We were lucky to catch up with Ravie Junior recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ravie, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
It comes from the belief that all people are good. We are only separated by our experiences and some of us have a harder time trusting and healing. So, it seems some are harder to reach than others. Spreading love and light to all through music helps us all get a little closer to happiness and joy. That alone, knowing this, makes it just a little easier.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Hi, I’m Ravie, trumpet player with the Red and Black Brass Band. We are a group that started during the pandemic as street performers when there was no music happening in one of America’s most historic and premier music cities. The goal was to spread love and maybe even a little healing through the sound of brass and drums. The time we spent on hot summer days and cool fall ones is one of the most memorable times in our lives. Firstly, the world stopped and the trauma from that spread over everyone like waves on a shore. But, as we started to play our music, we started to touch people. Some would tell us, with tears in their eyes, how they were overcome with joy and couldn’t remember the last time they were happy and that we’d done that for them. Others would say that we saved their lives with our spirit and with our songs. It was so inspiring and humbling to hear these stories, from people with the most sincere eyes, repeatedly as Red and Black would travel throughout the city of St. Louis.
Since, we have performed countless festivals, events, weddings, corporate engagements, club dates, and family functions. It’s been a great ride and we don’t intend on getting off anytime soon… LOL. The band is currently working on a new album. We are about halfway through recording the songs. It’s shaping up nicely. It’s going to be pretty exciting… it already is. We wrote a tribute song to the people of St. Louis and the St. Louis City Soccer Club. It is called “We Are The City” and the record is on fire. STLiens hear the song and instantly fall in love with it. We want it to be something big for St. Louis for years to come.
Honestly, almost the entire album is a tribute to St. Louis. The funny part is that about 3/4 of the Red and Black Brass Band isn’t even from here. It’s just a place that we all fell in love with and decided to forever call home. We will be looking to roll out the album possibly late fall, early winter. It’s gonna be great. Definitely be on the lookout for it. Even though we’ve been working on the album, we still keep a pretty full performance schedule. You can catch us around the Lou. We are usually playing somewhere almost every weekend. Of course, if you want to book the band for your event, you can reach out at [email protected].
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I think that we all have been helpful to each other. We have a way of holding each other accountable whenever there are challenges that arise. The great part about it is that everyone always gets that whatever happens, its happening out of love for each other and a desire to help the group be better than it was before.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/redandblackbrassband
- Instagram: redandblackbrassband
- Facebook: Red and Black Brass Band
Image Credits
@idunnomarty
