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Most classical concerts begin
with the performers walking out in a stiff and serious
manner and quietly arriving at their instalments with
out speaking a word.
Not The 5 Browns. The Utah-raised brothers and
sisters—Desirae, 28, Deondra. 27, Gregory, 24, Melody,
23, and Ryan, 21—stroll out with big smiles. They’re
dressed in colorfully patterned dresses and casual suits,
looking more like their audience members on a Friday
night date than classical musicians about to present a
concert on a major performing-arts stage.
Thar difference is crucial. The five talented, highly
trained siblings strive to bring an informal air to a style of
music usually presented in a much more formal fashion.
“One of our goals is to take the stuffiness out of clas
sical music,” Ryan says. "We don’t want people to think
the music is above their heads, because it's not."
|l The 5 Browns are siblings —""S
Melody, Ryan, Desirae, , jl--'
Gregory and Deondra, 1^
That all five play piano is another trait that sets The
5 Brow'ns apart. "It’s seen as unusual, at least in this day
and age," Deondra concedes. "There’s some precedent for
it: Liszt and Chopin used to organize five-piano events
that they allied ’monster concerts.’ But it’s not something
thats been seen very often."
The Browns have become a sensation in the classical
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MICHAEL
MCCALL
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Photos by Andrew Southom
world, achieving sales usually reserved for pop acts. Their
debut CD was No. 1 on Billboard magazine's sales-based
Top Classical Albums chart for eight weeks in 2005 and
sold more than 100,000 copies; their second, No Bound
ana., released in April 2006, remained at No. 1 for 20
weeks. Browns in Blue , the group’s latest CD, is scheduled
for release Oct. 2.
Greg Anderson, a classical compos
er and conductor who writes arrange
ments for the group, sings their prais
es. “They have a unique concept —
five Steinway pianos playing all at
once—that draws people in," Anderson says. “But once
people hear them perform, they’re blown away.”
The first five siblings ever to simultaneously attend
the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York,
The 5 Browns present a show that attracts an unusually
mixed audience, with teens and younger kids joining the
older crowd typical of classical performances.
“One of our biggest goals is to inspire children and
young people," Melody says. "When we were growing
up, we looked for young musicians who played the music
we loved, and that helped push us to keep going. It was
so exciting to see someone who wasn’t that much older
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jP-l m.Ac MKk
than you perform. So we take that role seriously.”
For concerts, each member must travel to perform
with the others. Desirae and Deondra are married and
live in Utah near Alpine, a Salt Lake City subuib where
they were raised. Gregory lives in the area as well, while
Melody and Ryan still share an apartment in New
Click on this story at
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more information and
to see additional photos.
“We never pushed them to become musicians,” Keith
says. "But once they started, we didn’t discourage them,
either. We saw that they had natural talent, and we
made sure they’ got to their lessons and made time to
practice.”
Each took to the piano by age 3. Keith and Lisa
offered their children other instruments, but each gravi
tated to the piano and eventually made it their main
instrument. The siblings didn’t consider performing as
a group until veteran music industry executive Joe Dia
mond, now their manager, heard about the five talented
family members and suggested three years ago that they
form a group.
"We all know were getting to do something we love
and getting time together most families our age don’t
have,” Desirae says.
“Were very’ serious about what we play and how we
present this music that we love,” Gregory adds. "We
just try to let people know that the music can also be
entertaining and fun.” 7)®
Michael McCall is a writer in Nashville. Tenn.
Page 22
York City near the Juilliard cam
pus. Their father, Keith Brown, a
financial planner by trade, usually
accompanies them. Mother Lisa, a
homemaker, occasionally joins die
family on the road.
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