IF THERE WAS ONE THING Stephen Browne dreamt of doing his entire life, it was becoming a drummer.
This passion, he recalled, started as a child.
At that time, there was nothing off limits for him to explore his drumming skills. Some relatives might have quipped that it was bare noise, but that “noise” was music to his ears.
Pots, pans, you name it, once there was a surface, young Browne would beat it. Inside and outside of his St Philip home was always buzzing with the sounds of drums.
“I was always fascinated by drums and would always pay close attention to the drummer at my local church, which was the Christian Mission church located in Stroude Land, St Philip. After I would have gotten to the age that I could reach the bass drum pedal, I started experimenting on my own,” he told the DAILY NATION.
However, it wasn’t until he reached secondary school that an opportunity to drum for a church arose.
During this time, he was living with his father and attending the Caribbean Evangelistic Fellowship Miracle Centre. He would later spend well over 15 years at this church, during which a gospel band was started called the Soul Winners.
Now a part-time teacher and security officer, Browne recounted how the Soul Winners soon became very popular. Churches would often ask the band to play for their many functions, including anniversary services, harvest thanksgiving and special events.
The father of one used these appearances to hone his skills. However, he soon realised that his true passion wasn’t so much for drums, but for music. Hence, he took up to singing.
“The transition to singing was rather smooth and problem free. I had developed the skill to play the drums and sing at the same time, which was rather rare and not the normal thing to do. I was also a worship leader at my local church and juggled between drumming and singing. Singing was also a passion for me and I wanted to take it all the way, so after leaving the CEF Miracle Centre, I attended a church called In House Assembly Ministries. Here was where things got going for me to become a recording artiste.”
In 2006, the former Parkinson Memorial Secondary student got his first exposure to the recording studio and there was no looking back.
As a member of In House Assembly Ministries’ worship team, he visited the studio with the church for its first album, on which he sang tenor.
“This recording was done at the recording studio of the popular gospel group Promise. The album was entitled God Is Raising Up. With this album I was also privileged to go on tour and gain the experience of what touring is all about. We toured parts of the Caribbean as well as the United States. All of this started me on my way to my first recorded song,” he said.
Browne’s first recording was a Christmas song entitled You For Christmas, which was accompanied by a music video. A year later he followed with a calypso called You’ve Been There. This then led him to his third song, which he dedicated to mothers.
But as Browne explained, music was put on pause for a bit so he could pursue another one of his passions – teaching.
“That was put on the backburner for a long time. It came to the forefront in 2009 when I was asked to substitute at Grantley Adams Memorial School. That started the opportunity in substituting at various schools across the island such as Ellerslie Secondary, Deighton Griffith Secondary and the Belleville Grammar School.
This opportunity was short-lived, however, since the Ministry of Education decided not to release the teachers for study leave or long leave anymore, he said. “This proved to be a stepping stone for me,” he continued.
Browne recently enrolled at the Barbados Community College where he is pursuing the bachelor of education degree.
Balancing music while studying by day and working at night has proven somewhat difficult for him, but he promised there would be no end to his love for music and ministering the gospel through song.
“After the studies have been completed, I will be looking to go back into the studio with two more songs that are ready for recording. After I have accumulated enough songs I will be doing a debut album. My intention is to take the gospel to the world in song ministry,” he added. (SDB Media)
