We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brent Gossett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brent below.
Hi Brent, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
DuPont Brass was birthed out of risk. Our story begins with five music majors at Howard University. For brass players in the department, it was customary for the best of the best to come together for the holiday season to play carols. However, this year would be different. Instead of sticking to tradition and busking in Georgetown like many generations before them, these five music majors decided to play at DuPont Circle Metro Station. The reaction was a truly memorable experience. Not only did we make more money than ever expected, we clearly had a positive emotional effect on the community around us. As the holiday season went, this reaction only increased in intensity and emotion. After Christmas, we reflected on the success of our busking endeavors for the year to the point where we began contemplating on continuing our efforts past the holiday. After much deliberation, we decided that the risk was worth it, giving ourselves the name DuPont Brass after that magical metro station where we began. DuPont Brass has been taking risks and leveling up ever since.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For the past decade, DuPont Brass has grown from a thriving local brass ensemble into a supergroup of instrumentalists, lyricists, vocalists, and producers. Through the sound they coin “Eclectic Soul”, DuPont Brass provides a unique experience that caters to the heart of every listener.
I am most proud of the fact that we never stopped. Keeping any group going is never easy, especially when everyone contributes passionately. This difficulty only multiplies as the group gets bigger. However, we’ve always had the ability to put pride aside and push through for the love of music and brotherhood. I’m most proud of our hunger for more. After becoming a successful busking band, we did not stop there. Since then, we’ve released five albums, the latest of which is comprised of 90% original music. Aside from being performing artists, DuPont Brass has had the foresight to reach into other sub-industries such as corporate entertainment, educational, and sync services. This year, we even pulled off our first tour completely on our own. As long as DuPont Brass continues to put music and brotherhood first, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The COVID-19 pandemic caused us to make a huge pivot. Originally, we had planned to do our first tour, the “Music Education” Tour, in 2020. However, everything was postponed (twice) due to the pandemic. During those years, we decided to focus on digital performances, releasing several music videos and created a virtual concert experience for Memorial Day Weekend. This extra time ended up working in our favor, allowing DuPont Brass to increase awareness and gain more vital experience before actually going on tour.
How’d you meet your business partner?
DuPont Brass met in the band room of Howard University. Though they were all music majors, what really brought them together was playing in the S.H.O.W.T.I.M.E. Marching Band. During that time, most of the founding members also pledged the Zeta Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America. These combined experiences developed the bond and musical prowess that would eventually create DuPont Brass.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dupontbrass.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dupontbrass
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dupontbrass
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dupontbrass
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DupontBrass
Image Credits
Erica Blake (1,2,4,5,) B.N. Creative (3) Jada Imani M (6) Noir Prism Studios (7)