News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
When the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble rolls into Sisters on Thursday, they'll share their musical journey with students from across the region in a workshop with the band at 4 p.m. The event, free to students and $5 for community members, is in support of Sisters' middle- and high-school band programs.
The workshop will combine music with a big dose of personal inspiration.
"Our workshop is really organic," band member Gabriel Hubert told The Nugget. "We try to create some music that day - something that may never get played again."
The band will also share their journey from playing on the street on the south side of Chicago to touring internationally. The message emphasizes "the importance of being who you are in relation to society and the world."
The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a family band consisting of seven brothers who began their musical training at tender ages by their father, jazz-trumpeter/bandleader Kelan Phil Cohran (Earth, Wind & Fire; Chaka Khan; and Sun Ra).
The boys went on to form the Phil Cohran Youth Ensemble in 1990. The family toured the United States performing complex originals written by Cohran and other greats such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and even the music of classical greats Bach & Beethoven. Although the group's early musical training encompassed primarily elements of instrumental performance, the brothers were personally being exposed to the music of their own generation (hip-hop, rock, reggae to name a few) and absorbed these components into the cosmic jazz style of their father.
By 1999, the band of brothers discontinued playing with dad in order to find their own sound, growing into the band now known as Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, or HBE.
The workshop encourages young people to pursue entrepreneurship and working with family - which has manifestly worked magically for them.
"It's a real motivational situation, where we try to get the kids' creative juices flowing," Hubert said. "We try to inspire them."
Those interested in participating in the workshop should plan to arrive by 3:45 p.m. and go straight to the auditorium. Questions regarding the workshop should be directed to Tylor Cranor, Sisters High School director of bands, at 541-549-2099.
Tickets for SFF Presents: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are $15 adults, $10 for students, and can be purchased at www.sistersfolkfestival.org/tickets, or call the festival office at 541-549-4979.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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