Everyone has a talent. For Miami, Okla.'s, Brian Beauchamp, it's playing music. Beauchamp who began playing guitar in 1998 while attending college at the University of Oklahoma said he first played after borrowing a guitar from his friend, Jamie Neal. He now plays rhythm guitar and is lead vocals. For this he was nominated for the Payne County Line 2005 New Artist of the Year award.

The first baby born in Alaska in 1976, Beauchamp was born in Anchorage and moved to Miami when he was six months old. He later graduated from Miami High School and attended college off and on at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and a college in Kentucky, where he played soccer. He said that although he didn't start playing music a lot until college, it has been a passion of his since grade school.

"I credit Priscilla Fullerton, a grade school teacher, for my interest in music," Beauchamp said. "I was interested in Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, as well as Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Keith Whitley, while in high school. So, my music taste has evolved. I like non-Nashville type stuff and I have my own style."

Currently, Beauchamp has gone single, but is interested in reforming a group. He's played with two bands and made a live CD. His last band, Backslider, has a group on yahoo.com where Beauchamp's fans can keep up to date with what he's doing now and view what the band was like while they were together. It's located at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Backslider/.

While with the band, Backslider, he played in bars, saloons, various functions and parties around Stillwater, Okla. He recently sat in with a band playing at Turtlehead's in Joplin, Mo. He's also starting a consulting program in forestry to allow himself the freedom to work in forestry [one of his college majors] and to have time for his music.

"I've been writing a lot since the last band split up," Beauchamp said. "My music has a lot of diversity in it from throughout life experiences with family, friends and relationships. It's a release for me. Whenever I play I feel like a different person. I can say what's on my mind and not be judged for it."

I am currently in my third year of college majoring in public relations. I am aspiring to become either a music publicist, or a music journalist. I have six years of journalism experience, including high school and college, as well as professional experience at two local newspapers. In the past year I have had to opportunity to meet with and interview bands and musicians such as Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Keith Anderson, Foghat, Rich McCready, Doug Stone, Cross Canadian Ragweed and The Great Divide.