Person:James Brown (252)

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Article from Evening News - Thursday, November 7, 2002 Home

Fund honours city musician

Project named in memory of youth worker

By JASON CUMMING

An inspirational musician who helped to steer a generation of troubled young people on to the straight and narrow is to be immortalised with a trust fund in his memory. During more than two decades working with city youths, Jim Brown's love of music and dedication to his often challenging pupils earned him the respect and admiration of his peers. But now, a year after the former Wester Hailes Education Centre community music tutor's death, friends and former students are set to launch a grants scheme to ensure dis-advantaged young people get the chance to fulfil their musical potential. Following a special tribute night earlier this year which drew 20 bands and 350 people, the fledgling organisation hopes to raise thousands of pounds as his legacy. Mr Brown would often put in long hours recording demo tapes and giving music instruction to youngsters while his weekends were spent helping at pupils' gigs. His friends marvelled over the "natural showman's" ability to motivate young musicians. Alan Ness, the senior community education worker at the WHEC, hopes the trust fund will ensure the popular tutor's work will live on. He said: "You get people who are great community workers or great musicians - Jim combined both of those things. Every year another crop of young guys would come to the centre because of Jim's music courses, but at the same time they were getting help with social skills. He was a really, really caring guy and made a major impact in the Wester Hailes community. Born in Bathgate, the 47-year-old father-of-one spent much of his life in Leith. The son of a firefighter, he piloted innovative approaches to group work during ten years with the Canongate Youth Project before joining the WHEC in 1989. Over the years, the Bob Dylan fanatic played guitar and sang in numerous local bands including the Heartbeat Rogues and Jurtizutt. But Mr Brown battled against cancer for almost eight years before succumbing to the disease last November. A plaque and portrait will be unveiled during a ceremony at the WHEC next Wednesday, with hundreds of pounds in donations being presented to the school, Canongate Youth Project and Edinburgh Street-work Project. World-renowned jazz saxophonist Tommy Smith, who attended the WHEC during the early 1980s, today suggested the trust fund could make a real difference. He said: "Its very important in a community like Wester Hailes that young people get the opportunity to discover if they have a talent in music. If young people get hooked on music it can lead them down a different path in life."

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"Jim was trained in Youth and Community work at Moray House in the 70s and anyone who encountered him would recognise him as a natural showman and a talented musician. He had a wicked sense of humour and an incredible passion for the value and worth of his fellow human beings. On qualifying he worked at Leith Community Centre, later at the Canongate Youth Project and latterly in the music department of Westerhailes Education Centre (WHEC). The opportunity to combine music and work with young people at WHEC provided a perfect career move and once more he entered an environment where he could enthuse and motivate and share his joy of life with students and colleagues. His work as a community music tutor at WHEC continued from 1989 until his death in November 2001."

The Jim Brown Memorial fund was set up to raise funds to further develop work with young people and music in Edinburgh. Recipients of grants to date include The Ark Trust, Canongate Youth Project, Crew 2000, Pilmeny Youth Centre, Streetwork and Wester Hailes Education Centre Music Department. In addition, we have given grants to four individual young people. The awards have included drums, a PA system, guitars, keyboards and decks. We are currently considering a request for a pair of Irish dancing shoes! Amongst the activities is an annual concert at which musicians with various links to Jim give their time, enthusiasm and music to raise funds and, generally, have a good time. The 2004 concert took place on the 7th May at the Stella Maris Club in Constitution Street. Sadly the building is soon to be demolished (nothing to do with the noise generated that night) . Musicians ranging in age from young to 'old as the moon' played the night away in celebration of Jim's 50th birthday. Had Jim been able to be there we would off course have had to drag him from the stage to let anyone else have a shot. Fondly missed.