Indy native builds a worldwide legacy through music
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — One of the world’s most well-known opera stars is an Indianapolis native.
Indy-born soprano Angela Brown’s multigenre career spans six continents. Brown has graced the world’s leading opera and symphonic stages.
Brown’s passion and purpose are leading others to the tune of their own life’s music.
“To then come back after off some of the stages of the world to come back and feed into the community and really become part of it,” Brown said.
Brown takes pride in being rooted in the circle city.
“As far as music is, you know I grew up here in Indianapolis. My grandfather was a Baptist minister. Started singing when I was five years old,” Brown said.
Her classically trained voice bellows with soul, something that has been instilled in her from a young age.
“My parents, Walter Clyde and Freddie Mae Brown encouraged me all the way to pursue my goals and my dreams and encouraged me in music,” Brown said. “I sang at the opening of an envelope here in the city. And I had the opportunity very young to sing with all the arts organizations here like the symphony and the Philharmonic and the opera company back in the day before I started singing solo things, you know, with opera company
Being a citizen of the world, is how Brown defines using her gift that continually fills and unites spaces.
“When you come back home, you’ve got to reintroduce yourself. reinvigorate yourself and reinvent yourself.” Brown said.
Brown is doing that one note at a time, from teaching at her vocal studio, teaching at IU, and even spreading the gift of art through her foundation, Morning Brown.
“I have to always go back to Freddie Mae. She would always say ‘Angie, thoughts are things and if you want it, you can have it. It might not happen right away. But these are dreams. These are things that you have put into the universe you have spoken it, you have thought about it, you have written it down and then put it away. And then before you know it, it has sprouted through the ground.’,” Brown said.
From being invited to sing at the Washington National Cathedral by President George W. Bush to creating interfaith experiences like a community-wide prayer service at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Indianapolis, Brown said success is about the depth of the notes that serve as a legacy in these spaces.
“The biggest accomplishment that I have garnered is the fact that I have, I know I’ve made my parents proud. I know I have made my parents proud of me,” Brown said. “Believe in yourself. Believe in yourself. Follow your mother wit. All women have it. Every man has a tip is called your intuition. Follow it that gut feeling is something’s not right. Or something feels real right? Go with it. Because it will never let you down.”
Brown plans to continue pouring into the next generation. Her Morning Brown foundation is picking up speed. Brown is focused on finding endorsement and sponsorships to continue what she calls “The Good Work” in the city.