Meet Adena Brumer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adena Brumer.

Hi Adena, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started on this journey when I was nine, singing in my synagogue choir. We sang almost everything a cappella and in 5-part harmony – it was extraordinary! I started voice lessons at 16 and was highly encouraged by my high school chorus teacher, Rick Wild, to keep it up! I thought I was going to be a music major when I went to college at Washington University in St. Louis, but it turned out not to be the right fit. Guess what was? Theater! I found my tribe! Once I graduated, I stayed in St. Louis for four more years doing community theater, started singing with a country band, and then met a lovely guy who took me to the Twin Cities! (We broke up, but I stayed!) I got to work at nearly every theater there (at the time) and met some of the most incredible people I’ve ever known! I still go back every December to do “It’s a Wonderful Life” at The Saint Paul Hotel (where I got married!) and the entire cast returns each year! During my time in the Twin Cities, I also met some remarkable musicians and started singing in bands again, most notably with Tony Ortiz! He was the lead singer of The Monroes, who had a hit in the ’80s called “What Do All The People Know”. (He’s still performing, so if you’re in the Twin Cities, go hear him!) After 14 years, I moved to Atlanta! I got a full-time day job and I was not happy. The film and television scene was really heating up, I felt called to it and the day job was sucking my soul. After a few years, it turned out that my husband and I were in a good place financially for me to quit the job and pursue acting and singing full-time! So in 2014 I started to put all of my efforts into my craft. I resumed classes on a weekly basis, was singing in three bands, and was lucky enough to be signed with Atlanta Models & Talent! Since then, I’ve gotten to work on the shows “Sleepy Hollow”, “Sweet Magnolias”, and “The Other Black Girl”, among others. I’m also singing in my acoustic duo Wild Iris Rose as well as A1A – The Official and Original Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band; Atlanta Wedding Band; and Rockin’ Train, a six-piece rock cover band! I also co-teach with Helen Ingebritsen at Emory Law! We teach Courtroom Persuasion Drama, basically “Acting for Lawyers”, and it is THE BEST! During the pandemic, I started something I had wanted to do for a long time: serving as a Standardized Patient. It’s where you’re given a diagnosis and you act as if you have that diagnosis in order to help nursing students and doctors be better in their practice. It’s some of the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done! But I’d like to say that I wouldn’t be where I am without support from my husband, my friends and family (and my agents!). This life isn’t easy, and it takes patience, persistence, commitment, a little luck, and always remembering that what I get to do is both FUN and a GIFT!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road and it continues to not be a smooth road! As I mentioned before, I thought I would be a music major in college. But most of my classes were geared towards attending Grad School, and I knew I wasn’t going to be doing that. So I had to pivot. That led me to Theater, and it made all the difference! However, college didn’t really prepare me for the “real world” as an artist and I struggled like everyone else. I waited tables and basically said “yes” to any project someone would hire me for – not always great decisions or projects! But I kept pushing, kept getting better, and also better at knowing when to say “no”. When I got to the Twin Cities, I was very lucky to work as much as I did and do the things I got to do! But, as anyone who is an actor knows, there is a LOT of rejection! So when I got to Atlanta and started auditioning for film and television, it was HARD. This is one of the few professions where you can do everything right and still not get the job! You know you’ve done a great audition, but there are SO many factors beyond your control. So you do your best and try to let it go and move on to the next audition. But it is not easy, and we tend to compare ourselves to those around us! We have to try to remember that we are enough. What makes us special will come through and someone will see that. What’s meant for us will come to us! Then came Covid. Everything came to a stop. We lost theaters, taping services, bar and restaurant gigs, and we haven’t quite gotten back to where we were. It’s still very difficult to get bar and restaurant gigs, but we’re doing what we can! Then, the strikes! And even though the strikes are over, auditions have not bounced back and it is SLOW. Plus, AI. It’s terrifying. But I’m doing my best to not get disheartened. I’m still singing, going to class, and doing everything I can to be ready for that next audition! And I’m hopeful that we’ll all get back to work soon!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Well, I’ve already listed the bands I’m in and some of the shows I’ve been on. When it comes to film or television or theater, I really just want to help tell the story – whether that’s a one-liner or a bigger role. When it comes to music, I’m perfectly happy singing backup because harmonies are where it’s AT! But I also work very hard to nail the lead when I’ve got it. I hope I’m known for being an asset and not a liability! I try to be as collaborative and supportive as a I possibly can to support whatever vision or project I’m on. Lately, I’ve been so moved by our audiences when I’ve been singing. I look out and realize I get to be a part of their experience and that is a GIFT that I hope I never take for granted! I really just want to be of service and lift others up as much as I can. I don’t always get it right and I hope I learn from my mistakes and just continue to do and be better! And what sets me apart from others? I bring homemade baked goods to every gig. Every. Gig.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Patience and not giving up! As I said before, this career path is not an easy one! It’s easy to get discouraged, frustrated, angry, hopeless – all of the things! But if this is what you’re called to do, you can’t give up. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by nothing but support. My parents never tried to talk me out of pursuing acting and singing – rare, I know! My husband and my friends continually lift me up and I try to do that for my fellow artists. It’s also very important to have a life outside of this career. We’ve got to have varied interests and things outside of acting and singing because it can get very lonely and isolating. Plus, the more we experience, the more we get to use in our art! I just do my best to live in the moment and trust that great things are coming!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adenabrumer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adenab
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adena.brumer
• Other: www.wildirisrosemusic.com, www.a1a-live.com, www.atlantaweddingband.com, www.facebook.com/rockintrainband, www.reverbnation.com/adenabrumer