Hall of Fame: Brianna Larsen

As an eighth-grader at Tea Area at the start of the district, Brianna Larsen found herself as a starter for multiple sports.

Larsen, who was inducted into the district’s Hall of Fame during homecoming week, remembers being there when the district announced the new mascot when the district split from Lennox as a student in junior high. She remembers going to school in the stick buildings and navigating the newness of a new school district.

When the district split from Lennox, the student population was small so the opportunities for involvement were large. She played basketball, volleyball, golf and softball, while also being involved in choir, band and plays. 

“In those early years, a lot of us were eighth-graders and freshmen playing against seniors. Just size-wise, we were tiny. We were so small,” she said. “I was an eighth-grader being on varsity basketball and volleyball. We did not start out with winning records by any means, but you know, that’s not why we were out for it.”

Larsen held a record for volleyball for number of assists. She also likes the fact that she scored the first basket for Tea Area.

“One story I like to think about is having the very first basket made for varsity basketball. We played that game in the Legacy Elementary gym. We were all crammed in there. It was so fun. The jerseys we had then, it’s just comical but it’s still good,” she said.

From her time in band, she remembers marching in the parade in t-shirts to the next year marching in polos and then being able to get uniforms the next year.

Larsen made all-state band and orchestra three out of her four years of high school. She became the first person to receive the John Philip Sousa award in the district. 

That foundation of music has supported her career. After graduating from Tea Area in 2008, she got her bachelor’s degree at the University of North Dakota and then her master’s from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, both in music therapy.

“I’ve had a foundation of music in my life and sciences and interacting with people. That just led itself into the world of music therapy. I did not want to be a teacher. I did not want to do performance. It’s a really beautifully blended combination of all of those pieces,” Larsen said.

For the past 14 years, she has worked as a board certified therapist and currently works at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“So I’m still using music. I’m using that as my career as means to help support people with really complex medical diagnoses during their hospitalizations. We’re doing research at looking how music therapy is helpful for patients with pain, symptom burden, quality of lief and also looking at caregiver support during these intense times of their life as well,” she said. “We get to do pretty amazing stuff; pretty amazing people all the while using music as a medium to help support them.”

Growing up in a small community, Larsen said it was comfortable getting involved in many aspects of high school.

“It was that small community you were able to be involved in everything and it’s a lot of my friends were in it. I knew all the coaches. I knew all the teachers. I just felt so good and comfy doing all the things. It’s just always fun,” Larsen said.

The Hall of Fame notification came as a wonderful surprise.

“It’s really cool to be honored and to be remembered,” she said.