F26 Friday, December 22, 2017 | THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

David Brown leads rehearsal of the Harmony Project at the Lincoln Theatre. One member likened Brown to a spiritual leader, and the rehearsals to a once-weekly service.
[DORAL CHENOWETH III/DISPATCH PHOTOS]

HARMONY PROJECT voices tonight and know that in this

little-bitty space, in this little-bitty

A choir united
town, in this little-bitty state, in this
little-bitty part of this world we live
in, that this sound does matter, it
matters because each of us represents
more than just ourselves.
Founder brings diverse chorus together “So let’s sing together.”
A chorus, truly harmonious, of
for music, service and fun “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
rang out.
By Danae King and professionally trained vocalists.” David Brown founded the Harmony Project
The Columbus Dispatch The idea: Money raised through in 2009 with the idea of the chorus providing
CREATING HARMONY
concert ticket sales, as well as not just music, but also service projects for
It seemed as if David Brown were from supporters, goes toward the the community. He started with 100 chorus David Brown didn’t grow up in
flying as he led several dozen people group’s mission to do good works in members and the Harmony Project has grown Columbus. He’s a Louisiana native
in a recent Harmony Project rehearsal the community. Anyone is invited to to 500 voices. and a New Yorker all the way.
at Lincoln Theatre. participate, and there’s no charge to But you wouldn’t know that from
He danced back and forth on the be involved. the way he talks about Ohio’s capital
wooden stage as he directed the com- One member likened Brown to a city, or the way he’s helped it and the
connect with their inner child as they
munity chorus — hips wiggling, hands spiritual leader, and the rehearsals to people in it.
sang.
gesturing, his head swiveling to look a once-weekly service. Brown first found Colum-
Though some say Harmony Proj-
at members of the audience. “It does feel like a very spiritual bus in 1985 when he was looking for
ect participation feels like a religious
The music moved Brown, and the experience for me,” said Janine Dun- an escape — from his former life, his
experience, the Harmony Project
choir members responded in kind. myre, a waitress who lives in Linden. parents and the shame he was made
is not a religious organization. All
They bopped their heads as they sang She joined the Harmony Project in to feel about his identity. Brown is
faiths — and people of no faith — are
and leaned forward in their seats, eyes May and loves it. gay and was raised in an evangelical
welcome.
trained on their leader. “It’s similar to a synagogue and Baptist family. In his words: “Coming
Brown ended with a powerful
Brown founded the Harmony church experience,” she said. “We out ... did not go well.” He eventually
sentiment, and the crux of what the
Project in 2009, and it’s not just about come together, see each other just graduated from Capital University
Harmony Project is about.
singing. It focuses on unity and com- once a week. We have a spiritual with a degree in music.
“What we’re here to do is use our
munity service. On its website, the leader to bring out our joy.” He stayed only a short time in
voices as a counter to violence and a
Harmony Project said it is designed Minutes later, Brown offered up Columbus before taking off for
counter to destruction and a counter
to bring together “a combination of one of his “sermons,” focused on New York, where he spent more
to all those things that are weigh-
people who had not sung since high the November church shooting in than a decade as director of a chil-
ing heavily on everyone’s hearts
school, those who had never sung rural Texas that killed 26 people and dren’s music program at a church.
and everyone’s minds,” Brown said.
publicly outside of the car or shower, wounded 20 more. He urged people to Years later, friends drew him back
“Let’s just use our music and use our to Columbus to work on political

David Brown adopted his sons, Chris, left, and Kulay, as they were aging out of the foster-care system. Brown, who is single, met them when the Harmony Project was working with students at
a South Side high school. [DORAL CHENOWETH III/DISPATCH PHOTOS]
campaigns.
Now, Columbus is Brown’s
home and the Harmony Project mem-
bers are his family.
“When the community responded
to it, I started seeing Columbus again
through a different lens,” he said.
“I had this huge family here that I
didn’t even know I had. It was like my
family increased 10-fold overnight
when the Harmony Project began.”
MAKING CONNECTIONS
The Harmony Project is more than
just a community choir. It has no
requirement to join other than the
commitment to help the larger com-
munity through service projects such
as serving meals at homeless shelters,
planting trees, building playgrounds
and painting at a group home.
The project welcomes people of all
classes, colors, occupations, reli-
gions. There’s even a weekly program
for inmates at the Ohio Reformatory
for Women in Marysville.
“I’m hopeful that what the Har-
mony Project is doing is connecting
people,” Brown said. “We’re pur-
poseful with that.”
Brown, 54, who is single, recently
adopted two teens he met a few
years ago when the Harmony Project
began working with a South Side high
school. Chris and Kulay, now both 19,
were aging out of the foster system.
Now, they have a home with Brown
in Blacklick.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Friday, December 22, 2017 F27
They’ve taught the project founder
a few things about diversity. Brown is
white; his teenage sons are black.
“Neither of these boys were ever
told there was a future; their world
was all about survival of today,”
Brown said. “They just need the same
access as the kids who live in Bexley
and New Albany and Clintonville.”
Brown loves Columbus, but says
part of that love is noticing its flaws —
what he calls the “cracks in the
sidewalk.”
He’s realized some of those cracks
stem from racism, socioeconomic
inequality and a fear that some people
have of leaving their neighborhood
“bubbles.”
Chris and Kulay have “been wel-
comed into this community and their
Columbus became so much bigger,” Of his adopted sons, Chris, left, and Kulay, David Brown says, “Neither of these boys were
Brown said. ever told there was a future; their world was all about survival of today. They just need the
“They were just as afraid to cross same access as the kids who live in Bexley and New Albany and Clintonville.”
over into ‘our’ Columbus as we are
afraid to cross over into theirs,” he
said.
sing, which is my joy,” Stokes said, probably what’s next for the city:
TRULY INCLUSIVE “but he wanted to be able to create more growth, being able to react and
Many people, community leaders a community that did not register in respond ... We want to be able to be
especially, struggle to figure out how with, ‘OK, I live on the South Side.’” reactive to the world around us.”
to be truly inclusive. People from all neighborhoods and When the choir began years ago, it
Dunmyre has noticed that Brown of all races are drawn to the Harmony was 100 voices. Now it’s 500 voices
does those things right. Debby Project. It does not recruit. strong.
Stokes, an African-American woman “It’s an organization of attraction,” Like Columbus, “We’re growing
who has been part of the Harmony Dunmyre said. inside out,” Brown said.
Project since it began, agreed. What does Brown see in the Har-
Brown “really has a method to his mony Project’s future? dking@dispatch.com
madness in not only wanting us to “What’s next for us is @DanaeKing