The 5 Browns, a quintet of Juilliard-trained pianist siblings, are releasing a new album, The Little Tin Box: A Collection of Childhood Memories, on Friday, November 6, 2020. The 5 Browns will be donating albums and proceeds as part of a philanthropic partnership with National Children’s Alliance, the nation’s largest network of care centers for children victimized by abuse.
Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae shatter the stereotype of stuffy classical piano while appealing to all music fans with a lively, whimsical approach that will surely connect the audience with their inner selves.
At its core, The Little Tin Box is a passion project about awareness of the traumas and emotions children face, inspired by children’s keepsake boxes filled with personal treasures. The tracks on the album, many of which the siblings played throughout their childhoods, are meant to illustrate the emotions — some beautiful, some heartbreaking, some a combination — attached to childhood memories and mementos.
With the siblings having experienced their own personal traumas as children related to abuse, the album paints the complexities of childhood — one that can be carefree and fun, yet painful and confusing. The music transports both children and adults into a world of memory, evoking tears and laughter, meant to represent a child’s emotional pain and incredible ability to break through and find joy.
“The Little Tin Box is easily the most personal and meaningful album we have ever recorded,” said Gregory Brown. “We hope listeners will take this journey through childhood memory with us, and while we’re at it, we’d love to be able to help bring a bit of hope to any of the countless children struggling to endure in the age of COVID.”
To further the album’s mission of awareness, The 5 Browns wish to shed light on children who are being adversely affected by COVID-19. Child abuse reports are currently down across the U.S., in some cases between 50-70%, because children do not have access to teachers and other trusted adults to confide in. Experts suspect that added stress and isolation from COVID have increased the risk of abuse within the home and as restrictions loosen, cases will rise substantially as children return to environments with trusted adults.
However, children affected by abuse are not the only ones facing COVID-related challenges. All children are facing disruptions to their social lives, education and home life as many families face added career and financial pressure.
The 5 Browns will be donating albums to National Children’s Alliance (NCA) for their fundraising efforts. NCA is the nation’s largest network of care centers for children victimized by abuse, leading and supporting more than 900 Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) as they provide comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to children and families. When The 5 Browns return to concerts, album sales from their tour will benefit the NCA as well.
“The Browns are remarkable musicians, and even more remarkable human beings,” said NCA executive director Teresa Huizar. “When we imagine the trajectory of the lives of child abuse survivors and their loved ones, the Browns are our model, full circle, from victims to survivors to activists. We are delighted to join this project to help children struggling through this pandemic explore memory through the Browns’ music. This album will be a touchstone for children and families for years to come, helping them hold onto warm memories, contextualize difficult ones, and, we hope, seek help when they are in danger.”
The 5 Browns hope this album can highlight the need to pay particular attention to family and friends, both children and adults, during this difficult time, while also serving as a reminder to all suffering that they are not alone. The Little Tin Box presents an opportunity to explore the complexity of emotions experienced during childhood while continuing to connect with one another through music.
Click here to purchase and stream The Little Tin Box can be purchased and streamed from November 6
