Steve Brown grew up in Wellington, OH and began taking piano lessons at around age 11. He continued studying piano through high school graduation. In the 5th grade, he started playing clarinet and was first chair in the high school band. As a senior, he studied clarinet privately at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. In the spring of his senior year, he presented a full recital in piano and clarinet.
Upon graduation from high school, he entered Bowling Green State University, earning a Bachelors in Music Education in 1974. While at Bowling Green, he played in the Marching Band, Symphonic Band and numerous small ensembles. He studied musical arranging with Luis Marini, and while a student, arranged music for the BG Marching Band and many area high schools.
While at BGSU, Steve began playing jazz piano. He played with a number of bands including Montage, Sunday Morning, and Steve Brown Trio; as well as numerous solo piano engagements. In 1974, he formed the band Summer Breeze, which toured during the summers throughout Ohio and the southern states.
He came to Mansfield, OH in August of 1974 to teach public school music. He taught high school concert band, marching band and jazz band, as well as two junior high programs. He earned a Masters Degree in School Administration in 1982 from Bowling Green. After completing 10 years as an instrumental music teacher in three different school districts, he became a school administrator. He worked as a school principal, university director and consultant from 1984-2015.
For over 40 years, Steve Brown has been, and is a vital part of the north central Ohio music scene as a multi instrumentalist, singer, entertainer and educator. During this time, he has played keyboards and woodwinds in many different bands, playing hundreds of wedding receptions and other private functions around north central Ohio. These groups have included Dixieland to rock and roll to country.
He played clarinet with the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra and other chamber ensembles. He served as Musical Director of the Mansfield Playhouse, leading local productions of “Lil’ Abner”, “Of Thee I Sing” and “Music Man”. For 15 years, he was a member of the Miss Ohio Scholarship Pageant orchestra, and former musical arranger. He has been involved with the Renaissance Theater, as well as the music and theatre department at the Ohio State – Mansfield. Most recently, he directed and played jazz piano for the OSU-M production of “My Way”.
As a freelance musician on keyboard, clarinet, and saxophone, he has performed with such artists as Sarah Vaughn, Cab Calloway, Rosemary Clooney, Helen O’Connell, Kaye Ballard, Bobby Vinton, Fifth Dimension, Ron Blake and Sonny Geraci.
Steve Brown is member of the American Federation of Musician, Mansfield Local 159. He is currently serving as “Interim” Secretary Treasurer. He also coordinates the summer “Music in the Parks” series in several communities in the Mansfield area. He plays clarinet in the AFM 159 Concert Band and tenor sax in the AFM 159 Jazz Band. He leads the 3-5 piece band, Paradigm as well as the Steve Michael Trio.
A versatile solo keyboard player and vocalist with a blend of jazz and pop style of playing, he covers a variety of musical genre including jazz standards, blues, 60’s-80’s pop, mellow classic rock and oldies rock and roll. From concerts to clubs and restaurants to corporate events to private parties, his vast repertoire is as diverse as the audiences he entertains. Though he performs primarily throughout north central Ohio, Steve has entertained audiences as far north as the Lake Erie islands, as far west as Las Vegas and as far south as West Palm Beach, Florida.
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