As the audience spilled into the Ogle Center on Feb. 13, the lights were dim.
The walls on stage were pale blue as five Steinway Grand Pianos sat pressed together and illuminated on stage.
The crowd erupted with applause as The Five Browns took the stage.
The moment they sat in front of the piano the crowd became still and fell silent.
The audience cheered after every piece, some sat anticipating their favorite piece to be played.
“I am a piano student learning ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, so I’m thrilled about them playing it,” T.C. Mingis, 57, said.
Other audience members were just excited to be there.
“I’ve seen different stories on them as children and as someone who began playing the piano when I was 6 years old, I like seeing where it can get you in the big scheme of things,” Barbara Rider, 63, said.
The Five Browns are a group of siblings, Desirae, Deondra, Gregory, Melody and Ryan, all in their twenties.
They each began playing the piano at age three.
They were introduced to other instruments but the piano was where their talent drew them.
By the age of 9, each child had their debut with a major symphony orchestra
All their practice and support from their parents kept them with the piano and each began searching for music schools.
The Browns soon became the first family to attend Julliard simultaneously.
Since then, they have been featured on such shows as “Oprah” and “60 Minutes.”
The youngest Brown, Ryan, said when not playing the piano, they all like to spend time with their spouses.
“We tour two weeks a month, which is about half the year,” Ryan said. “When we get time we just like to hang out with our loved ones.”
The audience responded after every song with such applause that it echoed off every wall.
Some pieces powered the audience to give a standing ovation.
Whether they were playing as five or playing solo, the audience responded with cheers.
The applause was so strong, The Five Browns did an encore piece and agreed to do a meet-and-greet afterward.
They all spent time meeting with every fan and answering questions.
When asked about whether they get nervous, Desirae and Melody started and finished each other’s sentences. “If we didn’t get nervous then we’d have no passion,” Desirae said.
“We usually only get nervous if we are playing a new piece or an old teachers is in the audience,” she said.
They all had different ways to get keep themselves from feeling too nervous
before a performance.
Some said warming up their fingers and others have full-on stretching routines, but they all agreed they pray.
Whether it was the way their fingers danced frantically above the keys or the hypnotic melodies, the audience stood in admiration.
By CHASTITY HILGERT
Staff Writer
chilgert@umail.iu.edu
