Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenton Stokes.
Brenton, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been a musician for the majority of my life, starting with singing at the age of 3. Elementary school was the bastion of my choral development. During my early years, I got into singing, performing, beatboxing and composition. I participated in the school choir, regional festivals and the like until the 5th grade when my focus started to shift from singing to playing other instruments.
I was in a talented music program in the 5th grade that turned out to be a sampler of the things that could interest me later on and I loved it so I decided to go further by choosing to play the trumpet starting the following year.
When I started playing it made my mother really happy. I took pride in that connection and I also genuinely loved playing. I was naturally good at trumpet and my mother was ecstatic enough to constantly encourage me to develop my talent into skills, which I did to a large extent.
I started playing along to jazz records soon after learning to read sheet music in school and playing material that didn’t engage me at all. Miles Davis and Donald Byrd had become my trumpeter uncles that showed me a new world in which I could play endlessly. I found a new voice that the breath of my body ironically also sustained.
Naturally coming to embrace the diverse components that make up my character, I engaged in a wide range of musical activities in middle and high school. I was in any group that dealt with instruments and took as many opportunities to play as I could, all the while leaving my vocal endeavors on a distant back burner.
I dove into music production in the summer right after I graduated high school, teaching myself the basics and yearning to learn as quickly as I could before starting college in the fall. I didn’t have anyone around me adept in music production or sound engineering, so I learned via experience, composing a lot and making mistakes. My early work is by no means my best work, but it bears the passion I poured into it while making it. That alone makes me satisfied with it.
Music production quickly became an obsession of mine. I continued all throughout college where I started to get some formal training. My Berklee experience means the world to me and I don’t regret a single minute of it. My palette was tremendously expanded while I was there even though I considered it to be already wide. I got invaluable experience in video production, animation, visual coding, DJing, music production, event planning and an overall development of my brand.
I carry those experiences and determination with me to further inspire and develop my products as an all-around multimedia artist. It’s largely due to Berklee and Brown that I am focused on delivering a cohesive package instead of just music, just videos, or any one-dimensional component and this is what I’ve longed for.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I remember constantly being a bit nervous as a singer in my early days; however, back then I attributed it to stage fright, which only took me having the experience to grow out of, but going through puberty lead me to realize a seemingly new source of the stage fright with which I had come to grips.
My turbulent home life had pushed me further inside myself despite having enjoyed small victories along the way to burgeoning outward. I had become reserved and distrusting, cautious and skeptical.
Growing up in inner-city poverty, seeing the effect it had on my parents and the breaking down of their relationship before my eyes as my brother and I lived through the consequences changed me a lot. I didn’t feel that my parents had the capacity to help me process my feelings so I kept them to myself.
My brother is autistic and doesn’t talk –– growing up with him my junior I felt responsible to understand him and communicate in ways that I wasn’t really mature enough to know. Despite autism’s malignant stigma of people being slow, I felt like the one that was falling behind because I put so much pressure on myself to figure him out instead of relating to him in ways I knew he would understand and be content with that.
I carried mixed feelings of wanting to protect him via simulating as much as I learned from the world as I could within reason and relishing with him in isolation from the world –– we were both an island and the strongest pillar of our bond is that we were there for each other in a way that I could never have anticipated, postulated or hypothesized.
All this resulted in me steadily romanticizing the isolation in which I was surrounded growing up, brainstorming ways to convert the angst into strength, and sometimes a weapon.
Isolation from my parents, my brother, my extended family who’s just culturally different enough for me to have not felt like I could’ve been at home while being myself, which in turn ballooned into an isolationist sentiment regarding the whole world, all helped me seal off my most hot-blooded emotions, ideas, and desires in fear of either being hurt or not related to –– whichever felt worse in the moment.
In high school, marching band, concert band, jazz band, regional and district bands, pep band and orchestra were all areas in which I found solace and I did very well because I pushed myself in each arena.
Tomisha Brock and Joplin Brock both nurtured and challenged me on my horn when I first came to marching band in 8th grade and later on in high school I had band directors, Alvin Wilson II and Dennis Tysinger II, who didn’t only see the true potential in me but worked with me tirelessly so that I could tap it. By the time I graduated I didn’t feel very isolated at all.
Throughout college, however, I was still coming to grips with my sexuality and that was an outlier that contributed to my feelings of isolation and occasional loneliness part from the intersectionality I bore as a black man in the Ivy-League that came from an inner-city ghetto.
I didn’t want people to know where I was from in fear of them stigmatizing me as a parochial thug yet when they asked where I was from I always told the truth because I was proud that I shape-shifted through lands as distinct as Brown University and Baltimore City, MD neither did I feel that everyone needed to know that I was queer and questioning yet I yearned for a time in which I could talk about it casually without whoever listening having an adverse reaction simply because I said I wasn’t straight.
I found music production to be comforting and sensational after graduating high school enough to create the moniker, “Achaziyah The Alien” that to me obviously reflected on my childhood isolation. As I learned more in the realm of production I started to express feelings from the vantage point of an outsider, an alien, so I developed the aesthetic of being an alien on Earth that’s living several human experiences for the first time.
That aesthetic reflected strongly in my music down to the song titles. It was only toward the end of last year that I decided to drop “The Alien” from my artist name. I’m now “Achaziyah”, a being who is as they are, not in reference to a mainstream culture or a set of norms. I don’t bother myself anymore by referring to myself as an alien in that way.
Now when I do it’s because my talents and skills have grown to a point where I consider them otherworldly and decidedly non-mainstream –– I might be an alternative to the world, but I’m my own default. After living through college and grad school, exploring and challenging myself to live in ways that make me happy, I no longer care about the outside gaze.
I know myself well enough to embrace that person and I’m proud of that person. I’m no longer a closet singer and I’ve enjoyed singing on my records for a few years now. I have a voice and a sound and it’s time to take those signatures to never before seen heights.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Achaziyah – what should we know?
Achaziyah is a brand in development that has largely solidified my identity. I specialize in aural sorcery via alchemy of genre – house music, Jersey club and many other subgenres of electronic music that I fuse with influences from my perspective. Hip-Hop, R&B, Brazilian funk, jazz and Middle-Eastern classical styles have largely shaped my perspective on the music I create.
I’m most known for my thickly detailed, texturally scintillating compositions, polyrhythms and recently overtly queer, dancefloor-friendly music that boasts signature sound design and exciting melodies with a cohesive audiovisual package. I’m most proud of the fact that I have a composite image reflective of different facets of myself all which I wholeheartedly embrace.
My versatility and breadth of experience are noticeable in the music I make and the media I produce. Many artists achieve this later instead of sooner. The richness of my music isn’t limited to the layers encompassed and instruments I use. It’s also expressed in the subject matter. I embody the subjects traversed in my music, which makes it easy for me to be so strongly attached to my product.
Achaziyah doesn’t only make music for himself. Studio engineering is also something I enjoy very much from my Berklee Valencia days. Making an artist’s music sound as great as possible is my deepest form of gratitude I can demonstrate in my opinion.
I’m also excited to collaborate with other creatives and have active projects that tie together music, dance, film, and virtual reality into products that convey messages about various aspects of the human condition and beyond. This is manifesting in vocal features, graphic design, co-production and brand consulting at the moment.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. I dare extend that to say that it takes a village to raise an artist as well. I didn’t think that I had a village outright in the beginning, but over time I realized that I did. There have been so many people that have made a positive impact on my life and trajectory just by being themselves; Mrs. Ezell, my fiery first-grade teacher.
Mrs. Pretlow, my unforgettable Pre-K teacher. Mrs. Mayo, my middle school principal that was always kind to me. Sophia LaCava Bohanan, who helped me through my latent artistic adventures at Brown. Greg Picard and Shawn Tavares for being examples of what working in the multimedia business looked like.
Hasan Gomez Garza, for his helping hand through my studio sessions and the example he provides through his beautiful art. Sam Zhang, for his take on the world and coping mechanisms. Koray Onat, for the sophistication of his art. Analog K, for his cool character, mature aesthetic and fantastic music.
Mickey Bassal, for his enthusiasm and support. Ross Hoyt, for his spirited collaboration during our time working together at Interlock Media, and Jonathan Schwartz, for being the 800-pound gorilla in the room yet somehow looking after me in small yet significant ways while I worked for him whether it was feeding me or giving insight based on our shared Brown experience.
Learning from Jim Moses, Butch Rovan, Todd Winkler and Grant Meyer in Brown University’s MEME department inspired me beyond my comfort zone, which in turn encouraged me to apply to Berklee for grad school.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without my parents, and their imperfections have prompted me to find a deeper, existential meaning of my life since being a child. My mom always poured her best into me and my father did too at times when he was well, and I continue to honor them both.
Shortly before my father’s passing, we had the talk of a lifetime during which I learned that he arrived at the point in his life where he was ready to accept the fact that I’m queer and that it was his responsibility to support me loving whomever I resonated with best. I also give thanks to all my brothers and sisters for thinking of me and supporting me from afar.
Others have supported me extensively in the most formative times when no one was watching. I give many thanks to: Mrs. Winterling, my no-nonsense elementary school principal that fought tooth and nail for a just, quality learning environment no matter the circumstance.
Cynthia Williams, my 3rd-grade teacher that believed in me immensely. Mrs. Jones (Cynthia Jones), who encouraged me to venture outward with my singing and inner musical talents despite the weight I carried as a child. Mrs. Rhodes, my elementary school choir instructor.
Mrs. Tomisha Brock and Joplin Brock, the dynamic duo that drove my high school marching band for a couple years, nourishing us with a championship attitude. Mr. Alvin Wilson II, Mr. Dennis Tysinger II later on for the same reason. Mrs. Marsha Martin for thinking highly of me enough to recommend me for the Gates Millennium Scholarship in high school, which I later had won.
Davida, a warrior in Brown’s financial aid office that helped me to the best of her ability when records seemed to have gone awry. Christopher Dennis, for helping me navigate my leave-taking process at Brown both going and returning. Bita Shooshani, for being an amazing advocate and nurturer. Peter Bussigel, for creatively inspiring me in addition to finding value in my work.
Thomas Nath, for supporting me in what many would have seen as a dark hour. Yen Tran, for literally being my best friend through everything we’ve experienced over the 8 years we’ve known one another. Silvina Hernández, Camisia Glasgow, Stephanie Medina, Haruko Hashimoto, Mitchelle Carrasquilla, Erin James & Kim Brazier, for being awesome confidants and inspirational women.
Kia Lyons, for being my guardian angel up close and from afar. Ragna Rök, for being my sister and having my back, understanding me in ways no one else has and encouraging me to express myself in ways that I previously wouldn’t have dared due to being fearful of the reactions of others. James Stomber, with his exquisite and stunningly kindred taste in music, inspiring perspective and capacity to be an amazing friend.
Alex Cerda, for her creative influence and radical warmth. Jasmine Diaz, for being so down to earth, relatable and being my part-time makeup artist. Nanci Baker, Danielle Kellogg, SaTarra Alayia Troutman, Kaya Nova, Tabari Lake and Chris Lapoint (Spaceman), for being my ride-or-die Berklee Valencia family (Los Collards de Fantástico). Nacho Marco, Steven Webber, Pierce Warnecke, Ben Cantil, Zebbler, & Pablo Munguía all for challenging me to be better in unique ways while imparting their invaluable experiences.
Arjun Roy, for being a bar-none tech consultant that was always there whenever I needed help. Luis Diaz, for his friendship, openness, and curiosity to create. Tejaswi Gorti, for his kindred music style, collaboration and confidence. Greg Somerville, for his enthusiasm, empathy, support, and collaboration. Dav Abrams & Tanya Niesvizky, for their friendship and collaboration.
Ray Rivera, for her initiative in creating an after-school program in València, dedicated to the mentorship of music production within the community. Clara Barberá & Marisol Arcis Pérez, for their huge support helping me settle in Spain and having my back through the year I was there and studying at Berklee Valencia, and Evan Pott, for his openness and support, letting me crash at his place during the first two weeks of grad school until I found my own.
I could go on and on, but the point is that I have many people to be thankful for having crossed paths with me at some point or another in my life. No matter how ephemeral the interaction, the impact has been significant and I harness the energy to propel and advance my craft on the daily basis.
Pricing:
- Mixing – $50 a track (flat rate)
- Mastering – $45 a track (flat rate)
- Modeling – starting at $150 per shoot, case-by-case basis
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.soundcloud.com/achaziyah
- Phone: 857.269.8526
- Email: info.achazi@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/achaz918/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alienofsound/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlienOfSound
Image Credit:
Nanci Baker, Erik Lindberg, Tanya Niesvizky.
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