BIOGRAPHY
Theo Brown
True artistry lives and breathes among the people; it is part of the vibrant culture that people create as a community.
Many different cultures have converged and commingled in the creation of Theo Brown’s artistic aesthetic. Born in Los Angeles, California and raised in the somewhat quieter St. Paul, Minnesota, Theo is the only son of a classically trained pianist/organist mother and an Afro-Cuban/West-African percussionist father. Obviously Theo did not have a quiet childhood, and he has not lived a quiet life thus far, either.
Theo has been on stage since age six – his first gig was with an African drum ensemble, led by his father, which he was a part of until he was thirteen. Theo also received classical piano and voice training from a young age. Influenced by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and Donny Hathaway, he began writing and singing his own songs around the age of 14. Around the same time, he was introduced to musical theater, which became a huge part of his performance development in high school. He landed lead roles in every show he was in, sang in various choirs, gathered accolades and awards, and even directed a one-act play. During Theo's theater run, he was working as the front man of the father-and-son group "One Drum, One Mic" at a West-African juice bar in Minneapolis.
After graduating from high school, Theo attended Xavier University in New Orleans in the fall of 2005; however, Hurricane Katrina cut his first semester short. After being stranded on campus for a week directly following the storm, Theo made his way back to Minnesota temporarily and returned to Xavier University in January of 2006. During his years at Xavier, Theo focused on his major in classical voice while also playing percussion in the school's jazz ensemble and continuing to grow as a pianist. He toured the east and west coasts with ensembles from the school and played at various New Orleans clubs, graduating in 2010; he soaked it all in like a sponge and applied it to the music he was writing himself.
Theo Brown is a member of the alternative band Fallen Trees based out of New Orleans, as well as several bands that play regularly in the Twin Cities, including The Not Guilty Band, Soullections, and Ticket to Brasil. He recently launched his first solo album Of the Night I Am – an album whose “shining moments come when Brown starts colliding disparate genres,” according to indie radio station The Current’s blog – and his operatic career in the same year, singing in the chorus of the Minnesota Opera Company. Over the past several years, Theo has developed not only a sense of personal style but also the chameleon-like versatility and skill to perform any and every genre of music. He has played private functions as well as taken the stage of many well-known venues such as The Fine Line, The Amsterdam Bar & Hall, Whiskey Junction, The Nomad World Pub, and Honey.
Musically, Theo draws inspiration from The Roots, Incubus, Norah Jones, Sergio Mendez, Coldplay, The Foreign Exchange, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, D' Angelo, Ingrid Michaelson, Common, and Death Cab for Cutie... just to name a few. Artistically, he strives to be a Renaissance man who can perform myriad roles, and all equally well. Outside of his musical career, Theo has appeared in internet commercials and print ads for Best Buy, Gopher Sport Magazine, hosted spoken word events in the Twin Cities, along with working for several promotion companies such as ProMotion1, PUSH Marketing & Promotions, Events & Promotions, Midwest Promotions, and GC Marketing.
Combining elements of neo-soul, Latin jazz, alternative, hip hop, salsa, folk, and rock into his solo music, Theo is a young and dynamic artist to keep an eye on as his star rises.
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