Brianna has a singing voice well beyond her 18 years.

“I’m excited to get out there and share God’s love with people, to spread my wings and make a difference,” says Brianna Dyer, who is known to her fans by her first name.

Brianna started performing in talent shows and musicals in her hometown of Shoreview, Minnesota when she was nine.

“I was a little fireball, belting out songs on stage,” she says. “I loved it — it was really fun for me.”

Professional voice training followed, as did participation in school and church choirs, and a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat at her home church, St. Odilia Parish in Shoreview.

It was her father, however, who turned Brianna toward contemporary Catholic music.
“For about 17 years, I did gigs twice a month in a classic rock and roll band around town,” says John Dyer, a full-time engineer at 3M Commercial Care Laboratory. “I could see that Brianna was blossoming as a vocalist, and when the band broke up, I wanted to move in a new direction.”

That new direction was songwriting. Today John has penned about 80 faith-filled pop songs for his daughter to sing.

“Every day, I am so encouraged when I hear the new songs God puts into my dad, and that he puts down on paper,” says Brianna. “A lot of times people have the impression that teenagers are too cool to hang out with their dads — but my dad’s pretty cool!”

Brianna sang at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto.

“There’s a naturalness to her performances,” says her father. “She’s not trying to force anything or put on a show. She’s very sincere.”

As Brianna embarks on her contemporary Catholic music ministry, she is beginning another new challenge as well: being a college freshman at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

She does so with a lot of support at home, from her brothers Nick and Zack, her sister Jamie and her mother, Peggy.

“My mom keeps me sane when I’m trying to balance stuff,” says Brianna. “She is always there to make sure my head and my heart are in the right spot.”

Brianna clearly has the exuberant faith and the youthful energy to face the balancing act in front of her.

“It‚s important for me to get the most out of college and my music,” she concludes. “I’ll leave it all in God’s hands.”