Black Music Month 2016

I borrowed this from the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM)

What Is Black Music Month?

Black Music Month began in 1979 when Kenny Gamble, Ed Wright, and Dyana Williams developed the idea to set aside a month dedicated to celebrating the impact of black music. Created by music business insiders, the group successfully lobbied President Jimmy Carter to host a reception on June 7th, 1979 to formally recognize the cultural and financial contributions of black music. Since 1979, Black Music Month has grown from a small commemoration to national proportions with events held annually across the country.

In 2009, President Barack Obama further defined June as African American Music Appreciation Month declaring the start of summer as a celebration for all the black “musicians, composers, singers, and songwriters [who] have made enormous contributions to our culture.”

Here is President Obama’s final proclamation as POTUS for Black Music Month.

This year during Black Music Month I’ll focus on some of my favorite artists, signed and unsigned. To kick it off I of course have to feature my partner in life and love Stix Bones.

Brooklyn, USA, Home to some of the greatest talents the world has ever known delivers another talented individual whose gift has made him one of the finest musicians in the Tri State Area.

Franklin “Stix Bones” Brown started playing drums at an early age for his church in Brooklyn, NY. He developed a great passion for music listening to Funk and R&B, introduced to him by his older brother. After seeing performances by Brooklyn’s own The Fat Boys featuring Buffy the Human Beat Box he became influenced to play Hip Hop. Stix jammed with rappers playing beats with his hands on the hood of cars, city bus windows, and tables in the school lunchroom.

Stix’s career direction evolved when he entered Purchase College State University of New York. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance. Stix started his career touring with The Vibe Khamelons & Rahzel, the Godfather of Noize in Europe and travelling in the US with 5 time Showtime at the Apollo winner/author/poet Jessica Care Moore. Shortly after Stix became music director for Lyricist Lounge and collaborated with legendary Hip Hop acts such as De La Soul, Q-Tip, Doug E Fresh and DJ Scratch.

 As he continued to work with artist throughout the tri-state area, live performances led Stix back to his training ground in jazz. Stix independently released his first full length Smooth Jazz album entitled “Groove Like This”. The album has graced the airwaves of more than 40 jazz radio stations in the US, jazz internet and satellite stations across the globe. It has charted in the top 10 on the digital jazz charts and made it to the top 20 jazz charts in France.

 Stix became the drummer for internationally known group Soulfege. Lead by former Oprah Winfrey XM Sirius host Derrick N. Ashong. Stix has had the privilege to record two award winning albums with Soulfege and perform on the Derrick Ashong Experience. The new album “Afropolitan”and is making its mark on the Jazz week world charts.

 Stix dipped into his pot of creativity and pulled out his producer chops with a contribution on Jazz artist Marshak’s album “Family Funktion” with the hit single “Gas Lamp Groove”. Matt and Stix returned to the studio to produce another hit single “Harlem River Drive” on Matt’s chart topping CD “Urban Folktales”. Later, Stix stepped into the fashion industry with his single “Stepping in Those Heels”. Stix further expanded his catalog by producing the music for a UFC boxing commercial sponsored by the Underground Clown airing on SPIKE and MTV.

 Stix Bones; whose musical influences are a mix of Hip Hop an Jazz has built a respectable name within the music industry. He is truly credited as a Brother of Noble Excellence.