{"id":14652,"date":"2020-09-07T08:49:34","date_gmt":"2020-09-07T13:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/?p=14652"},"modified":"2026-01-20T17:12:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T22:12:26","slug":"jamelle-houston-on-his-grandfathers-legacy-his-nonprofit-and-blm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/jamelle-houston-on-his-grandfathers-legacy-his-nonprofit-and-blm\/","title":{"rendered":"Jamelle Houston on his Grandfather\u2019s Legacy, his Nonprofit, and BLM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-a-texas-musician-honors-his-grandfather-builds-community-and-stands-for-justice\">How a Texas Musician Honors His Grandfather, Builds Community, and Stands for Justice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the age of three, Jamelle Houston sat at his grandparents\u2019 piano at their home in Temple, Texas and struck a chord for the first time. In that moment, his family knew that he had a gift that runs in the family. His grandfather, John Wilson, was a drummer in the 1960s Texas funk band, the Brothers Seven. He inspired Jamelle to become a musician, and is also the reason why he wants to pursue music law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt goes back to my grandfather and his group,\u201d he says. \u201cThey have a song called \u2018Takin\u2019 Care of Business\u2019 and we\u2019ve always wondered &#8230; I\u2019m not saying nothing, but if you go and you listen to, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/CNeFAy-RHCI\">\u2018Takin\u2019 Care of Business\u2019 by Minnie Nelson and the Brothers Seven<\/a>, and then you go and you listen to <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sl7x4S_fLXU\">Bachman-Turner Overdrive<\/a>. I just wonder sometimes, I\u2019m going to leave it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<style>\n<p> div.full-width {position:relative;float:left;width:100%;}<br \/>\n @media screen<br \/>\n and (min-width: 751px), screen and (min-device-width:751) {<br \/>\n div.video {position:relative;float:left;padding:5px;width:30%;}<br \/>\n iframe {width:100%;}<br \/>\n }<br \/>\n }<br \/>\n <\/style>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"full-width\">\n<div class=\"video\"><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CNeFAy-RHCI\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"video\"><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sl7x4S_fLXU\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This fall, Jamelle is starting the <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/music-degrees\/graduate\/music-business?pid=8023&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-promotion\">music business master\u2019s program<\/a> with Berklee Online. He wants to empower himself and others to protect their music and art. One day, he would like to create a documentary about the Brothers Seven and shine a light on his grandfather\u2019s legacy, and the possible copyright infringement case.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"835\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/IMG_5648.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14655\" style=\"width:487px;height:539px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 1960s Texas funk band, the Brothers Seven. Jamelle&#8217;s grandfather John Wilson (back, center) was the band&#8217;s drummer.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat really sparked something in me,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are so many stories of that out there. And I just want to make sure that people have the knowledge and know this is what they should be doing as it relates to intellectual property.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jamelle has established his music career in LA and toured the world with various musical acts, but his roots are strong in his hometown of Temple, Texas, and he\u2019s very much invested in improving the town for the better. It\u2019s a place where he and his grandfather\u2019s musical endeavors began, a place he returns to each summer to give back through his nonprofit music camp, and a place that is currently grappling with racial injustice during the Black Lives Matter movement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"1140\" data-id=\"14678\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_5645.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14678\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"929\" data-id=\"14679\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_5646.jpeg\" alt=\"Jamelle Houston playing keys for a big crowd\" class=\"wp-image-14679\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"745\" data-id=\"14681\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_5631.jpeg\" alt=\"Jamelle Houston\" class=\"wp-image-14681\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"653\" height=\"377\" data-id=\"15102\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Desi-Valentine_Jamelle-Houston.jpeg\" alt=\"A picture of Jamelle Houston playing keys on stage\" class=\"wp-image-15102\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jamelle toured internationally with Conrad Sewell and nationally with AJ Mitchell as a keyboardist. (Photo by Desi Valentine)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Jamelle moved to LA in 2011 to attend the Independent Artist Program at Musicians Institute, and attributes part of his success to the relationships that he\u2019s built with musicians in his community. As a session pianist and keyboardist, he went on to tour with acts such as Conrad Sewell and AJ Mitchell, performing on the <em>Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon<\/em> and the <em>Today Show<\/em>. He realized that Temple was lacking musical community and opportunities, so he took it upon himself to foster music and art in a town where sports were prioritized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn my hometown, there are just no opportunities or platforms for those young creatives,\u201d he says. \u201cYou have baseball camps, soccer camp, every other camp, but you got all these creatives that are just dying to get around other creatives. And I was just like, \u2018I guess it\u2019s up to me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2015, Jamelle established his nonprofit, the Academy of Art Music Performance and Dance (AAMP\u2019D), where students can learn everything from songwriting to hip-hop, dance, theater, voice, photography, and more. Every summer, he goes back to Temple with his friends from LA to run the camp and teach the various courses. Among the AAMP\u2019D teachers are Jacob Lusk, a former <em>American Idol <\/em>contestant who now teaches voice; Justin Arrington, an artist who teaches contemporary dance; and Patrick Gamble (PatG), who teaches hip-hop. The camp caps at 100 students and Jamelle says that these students are quite literally amped up to get started every summer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I tell you, they come ready, they\u2019re like, \u2018Hey Jamelle, you know, I sat at home last night, and I was thinking, on the chorus,\u2019 I\u2019m just like, \u2018Okay! Let\u2019s work,\u2019\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"548\" data-id=\"14673\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_5636.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14673\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"553\" data-id=\"14674\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_5643.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14674\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"547\" data-id=\"14675\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_5639.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14675\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"567\" data-id=\"14656\" src=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/IMG_5635.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14656\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jamelle instructs his students at his music camp AAMP&#8217;D.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of the pandemic, Jamelle paused the 2020 program with plans to come back in 2021. He didn&#8217;t travel to Temple this summer for the first time in five years, but his hometown has been on his mind, especially during the Black Lives Matter movement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In December 2019, Jamelle\u2019s friend Michael Dean was fatally shot in the head by former Temple police officer Carmen DeCruz after he was pulled over for a traffic stop. This summer, Dean\u2019s family visited the White House with other parents of Black men who have been killed at the hands of police brutality. Jamelle says that what upsets him the most is that justice has not been served, which underscores the importance of the current movement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been really hard because it just feels like the biggest coverup I\u2019ve ever seen in my life, and Temple is a small community,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019ve admitted, \u2018We\u2019ve never had anything like this happen. We don\u2019t really know what to do, or how to do it,\u2019 and I\u2019m like, just do what\u2019s right. That\u2019s all we\u2019re asking, that\u2019s it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He says that this hit him personally, not only because Dean was his friend, but because Jamelle is a Black man in America himself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have that story of being racially profiled and pulled over,\u201d he says. \u201cPut in handcuffs, just because you know, you fit the description. And I\u2019m asking them, \u2018Well, why was I pulled over?\u2019 It hits close to home and people don\u2019t realize it. That\u2019s why I\u2019m glad that there\u2019s an awakening of what\u2019s really going on. You really do, as a person of color, have to move about differently. It just is what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although there is more progress to be made, Jamelle says it\u2019s been amazing to see the support from around the world. As he begins his music business master\u2019s program this fall, Jamelle is going to use his education to create more good in Temple and beyond, whether he\u2019s fighting for his grandfather\u2019s copyrights, providing children music education, or fighting for racial justice.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI believe that we all have some level of influence and purpose as it relates to our gifts,\u201d he says. \u201cI would hope that my musical gifts and contribution to the world would influence and inspire other creatives to realize that there\u2019s a world out there waiting on the gifts that you have to offer!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Incoming Berklee Online master&#8217;s student Jamelle Houston discusses his music career and what keeps him coming back to his hometown of Temple, Texas. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":15096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,9568,9560,32],"tags":[7413,93,7277,7414,7405,7410,971,7406,7411,7407,7408,7409,7412],"class_list":["post-14652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-music-business-articles","category-spotlight","category-student-stories","tag-aampd","tag-american-idol","tag-black-lives-matter","tag-jacob-lusk","tag-jamelle-houston","tag-john-wilson","tag-music-business","tag-music-business-masters-degree","tag-takin-care-of-business","tag-temple","tag-texas","tag-the-brothers-seven","tag-tonight-show-with-jimmy-fallon"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - 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