Women’s History Month Focus – Beryl A. Brackett
Women’s History Month Focus – Beryl A. Brackett
The Lyfe Magazine is celebrating Women’s History Month in a very special way this year. Each week of this month we have been featuring one of our female Board of Directors. Each of these women are making history now that will be recognized for years to come.
We believe you will not only enjoy reading their stories but be inspired as well.
This week, we want to introduce you to Beryl A. Brackett.
Beryl and I met at church when we both worked with the youth choir. I was the musician and she was the assistant director. After I left the church, we ran into one another one day at Walmart, and that’s where the writing collaboration began.
Beryl Anthony Brackett is a multi-talented creative artist. Her creative skills range from songwriting to play writing to book writing. Beryl is a native of Auburn, Alabama. Upon graduating high school, she attended Auburn University Montgomery, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. A very strong proponent of education, Beryl would go on to complete two Masters degrees. She attended Central Michigan University earning an MBA and Clarion University where she earned a Masters degree in Library Science. She currently serves as a Media Specialist in the Prince George’s County Public School System, where she introduces young readers to the exciting world of books. Her desire is to instill a lifelong love of reading in each child.
Beryl discovered her love of gospel music at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, where her husband completed a tour of duty. She was a member of the Minot Chapel Gospel Choir for three years prior to moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Beryl wasted no time picking up her love for music in Colorado Springs. She sang in her church choir, but also was a founding member of the Colorado Mass Choir working with Pastor Joe Pace. The choir recorded their first album during her tenure as choir member and secretary. This experience would serve her well later in life as her musical focus turned to songwriting and production. Her creative business is BAB Productions, the umbrella company where she provides artist development, song composition, and production. Beryl has produced two mini-CD’s introducing gospel artist Tracy Lynette with the lead single, “Blessed and Highly Favored.” Her second production in which she composed the lyrics and the musical arrangement is “In His Arms,” featuring the artist Celestine.
Additionally, she is an author of several books, including her childhood story, “Missing Daddy.” She and her son, Ryan, are authors of the
children’s series Leah Grace. Beryl was inspired to publish a book for her grandchild and pitched the idea to Ryan, a talented writer. The first installment in the series is Leah Grace, Bedtime Adventures. This story takes readers on an adventure to get Leah Grace into bed and falling fast asleep. The next installment, Leah Grace’s Zoo Adventure will be introduced in April. In the book world, BAB Productions provides book editing and publishing services. Through these services, she mentors and helps new authors navigate the complex task of putting their thoughts on paper and ultimately leading to a published book.
As inspiring as her skills are at writing music and singing, those are not her true loves. Her heart is in writing inspiring stage plays. At the top of her bucket list is to showcase one of her plays at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. She has written over a dozen plays and has produced three in Waldorf, MD. They include the adaptation of her book, Missing Daddy, Have U Seen Him?, and It Could Have Been Me! Beryl desires to provide a fully immersed emotional experience for her audience. She wants to entertain and provide hope and an uplifting message as she highlights various life experiences and spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
Beryl currently lives in Maryland with her husband, Taurus. They have three adult sons, Taurus II, Ryan, and Aaron, as well as a daughter-in-law, Shardey, and granddaughter Leah Grace. Referring to her sons, Beryl said, “These three fellas are lifelong learners and graduated from three top universities in the United States All are fluent in French, as they have all spent time in France either studying abroad or just visiting. As military brats, they have lived all over the U.S. and now enjoy traveling throughout Europe.”
As her friend and fellow Board Member, I look forward to seeing what comes next for Beryl. She definitely is a woman making history!