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The Brothers Hypnotic I.S.U. Essay

TheHypnotic Brass Ensembleis a jazz ensemble consisting of eight brothers from the

South Side of Americas very own Windy City, Chicago. The brothers are no strangers to the

music industry, as they have grown up surrounded by their familys exceptional musical talent. As

the son of jazz legend, Phillip Cohran, they lived and breathed jazz music during a heavily

influenced childhood. Through the passion of music that has bound them more than blood, the

Cohran brothers have come together to pursue their dreams of being impactful in the music

world. Their HotDocs documentary, The Brothers Hypnotic,takes a closer look at their journey to

rise to the top. Although they experienced days filled with downfalls and setbacks, they prove

time and time again that without pain, there is no gain.

Through the vision of film-maker Reuben Atlas, The Brothers Hypnotictakes a closer

look at the lives of the brass ensemble over a span of 5 years. At a young age, the boys were

introduced to the world of jazz. Growing up in a musically talented family, the band decided to

follow in their familys footsteps, however they chose to do it on their own terms. From learning

the history of jazz music, to consistently practicing their respective instruments at 6 in the

morning, the jazz world became their world. On a cultural aspect, the ideology of Black

Consciousness was imperative within their lives. Their parents rooted the core values of the

African-American culture within them at a tender age; teaching them the importance of

embracing the colour of their skin. Phillip Cohran had strong beliefs about African American

culture as he grew up in an era that scolded African Americans for the colour of their skin. The

importance that he placed on Black Consciousness was passed on to his children as a means of

shedding light, and creating perspective, on historically relevant events to African Americans.

Although the brothers show musical individuality, they have united together to create and perform

music that reflects their passion for musical elements. Despite all their success, the brothers have

been faced with the crisis of determining if they have they have their own musical identity, or if

they were simply riding on the coattails of their fathers success. However, they found their niche

by incorporating all the musical values, lessons, and influences that they garnered throughout

their career.

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While most families in inner-city Chicago struggled financially, money was not a

problem in the Cohran family, it was more of a matter of choice. As Cohran chose to live a simple

cost efficient lifestyle, it was also implemented on his familys lifestyle. Phillip Cohrans

financial effectiveness was also affected by his involvement in a polygamous relationship. With

having three wives, each with approximately 30 kids each, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble brothers

are essentially only half-brothers. Just like any other dream, there were obstacles that the Cohran

brothers had to endure. For one, they constantly struggled to find who they are within themselves,

in the band, and in the music business. They were labeled as street performers for sharing their

music on the street, however, they tried to break through that barrier by consistently performing

and showing people that they were not street performers, but an established jazz ensemble. In

addition, the struggle to add hip-hop elements in their music became an issue, as they grew up

listening to Public Enemy, Ice Cube, and NWA. Much to their fathers dismay, the brothers

secretly listened to these hip-hop artists, which is essentially why they push to incorporate it into

their music. By incorporating hip-hop into their music, they have had the opportunity to

collaborate with hip-hop legend, Mos Def.

Through my knowledge of the Cohran brothers, I was most shocked by their familys

lifestyle. As a devout Catholic, it is not common to hear about, or witness a polygamous family.

Within their household, it is deemed as normal, as they grew up living in a situation in which

they had no option to change. I was most shocked that the effective functionality of the family

seemed to work, despite the involvement of more than one parental figure in the household. After

watching the documentary, I learned that we should never let the shadow of the superior, make us

inferior. One should always acknowledge their own potential, rather than compare it to someone

else. In the music world, who you know can only take you so far, but your individual success is

determined by creativity, drive, and stability.