If you’ve ever taken an interest in the Chambana music scene, you probably have heard of Brandon T. Washington. You’ve at least heard his distinctive voice. The 36-year-old Urbana School District #116 music teacher often fronts the funky big band Beat Kitchen; performs solo gigs; and even acts in musical theater. Last year Washington became a dad when he and wife Megan welcomed son Everett, who will turn 1 on April 21.
See why we think Brandon T. Washington is a Chambana dad to know.
Q: As a dad who works full-time, how do you still have time to stay active in the local music scene?
A: Mostly, I have a very understanding wife. But seriously, I make time to play because I think it makes me a better father and husband. It also helps that I get paid to play, most of the time. But also being a musician is who I am. I teach it, I write it and play it, I’d like to do more writing about it, I sing to my son. And make no mistake, I am not even half as active as I was 10 years ago. Having a family and a full-time job are things that you can’t slack on, so some gigs and things (like playing shows on weeknights) just necessarily have to fall by the wayside, simply because there are only 24 hours in a day. So, to put it bluntly, I’m tired a lot. But it’s a happy kind of tired, knowing that, at the very least, I’ve put my heart and soul into something I believe in, and I think that my family appreciates me not being a repressed jerk looking for an outlet. I also want my son to understand that you can do anything you set your mind to, and to not be afraid to express himself and his emotions. Maybe seeing his father jumping around and having a conniption on stage might do that…it might also make him go “ugh!” but I’ll take that chance.
Q: What kind of music do you play for your son?
A: Well, I wrote a song for him. I haven’t recorded it yet, but it’s basically spelling his name over and over again. He seems to like it, so I’ll probably put it on disk when I get a minute (or a hundred…). So far, other big hits are “Old MacDonald’s Farm” and a few songs you hear in TV commercials, like the old doo-wop song “Lollipop” and a new song by a group called The Heavy, “How Ya Like Me Now”. I think the latter two are because we feed him in the living room with his back to the TV, and he’ll hear them and always has a smile on his face when they play. I also play some of the songs that I teach the kids for him. He digs my guitar playing, so “Twinkle,Twinkle” and the ABC’s are also standouts. I’ll play anything that doesn’t offend my sensibilities for him, from jazz to hip-hop to classical and back again. Hopefully, it’ll inform his tastes as he gets older, but you never know…he’ll like what he happens to like.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?
A: For the most part, the fact that it has to do with music. But, I also believe, even if I didn’t have the aptitude for music that I have, I would probably still be teaching something…history, English…something. I just like to be able to help someone understand something that they didn’t understand before. There are a lot of factors, too. Being black is definitely one. I think that black children (specifically black boys) walking into a classroom and seeing me…that goes deeper than just education, y’know? It’s like, “Hey, here’s someone that looks like like me doing this. Maybe that means I can do it too.” Not that race is the defining facet of of it, but it is a large part. Also, I think that music and the other fine arts get glossed over in education in our country, and I like to do what I can to change that belief. I’m trying to help people realize that the creative arts are what makes this life special. Helping a child create something lasting, that they can be proud of…there’s nothing like seeing the light bulb go on.
Q: You’re one of those people who moved here to go to school and never left. Why?
A: Not to knock my hometown, but I was, for sure, not moving back to Kankakee. Performance opportunities were not forthcoming. But, after college, I was in a band, we were playing more weekends than we were off, so I decided to keep going in that direction. Later on, I was part of a group of people that I felt I could make music with, that I felt comfortable with, and that doesn’t just happen everywhere. People have always asked me “Why don’t you go to Chicago?” and I guess it would have made sense to do so, but I felt and still feel like I am part of a community here. Also, there was no way 15 years ago that I could have financially made a move like that. Now, married with a child, teaching in the Urbana Schools, C-U has become my home, the place where my wife and I plan to make our stand. We like it here, we like the fact that we get a lot of what you can get in larger cities without the big city hoops to jump through. C-U is a wonderful place to live.
Q: What is the most amazing thing about being a dad?
A: There’s a line from some book I read…”You may have been a headache, but you’ve never been a bore.” That’s it. It never stops. I like the aspect of the constant change. He was crawling this morning, standing at noon, and he’ll be walking tomorrow. To be able to bear witness to that is amazing. To actually have a hand in the shaping of a life like this is so heavy that it can stop my breathing. But the thing that makes it so daunting is the thing that makes it able to be done. Being able to see the little things like Everett feeding himself, or starting to understand me when I say “Come here!”…you can’t replace or replicate the awesome power in those moments. It is the greatest thing about being alive.
Do you know someone we should feature as a Chambana Mom or Dad to Know? We love nominations! Leave us a comment or email us: editor@chambanamoms.com