Thompson is better known as CEO of Kwame Building Group, but late last summer he jumped into the deep end of constructing and polishing musical talent. Last Thursday, in the Wine Room of the Ritz-Carlton, he introduced his production work with Brown to tastemakers, family and friends.

He played a sample of “The Beginning,” the debut R&B CD that he and Brown recorded in Thompson’s personal studio, and her first music video for “Play it Safe,” which was directed by Craig Thomas.
“The best thing about all of this was working with people who are so positive,” said Brown, who is a senior at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. “All of the positive energy allowed me to be comfortable, allowed me to be myself and allowed me to put forth the very best I had to offer.”

Using her stage name Brianna Elise, she will headline the Kwame Foundation’s first “Live Your Dreams” benefit concert next Thursday, March 20 at The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd. The fundraiser will highlight talent from local public schools and promote higher education by providing scholarship support to high school seniors in the performing arts.

“You get to come and enjoy yourself with the music,” Brown said, “but you also get to help kids go to college.”
Thompson is no stranger to music – he first studied music at the University of Kansas – nor to scholarships – to date, the Kwame Foundation has provided $1.2 million in scholarship awards.

He first bonded with Brown over jazz. Her mother did etiquette training for some Kwame interns and, in passing conversation, told Thompson that her daughter writes poetry and likes jazz.
“I was like, ‘What? I don’t know any 16 year olds who like jazz!’” Thompson said at the Ritz-Carlton event.
“I had some tracks, and I said, ‘Have her write some lyrics for these tracks.’ She wrote some pretty advanced things, and I said, ‘Well, what does it sound like?’ She sent a voice memo and I put it over the track.”
He was so impressed that he invited her to his studio and they started crafting “The Beginning.”

His lifelong passion for music was evident as he gave the audience a few details about the process of recording with his teen protégé.
“I don’t know how many of you know music, but she would come in the studio and say, ‘I’m ready to put my four layers of harmony on the background,’” Thompson said.
“I would say, ‘Well, do you want me to give you the note?’ She would say, ‘No, I don’t need it.’ And she would do it perfectly – for all four parts.”

With their instant musical bond came a sense of responsibility.
“It’s a lot of pressure – I feel like I have to be great because he has such faith in me,” Brown said. “Now I feel like I’m going to do everything that I can to be great.”

Thompson is taking the Berry Gordy approach by comprehensively investing in his budding star – and possibly others.
“Tony really wants to make St. Louis a center – a place where music and artists come out of,” Brown said. “Hopefully, I can be the start of that, because there is so much talent here and nobody pays attention to it yet.”

The Kwame Foundation’s Live Your Dream Concert will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20 at the Sheldon Concert Hall (3648 Washington Blvd.) with performances by Brianna Elise & Trio. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

The St. Louis American © March 2015