When Brianna Brown graduated from Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in 2014, she didn’t 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 — and she’s done exactly that at festivals like Frizz Fest and MATI.
Brown has been able to achieve both goals. The chance to “pour back into” the school where she sharpened her R&B chops came about earlier this school year, when she was hired as CVPA’s 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 “Live the Dream,” 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.
“Things like registration for conferences, being able to afford and pay for transportation for performance opportunities … if they're offered to us and they're not providing us with transportation, we'd have to pay for that ourselves,” Brown said. Expenses also include “being 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.”
For Brown, the “Live the Dream” 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’s excited to bring that experience to her students.
“I think one of the greatest assets I’m 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,” Brown said. “I 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.”
For more about the “Live the Dream” benefit concert, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: “Live the Dream” benefit concert
When: 6 p.m. May 20
Where: Sheldon Music Hall (3648 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108)
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
