The 5 Browns bring a slice of Hollywood to Spokane

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By Tanya Smith, Staff Writer
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April 26, 2010 — While the 5 Browns' latest concert tour may include stops like Spokane and Opelika, Ala., the quintet of virtuosic piano prodigies and siblings are excited about the recent release of an album that is all Hollywood.

The 5 Browns from left to right: Melody, Gregory, Desirae, Deondra and Ryan. Contributed Photo.

Inspired by some of Hollywood's leading films and scores, "The 5 Browns in Hollywood" meshes the worlds of classical music and cinema with arrangements representing a diverse collection of world famous films that range from classics such as "The Wizard of Oz" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" to the more recent features like "The Hours."

"We grew up watching classic movies," says Desirae, the oldest Brown. "We all know the lyrics word for word. Many of them are songs from childhood that are dear to our hearts so creating this album was very personal and fun."

Her sister Melody agrees, adding that "the reason this album is so fun to listen to is because you've heard the film music so often, but now it's being performed in a totally new way."

The Juilliard trained sibling team will be performing selections from their new album live in concert with the Spokane Symphony at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox on May 14.

The 5 Browns - Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae were born in Houston and raised in Alpine, Utah and have been playing the piano since early childhood. When Desirae began to plan for college, Deondra, a year younger, decided to accelerate her education in order to attend with her sister. The family then began looking into music schools and scholarships before deciding upon New York's Juilliard School.

The 5 Browns in their practice space which features 5 Steinway grand pianos The 5 Browns are exclusive Steinway artists. Contributed Photo.

One year later when Gregory, Melody and Ryan were accepted to Juilliard, they became the first family of five siblings ever accepted at the same time and so the entire Brown family, along with their five pianos, packed their bags and moved east. After their decision to join forces, The 5 Browns quickly took the classical world by storm with their hip personalities and fresh takes on classical standards.

The young virtuosos enjoyed their first wave of critical attention in February 2002 when People magazine dubbed them the "Fab Five" and at about the same time they were featured on Oprah and 60 Minutes.

The 5 Browns are also published writers. Their book, "Life Between The Keys" was published by Phoenix Books in March 2009. They have performed in numerous venues worldwide, including the Grand National Theater in China, Suntory Hall in Japan and, in the United States, The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Symphony Hall in Chicago and Alice Tully Hall in New York City. The group has produced three studio albums, "Browns In Blue" (2007), "No Boundaries" (2006), and "The 5 Browns" (2005) that all went to #1 on Billboard Magazine's Classical Album Chart.

When The 5 Browns perform in Spokane on May 14, they'll feature a mixture of solos, duets and trios with an orchestra and sets featuring all 5 pianos with no orchestra. Contributed Photo.

The siblings each decided individually to pursue music as a career. "We all toyed with different career options outside of music," says Deondra. "We knew that pursuing a career in music would be fulfilling but also difficult in many ways."

For Gregory, the dedication has paid off.

"The importance of music in our family helped form a strong bond early on and we knew it would be worth it," he said.

The siblings were fully aware when they decided to take the plunge into music that the odds of becoming well known concert pianists were slim. Melody, who attended Julliard with the thought of becoming a music teacher, said the siblings remained focused on their goals even though "all along the way people discouraged us."

Becoming piano prodigies takes more than luck, and it doesn't just happen overnight. All five Browns started taking piano lessons at age 3 and their journey has included important mentors and teachers along the way.

"Our first teacher in Houston instilled a basic love of music," says Gregory.

Their second teacher was more of a disciplinarian, which was also important.

"Our teacher at Juilliard was hugely influential in helping us take music to a whole new level and make it our own," Gregory said.

Maintaining their high moral standards and living the gospel with a career in show business has not been difficult for the 5 Browns. They do not perform on Sundays, although they may do an occasional fireside, and they try to find meetings to attend while touring.

"We realized how important our standards were to us during our college years and decided then we would maintain them," says Melody.

When they first started performing it was difficult to find stylish dresses with sleeves to wear on stage but they decided that even a small detail like modesty was important to uphold.

"Now moms and girls come up to us after our shows to ask us where we bought our dresses," Melody said.

Inspiring young people through their performances is just one way the Browns share their amazing talents. Deondra began teaching piano lessons at age 11 and still teaches occasionally from her Utah home.

"I enjoy passing on my knowledge and seeing the eyes of my students light up when they're finally able to play their piece well," she said.

Inspired by classical musician Martha Argerich and contemporary pop artists like Coldplay, the 5 Browns hope to bring a fun and inspirational flair to classical music.

"We believe music really is one of the mediums that can bring us closer to the spirit than anything else in this world," says Gregory. "We're excited for our concert in Spokane, which is different from our usual concerts because we will be sharing the stage with the symphony to play some great classical pieces. We encourage everyone, young and old, to give classical music a try."

The 5 Browns take their bows after an energetic performance. Contributed Photo.

Latter-day Sentinel joins music fans throughout the Inland Northwest in welcoming The 5 Browns to Spokane on May 14. For a chance to attend this special show in person - and enjoy a first-class meal before the concert - get involved in the current subscription contest going on through May 3.

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