When Brianna Brown graduated from Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in 2014, she didn鈥檛 expect to return as an educator. Her plan was to pursue music full time as Be.Be the Neosoul and perform for crowds of adoring fans 鈥� and she鈥檚 done exactly that at festivals like Frizz Fest and MATI.
Brown has been able to achieve both goals. The chance to 鈥減our back into鈥� the school where she sharpened her R&B chops came about earlier this school year, when she was hired as CVPA鈥檚 artistic director. The new role opened her eyes to fiscal realities at her alma mater. That knowledge resulted in Brown's producing and performing in a benefit concert raising funds for the arts departments at CVPA and tornado relief at Sheldon Concert Hall on May 20.
Brown told St. Louis on the Air that the funds raised will help her students get closer to achieving their dreams to become artists.
鈥淭hings like registration for conferences, being able to afford and pay for transportation for performance opportunities 鈥� if they're offered to us and they're not providing us with transportation, we'd have to pay for that ourselves,鈥� Brown said. Expenses also include 鈥渂eing able to cover food and general costs for when we're holding students 12-plus hours a day for performances, making sure students have access to the instruments that they're interested in learning more about, and of course, the new technology within the visual arts industry and in music.鈥�
For Brown, the 鈥淟ive the Dream鈥� benefit concert is a full circle moment. During her senior year at CVPA, she performed her first headlining concert at Sheldon Concert Hall. She says she鈥檚 excited to bring that experience to her students.
鈥淚 think one of the greatest assets I鈥檓 able to offer them [is] community. I know so many professional visual artists. I know so many professionals who work in theater and the music industry. I see that these jobs exist,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 know what they are. I know what they're called, and I can pass that information along in a way that I wasn't able to receive it.鈥�
For more about the 鈥淟ive the Dream鈥� benefit concert, listen to St. Louis on the Air on , or or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: benefit concert
When: 6 p.m. May 20
Where: Sheldon Music Hall (3648 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108)
鈥�鈥� brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by , , , and . The audio engineer is .
