Submitted by Mia Bivaletz
If you watched Super Bowl LI you would have seen Brockett Parsons. If you are a fan of Lady Gaga, you would have heard of Brockett Parsons. And if you are a musician or vocalist at Summit High School, you would have gotten to know Brockett Parsons.
The Summit High School alum came to work with over 250 students through the inaugural grant of the Arthur C. McCann Speaker Series, funded by the Summit Educational Foundation. Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Concert Band, Big Band, Women’s Chorus, Chamber Choir, and a plethora of singer/songwriters performed for him; in addition to praise, Parsons’ pointed critiques were focused on individual growth.
Parsons grew up in a musical family in Summit, New Jersey. His mother is a gifted composer and pianist, and Parsons started to study piano and trumpet at the young age of eight. Making his way through LCJSMS and SHS, Parsons was very involved in Jazz Band, Concert Band, NJ Youth Symphony and All-State Band. His positive experience in SHS led him to attend Bucknell and Berklee College of Music and afterwards, on to a career that many only dream about.
After college Parsons played in numerous bands in Boston before moving to New York. “In NYC I played every week – jazz, hip hop, R&B – all the gigs you can imagine,” said Parsons.
Then in 2009 he caught a break. He waited in line for eight hours, with over 2,000 people auditioning in many cities. He was chosen to compete on P. Diddy’s reality show, “Making His Band,” and was ultimately selected as a one of the final seven. Equipped with talent, that unique experience, and confidence, Parsons went to an open call in 2010 to audition for Lady Gaga. Again competing for a spot amongst a thousand other musicians, he was chosen as Lady Gaga’s keyboardist.
Life has been an exciting whirlwind to say the least. He was part of the huge Monster Tour in Europe, as well as six shows at the iconic Madison Square Garden. He has played on SNL twice, as well as Oprah, Jimmy Kimmel, and more. And who can forget the Super Bowl half-time show?
“Every year, I show the students Brockett’s name on the wall when he received the Director’s Award for Band. And then I show them a clip of him playing with Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl, to inspire them,” said Alex Bocchino, who applied for the SEF grant. “To have an alum reach the highest levels in the music industry, and be able to come back to share his experiences, is special. And to explain the path he took to get there is important.”
Parsons shared that he always loved music and he followed his heart. His advice to students is to love music, whether they pursue it professionally or not. “Music feeds the soul. There is a lot in the world that is not easy. All go through pain, but one of the most beautiful things that can help heal pain, is the arts; and music is one of the great arts.”
There was an abundance of positive feedback about the day, from so many of the students, as well as the Music Department staff Alex Bocchino, Barbara Vierschilling, Dan King, and Steve Rapp. “Being in the same room as such a talented musician was already so amazing. But once he jumped on the keyboard to jam with us, I knew it was a moment that I will never forget,” said senior Donell Williams, who will be attending Parsons’ alma mater, Berklee College of Music, this fall. Also this fall, Parsons is set to release his solo album via Rope A Dope Records.
(above) SHS alumnus Brockett Parsons came to work with over 250 students through the inaugural grant of the Arthur C. McCann Speaker Series, funded by the Summit Educational Foundation.
Photo by Summit Public Schools
