Brianna Callahan: The Voice That’s Lighting Up Rhode Island

When Brianna Callahan was a baby in a stroller, she was singing before she could form words. Her parents knew she was born to sing.

“There was no question that music was my future,” Callahan says.

At age five, she was enrolled by her parents in piano classes.

“I recall at that time my mom was more nervous than I was at my first piano recital,” Callahan says. “One of my strengths as a performer is that I’ve never had stage fright. For me, it’s always been natural to get on stage and do my thing.”

Since then, Callahan has been lifting her alto voice and displaying her prowess on the keyboard in choral groups and at churches and community playhouses across Rhode Island. Since the pandemic, she’s been the piano entertainer in the center of the Warwick Mall.

Callahan, 22, is graduating from RIC’s music education program. Along with some retail jobs, Callahan worked several musical gigs to help pay for tuition during her freshman and sophomore years. She says there was a significant shift after she became a recipient of the Hope Scholarship program. She served as one of the program’s ambassadors, engaging in community outreach, creating personal narratives and developing social media content.

“Before the scholarship, my financial situation was stressful,” Callahan says. “But now, so much of my time has been freed up. I’ve been able to focus on my studies and my future. Every college student who is trying to work and balance school knows that can be a lot. It’s been such a relief to have the HOPE Scholarship; life-changing, honestly.”

In fact, her life changed after arriving at RIC.

“When I toured the college in 2022, I knew RIC was where I wanted to be,” she says. “After auditioning for the music program, everyone came across as so nice and welcoming.”

During her first chorus rehearsal, however, she began having second thoughts about majoring in music education.

“We were practicing this piece I’d never seen before,” she says. “I was so lost. I left that rehearsal almost crying and thinking I couldn’t do this. But now, as I’m preparing to graduate, I’ve been through sight-reading and music theory, and I can get through any piece of music with no problem.”

She lavished praise on professors Mary Ellen Kregler, Donald Saint Jean and the now retired RIC choral director Teresa Coffman for enhancing her musical chops.

“Professor Coffman put 100 percent of herself into her job and the students,’’ Callahan says. “She wasn’t easy on you. She pushed you to be the best musician and person. That’s admirable and the type of educator that I want to be.”

During the fall semester, Callahan completed her student teaching at Orchard Farms Elementary School in Cranston and Barrington High School. While she enjoyed both experiences, she hopes to teach high school students.

“Since chorus is my strong suit, I’d like to run my own choral program at a high school one day,” she says. “My experience student teaching was eye-opening. I realized that you can read all the textbooks in the world about classroom management, but you don’t know what it’s going to be like until you’re in front of the classroom.”

“I was either going too fast or too slow through the lessons with them,” she says. “But on the plus side, I can run a rehearsal efficiently, playing all the parts and singing them. If anyone needs to hear anything, I can demonstrate it.”

Callahan’s mastery of running rehearsals came in handy during her tenure in the RIC Chorus. Among the chorus’ 15 altos, she was the section leader for two consecutive years.

“It was so fulfilling to be in a room with other musicians, who are there for the same reason: making good music,” she says.

Callahan has been making good music with several groups around the state for years.

Shortly after arriving at RIC, she sought work with local theater groups, working as a musical director with the Academy Players of Rhode Island in Providence and the East End Theater and Performing Arts in East Providence. She taught cast members harmonies and techniques and assisted directors with running show tracks.

“My work with the theaters has been gratifying,” she says. “I recently finished the music direction for ‘Annie’. After the performance, people were telling me, ‘You did such a good job.’ However, I felt like it was the work of the group, not just me. But it does feel good to know you’ve played a role in helping the production.”

In the future, Callahan intends to solidify her musical ties within the state.

“I don’t want to up and leave Rhode Island because I’d lose all the connections I’ve made to create a musical network,” she says. “This is where I was born and raised and I have no intentions of leaving anytime soon.”

Callahan’s friends and musical colleagues say that her future is bright.

“Her perfect pitch is unmatched and her confidence is inspiring,” says Abigail McNulty, a senior music education student at RIC. “She could quite literally sing anything, and she plays piano as well. She does it all and is probably one of the busiest people I know.”