. Arts improve our overall productivity and performance in ALL other subjects and career paths. Additionally, it cultivates better social development, language skills, and social engagement and is a proven tool in stress management and helping lessen the negative effects of diseases like Alzheimers.

We simply cannot grow as a society without our creative thinkers. If we do not encourage original thought and cultivate these rich ideas and forms of expression, then we cannot imagine a better solution for ourselves, or a better path to our future, no matter the industry! The consequences of turning our back on The Arts for the young minds of tomorrow will be far worse than having a boring playlist or an art gallery comprised entirely by AI.
Simply put, creativity is vital to the future of our species, so kindly invest in art, and invest in Artists.

The last thing I will share on this subject is that we Artists can be so much more than meets the eye…
“Yes, this is my real job” a response I give often to folks innocently inquiring as to what else I do. Don’t get me wrong, this is fun and I would do it for free, but honestly, I can’t… and moreover, I shouldn’t. Despite the fun factor, this is also work and I have worked hard to get here. I know many talented folks who otherwise would/could make a living as a full-time Artist but feel unsupported and therefore they make other choices for themselves. Because our path to do this is not easy and at times not well compensated or supported by the community at large.
What you may not know is that I am a one stop shop business woman, entrepreneur, and innovator. I wear the hats of many departments and when you are seeing me perform, you are seeing a fraction of what I do… In fact, I am not just a singer, I am a business savvy hard working individual who creates and launches whole marketing campaigns, manages booking, scheduling, graphic design, social media management, outreach, accounting, tech, P/T roadie duties, and event planning and I do all this while working to develop and maintain my craft, trying to come up with new ideas that will excite you, and at least in my case, I’m doing it all in heels. In short, your local band leaders are amazingly skilled laborers yet Artists are often treated as lazy or spacey or “less than” in our society. We are often not fairly compensated for the amount of work that we must do and often times the industry standard for base wages have remained the same for Artists since the 70s. We are not really protected by any company, we don’t easily have access to insurance, or a 401k. We have to carve our own path and we do it because we love it. But yes, it is hard work.

So maybe, throw a little extra in our tip jars when you see us, hire us for your events and venues, opt for the higher rate, and when possible amplify our voices when we are trying to announce upcoming shows, albums, song releases etc. We are thankful for what you do. And to the true blue supporters out there, we see you! Thank you. Thank you.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

1. Support and vote for Arts in Education. And encourage kids to create and think outside the box.

2. Invest into the beautification of community spaces by hiring and paying a fair wage to any of the hugely talented artists in this state.

3. Encourage creative thinking, innovation, and standing out from the crowd with creative expression whenever possible. Please do not be afraid of what seems “different”. Sometimes that different way of thinking or being will land you a much needed solution to a future problem you may face.

4. Talk to others often about the great shows you attend and share the music of the artists you love with your community.

5. Adding us to your playlists.

6. Passing along our websites and social media to anyone looking to book live music, be it event bookers, party planners, festivals, or even a neighbor hosting a block party. Every little bit helps.

7. Tag Artists and like and share their posts. When you take video of us at a show, tag us, like, love, and follow. This is very helpful in amplifying our voices and cutting through ever changing sea of algorithms.

8. To fellow artists, do what you can to foster connection and community with your fellow creatives versus creating an atmosphere of competition, scarcity, and judgement. Be kind and professional, it is a small world. Instead of judging where someone is at, remind yourself that you started somewhere too. When it makes sense be a mentor and a cheerleader for others. There is enough room for everyone.

9. Invest into the musical minority. This could be hiring or supporting the talents of artists in minority communities or supporting the work of those folks that are trying to bring something new and original to the table. New sounds and Trail Blazers out there should be celebrated.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.debbiebriggsvintagejazz.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/debbiebriggs_vintagejazz/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/debbiebriggsjazzsinger/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@debbiebriggsmusic8428
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6YElCWYoECQFdTwnzVVhWu?si=K422tbEsTp-_q6mqXtIErQ Band Camp: https://thegoodtimegals.bandcamp.com

Image Credits
Debbie Briggs Ian Gibbs Dan Michener @insomniac199