Kenneth Brown II

Kenneth Brown II’s dedication to music began when reading The Trumpet and the Swan at 8 years old. Within its pages, a swan uses a trumpet to speak to others, and there should be no surprise that Brown uses his own music to give voice to his story. Brown obtained his B.A. in Music Performance from Morehouse College, specializing in Trumpet under the tutelage of Melvin Jones. During his time at Morehouse, he showcased his musical prowess as a member of the House of Funk Marching Band, Symphonic Concert Band, and Jazz Orchestra, all under the esteemed direction of Dr. Chad E. Hughes. Brown has also recently graduated with a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from UCLA under the guidance of esteemed mentors Jens Lindemann, Keyon Harrold, and Dan Rosenboom. While at UCLA, he was a member of the Philharmonia under Neil Stulberg, the Wind Ensemble under Dr. Travis Cross, the Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble under Arturo O’Farrill, and the Commercial Jazz Ensemble under Duane Benjamin. Brown also wrote an in-depth research on The Confluences of Classical and Jazz Music.

Born in Inglewood California, Kenneth honed his skills as a member of the award-winning jazz bands and wind ensemble at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) in Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. Kenneth's talent has garnered recognition beyond the academic sphere. In 2018, his contributions were pivotal in Hamilton's Jazz Ensemble A, propelling them to become finalists at the prestigious Monterey Next Generation Festival. The Grammy Foundation acknowledged Brown's exceptional abilities by selecting him as a "Grammy Emerging Artist" in 2016 and 2017. Moreover, he earned a place in the Monk Institute/LAUSD's esteemed Beyond the Bell All-City Jazz Big Band in 2018.

Throughout his career, Kenneth Brown II has had the privilege of collaborating with world-renowned musicians, artists, and entertainers. Notable figures include Adam Blackstone, John Mayer, Lucky Daye, Chloe x Halle, Omar Apollo, Finneas, Ellis Hall, Ms. Andra Day, Tia Wood, Sean Jones, Tia Fuller, Hubert Laws, Ronnie Laws, Alphonso Johnson, Dontae Winslow, Teo Halm, South Side Symphony, Peter Golub and esteemed members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. His performances have graced esteemed stages such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Royce Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Wilshire Ebell Theater, LA Live's Club Nokia, and Staples Center. Brown's talents were showcased on prominent platforms, including The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards alongside Roddy Ricch in 2021, The Ellen Show alongside Kelly Rowland, multiple seasons on NBCs The Voice with John Legend, the original soundtrack of Apple TVs A Lady In the Lake by Dr. Marcus Norris and The Video Game Awards with Snoop Dogg. Brown’s work has even involved collaboration across other artistic mediums, such as his writing music for the short film Deserve by 10EV Productions, which premiered at the Indie Nights Film Festival and the Silicon Beach Film Festival. This film also received an international selection at the AIMAFF Festival in Athens and the Brazil International Film Festival.

In 2020, amidst the challenging backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenneth Brown II embarked on the creation of the Front Yard Groove (FYG) series. This initiative involved organizing socially distanced concerts in the front yards of residences throughout Inglewood and Los Angeles. Notably, Brown and his band, The Kenneth Brown Collective, were the first to perform during the pandemic at the historic Miracle Theater in Inglewood, alongside musical curator and saxophonist Danny Janklow. His remarkable contributions have been acknowledged through the receipt of the California Legislative Black Caucus Frederick M. Roberts Scholarship and the Spirit of the Dream award from the ‘I Have A Dream Foundation’. Brown's talent as a guest artist was showcased in YOLA's National at Home's inaugural session with Classically Black, where he represented not only Morehouse College but also all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Furthermore, he was featured in Variations, a production directed by Devonté Hynes (Blood Orange), and his story was highlighted in a 2020 edition of LA Voyage Magazine.

Driven by his passion for music, Brown aspires to perform, tour, compose/arrange, and record alongside the most established artists in the music industry. Additionally, he aims to positively impact his community by assisting young and old individuals with developmental differences in pursuing their career ambitions within the music industry. Kenneth Brown's musical journey inspired his newest single, Hoopin’ which is available for streaming on all major platforms.

kennethbrownmusic.com

My teaching style derives from exploration, curiosity, and inspiration. As an educator, I aim to inspire my students to succeed no matter what discipline or genre of music they study. The outcome that I seek for my students is to learn and absorb the information they are taught to a point where they can teach it to others.