If you get what you give, in terms of the energy you put into the universe, Jaylin Brown is as energetic as they come. “It always comes back to you,” Brown confirms.
The 2020 VCU grad has been receiving plenty of acclaim of late — for her work onstage in the Firehouse Theatre’s production of the “Ghost Quartet”
musical; for an instant-classic Shockoe Sessions set from November that’s being released as a live album on Shockoe Records; and for her 2022 EP, “Take It Easy,” which was shortlisted for the Newlin Music Prize.
The support has been monetary, as well. Lately, her gigs are geared toward raising funds for a one-year graduate program at Berklee College of
Music’s campus in Valencia, Spain. She’s been feeling the love from all corners of Richmond’s music scene, including from Shockoe Records, which is
funneling the net profits from her live album to the fundraiser. “It’s just another testament to how much my community supports me,” Brown says.
“My goals are definitely a reach, and to have so many people lift me up so I can get closer to that is just amazing.”
Her music is uniquely giving in and of itself. “Take It Easy” is more than a title, it’s a genuine appeal to those around her to find peace, a theme woven
throughout the EP’s five tracks. “When you can’t see the light through the rain / When you can’t seem to feel the warmth of the sun through the pain / I’ll be
there for you,” she sings on “You + Me.”
The same goes for her day job with Capital Area Health Education Center, a federally funded program that aims to help rural and underserved populations. As programs coordinator, Brown is the uplifting one. Whether she’s managing social media, sending health education students weekly notes of encouragement, connecting them to career advancement opportunities or helping organize events like April’s Community Health and Wellness Block Party in Colonial Heights, Brown is cheering on patients and future practitioners alike. “It sort of mixes my capacity to promote things and create,” she says.
Heading to Spain won’t mean the end of Brown’s involvement with Capital AHEC. She’ll earn a stipend by devoting a handful of hours each week to the
organization.
“The cycle will still continue,” Brown says, “no matter where I go.”
