Schools
VIDEO: Young Singer/Songwriter Rocks Eagle Rock
Brianna Rancour-Ibarra is a musician with an incredible voice.
Whiz Kid's Name/Age: Brianna Rancour-Ibarra, 15.
Whiz Kid's School: L.A. County High School for the Arts and the .
Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Rancour-Ibarra won admission into the music program at the selective L.A. County High School for the Arts, located on the campus of Cal State L.A. She holds an unweighted 3.7 GPA, which qualifies her for the Cum Laude section of the school’s Dean’s List. After a full morning of academics, her afternoons are devoted to conservatory music classes and ensemble practices, including everything from vocal training and musical improvisation to vocal jazz ensemble. Rancour-Ibarra has written some 25 songs so far, inspired by traditional singer-songwriter fare, but also by jazz vocalists. She currently takes guitar lessons at the Bloom School of Music in Eagle Rock from owner Dave Hemann, focusing on jazz guitar.
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Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Rancour-Ibarra loves music and has always been surrounded by it. She wrote her first instrumental piece when she was just five years old. Titled “War in England,” the composition was based on the majestic sound of open fifth intervals (although she wasn’t quite aware of the music theory behind it). Soon thereafter, Rancour-Ibarra took up classical piano lessons.
Bonus Whiz Kid Info: Rancour-Ibarra is on an advanced science track, currently taking Physics as a sophomore (instead of in her Senior year), which in part may be because her mother is a science teacher (her stepfather is a history teacher). Rancour-Ibarra performs with a jazz-inspired band composed of classmates at LACHSA, and also in the Vocal Jazz Ensemble of LACHSA (they recently had a show at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival). Check out her singer/songwriter career at or at the Coffee House Gallery in Altadena.
