Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Burris.
Hi Brittany, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Southern Louisiana in a deep creative culture of art and music which naturally led me to work in arts and entertainment. Visualizing what a venue can transform into and looking beyond the original intention of a space is my primary goal. While working for an oil & gas investor, I was challenged with transforming a 10-acre property into an entertainment venue for non-profit events, weddings and vacation rentals. Later, I successfully flipped a private estate into an entertainment complex. That was the beginning of Music Hill. My love for music, art and film has influenced the direction of this amazing property into an art gallery, a filming location and a retreat space for all things creative.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a rough road to get here. As a single mother, I took a risk and left a secure position to do something that I love. I knew I could be successful at it and you’d be surprised at what you’re capable of when your kids are relying on you. The risk was amplified when covid hit and I had to reinvent a high-risk crowd space into a low-risk filming location.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Music Hill?
The original owners built the homes for their son, Marshall Ball who was born with an undiagnosed illness similar to cerebral palsy. His parents constructed the homes to be hypoallergenic and purposefully chose limestone, mesquite wood and nontoxic paint as the finishings. Marshall suffered from seizures before the age of one and by the age of three was not able to walk or talk. One afternoon he leaned forward while sitting on his mother’s lap and hit a button on a toy with his head. His mother joyfully asked him to do it again and he did. It was from that very moment that they realized he could hear and understand them. They devised a way for him to communicate letters and from there, this child prodigy went on to express all of the thoughts that he had been keeping to himself through two best-selling books about God, love, kindness and freedom. He appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1999 where his thoughts and words inspired millions including Chris Martin of Coldplay. Chris is included in the introduction of the 20th edition of Kiss of God. Marshall Ball named all of the original homes on property: Thoughtful House, Garden House, Tree House and the scenic hill country view “Listener’s Hill”. His words are inscribed on the walkway between the homes.
The property later was purchased by a legendary country music legend and winner of 18 Grammy Awards. She added the Entertainment Annex and Recording Studio and has housed many music legends as well as hosted camps for musicians, writers and artists alike. We’ve named the property and studio “Music Hill” in honor of the two amazing previous owners. It’s an incredibly special property that will bring inspiration to all who enter it.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My motto is, if you don’t A.S.K, you don’t G.E.T. I go into everything that I do expecting a yes. I also believe in giving back to the community. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Lake Travis Film Festival, whose mission is to create a celebrated annual event with ongoing outreach throughout the year to screen films, educate, and bring together the community.
Contact Info:
- Email: brittany.burris@musichill.com
- Website: www.musichill.com
- Instagram: @musichillatx
- Facebook: Music Hill ATX
Image Credits
Ruben Morales Photography (of me) sh._.y (Music Hill Image and Mural)
