Two alumni from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami soared on music's biggest night Sunday, celebrating as part of Grammy-winning teams. Alex Brown (M.M. '18), a jazz composer and pianist, was one of five winners for Best Classical Compendium for the album "Passion for Bach and Coltrane." And Alex Robinson (B.M. '19 and M.M.' 21), a jazz vocalist and musician, is a member of the vocal group Tonality, featured on Carla Patullo's "So She Howls," which won Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album.
"It was an honor to be part of this project," said Robinson, who shared details of her Grammy experience, from choosing accessories to beaming on the red carpet with fellow Tonality singers, on Instagram. "Getting to sing [Patrullo's] music as part of Tonality was already wonderful, but receiving this recognition is the icing on the cake!"
Brown, who's been working with his Compendium collaborators, who include Imani Winds and the Harlem Quartet, for years, said the prize renewed his faith in his musical path. "This recognition provides the inspiration to keep working hard and growing as a musician even when things get challenging," he said.
While their Grammys are not the kind of high-profile honors seen on the show's telecast (which only includes nine of the 94 prizes awarded), or like fellow Frost alum Julio Reyes Copello winning a Latin Grammy for Producer of the Year in 2022, they illustrate how much Frost School of Music graduates (and faculty) are integrated into the music world.
Robinson shared her Grammy joy with her husband and fellow Frost alum Steven Robinson (M.M.' 20), a jazz trombonist who played on Frost jazz trumpet instructor Professor Brian Lynch's "The Omni-American Book Club," which won the award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2020.
Brown and Robinson's Grammy-winning projects are also musically adventurous ones. Tonality is an L.A.-based vocal group centered on cross-cultural and original music aimed at inspiring social change. Brown's "Passion" album blends the poetry of AB Spellman with the music of Jeff Scott, J.S. Bach, and John Coltrane, and he's performed with major symphonies and collaborated with hip-hop artists.
Both Brown and Robinson said the Frost School had prepared them well for their winning musical collaborations.
"While at Frost, I learned how to be adaptable," said Robinson. "Singing background vocals requires intent listening and making quick adjustments on the fly to create a cohesive sound with the other vocalists. I'm really grateful for my experience as a Frost student."
Brown said his master's in studio jazz composition at Frost "helped me hone many new skills that have continued to enrich my approach as a pianist in myriad ways."
