In the News

New Haven teen sings for a change in the city and world

December 15th, 2015

“Violence took a good toll on me. I was nervous to sit on my porch,” he said. “I saw things no kid should’ve seen.”

Brown said his now late mother, a self-taught singer who would sing “every night,” fostered in him a love for music. He began practicing as a singer at 6 and started writing songs at 11. Brown had the opportunity to perform his first song, “Help The World,” at City Hall for Mayor Toni Harp.

A lifelong asthmatic, Brown called Yale-New Haven Hospital his “second home.” Now, with his certification in CPR and first aid, Brown volunteers his time at the Smilow Cancer Hospital playing songs to keep patients happy and entertained. Ultimately, Brown hopes to become a doctor after building a rapport with the Yale-New Haven Hospital staff as a child, but he insists he’s receiving a degree in music before he applies to medical school. Brown has auditioned for “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent,” but health issues forced him to pull out during the audition process for the former. On “The Voice,” four established musical artists select contestants to advance in the process as their backs are turned, relying only upon the aural quality of the voices of those trying out. “When people first see me, they might not know what the words will sound like when they come out, but once I start singing they understand what it’s like to be me,” Brown said.

Brown said he believes the city of New Haven has a similar quality: in spite of the presence of some gangs and the number of homicides here., He notes there is a vibrancy to life in his Newhallville neighborhood. “This is why I do music,” he said. “I think I can speak to the fact that there’s more than just violence.” In April 2016, Brown, alongside approximately 30 classmates, will travel to China for two weeks for a cultural exchange program. The total cost of the trip, Brown said, is $2,700, and he only raised about half the cost of the trip doing a fundraising concert, collaborating with eight other performers.

Present at the performance was Adam Christoferson, CEO of Musical Intervention, a creative therapy project where Brown first learned to play guitar. “What was interesting about him is he took a liking to the guitar, and I was able to show him the basic idea of how to write a song using the guitar,” Christoferson said. “I left for about two weeks, and when I came back he was helping other kids to write songs and express themselves in music.” Brown subsequently invited Christoferson to a graduation ceremony where he played guitar and fronted a full band.“It blew my mind,” Christoferson said. Now, Christoferson has Brown work in an interning capacity, engaging city residents with music.

“Once in a while I bring Jeremiah in to get some experience working with certain folks and see how I run groups, and as he gets older and he gets more confident, he’s been taking the ball and running with it at Yale,” he said. “He’s taking what I taught him and practices it in his own experience, which is an honor to me.” Christoferson helped to produce Brown’s a music video for “Help The World.” “There’s something special about that song that I believe can not only open the door for discussion about gang violence and racial tensions,” Christoferson said. “I think it’s a good insight from someone who has been there and seen it, and it brings so much emotion to the table.”

Pam Hubbard, an admitting associate at Yale-New Haven Hospital who works beside the piano in the Smilow Cancer Hospital where Brown plays, said she was moved by his performance. “His voice and story touched my heart,” she said. One day, Hubbard came into work with some lyrics for Brown, and the product was his song “He is Love.” “He told me he always wanted to write Christian or gospel music,” she said. “Hearing his voice was like going back to church. Music is a healing thing. It transcends all barriers.” The song, which Brown said reduced a group of campers to tears at his Lutheran Ministry summer camp in New Hampshire, will appear on his next album with a saxophone part. Brown, who lives with his father and brother after his mother died in 2012, said he hopes to continue writing songs that will touch people.

“I think Jeremiah’s got a great future in not only music, but helping humanity,” Christoferson said.

www.nhregister.com/arts-and-entertainment/20151130/new-haven-teen-sings-for-a-change-in-the-city-and-world