When I was 6 years old, I asked my parents for an organ. I don't have any idea why I wanted an organ. Brian Stokes Mitchell More Quotes by Brian Stokes Mitchell More Quotes From Brian Stokes Mitchell That's the magic of art and the magic of theatre: it has the power to transform an audience, an individual, or en masse, to transform them and give them an epiphanal experience that changes their life, opens their hearts and their minds and the way they think. Brian Stokes Mitchell experience power life art I love being outside, and I love the fresh air. Brian Stokes Mitchell fresh being fresh-air love I love seeing the stars, and I love being around my friends and family. Brian Stokes Mitchell friends family stars love I'm one of the few lucky actors in the world. I've never waited tables. I never pumped gas. I've always earned a living. I never had to borrow from my parents. I was the first in our family to own a new car. Brian Stokes Mitchell parents car family world I hate those vacuous musicals, the happy-happy, 'Let's have a good time' shows. Brian Stokes Mitchell those good hate time I like being different people. Brian Stokes Mitchell being like being-different people Oddly enough, I almost never listen to show tunes. But there are some shows I love, like Adam Guettel's 'Floyd Collins.' Brian Stokes Mitchell listen never enough love I think the problem is when people hear 'arts education,' they think, 'I don't want my son to be some painter that's going to be hanging in some museum after he dies. I don't want my daughter to be a struggling artist making no money.' People don't realize it's more than that. It's beautiful. It brings beauty to our lives. Brian Stokes Mitchell education beautiful beauty son I've been really fortunate that my concert career has taken off hugely. I can make a living. I enjoy performing in front of a live audience, and I can do something different every time. Sometimes I'm with a quartet, sometimes I'm solo, sometimes with a symphony, and I get to go to different cities and meet different people. Brian Stokes Mitchell enjoy time sometimes people The older I get, I realize, 'Man, I'm a very rare bird,' and that's not because of necessarily my talent or ability; it so much depends on luck and just the grace of the universe. Brian Stokes Mitchell man talent grace bird I can't remember ever not singing. Brian Stokes Mitchell ever singing remember You lose more than you win in life, and that's OK. That's the nature of life. Brian Stokes Mitchell win you nature life I studied arranging and orchestration a number of years ago, so I have a home studio and arrange about three-fourths of my songs on the computer. Since writing orchestration is tedious, I often put an arrangement on the keyboard and let someone better-qualified finish it. Brian Stokes Mitchell finish someone home writing The Actors Fund is a human services organization, so our focus has been on caring for the entire human as opposed to dealing with the disease. Brian Stokes Mitchell human focus organization caring My mother was the first African-American policewoman in Seattle - recruited, actually - and she did it for only 2 years, as she did not want to carry a gun. She worked mostly on domestic disturbances. The NAACP wanted her to do it. She did not actually have the temperament to be a cop - she was very sweet. She had a Masters in social work. Brian Stokes Mitchell gun mother work sweet One of the interesting things an artist does is they keep rediscovering things, whether it's a jazz piece or a role you've done for 3,000 performances or a song you're singing for the 3,000th time. My job is to find that spark that keeps it fresh and alive. Brian Stokes Mitchell you singing time song I love the theater, and I just don't love television like that. Brian Stokes Mitchell just like love television I'm not a pop singer; I'm not a jazz singer. And I know I sing like not a whole lot of people do; I also know that a lot of other people act like I do. And better than I do. But what informs the singing is the acting. They're not separate from each other. Brian Stokes Mitchell better know singing people For a while, I couldn't get arrested in television because everybody thought of me as that guy on 'Trapper John.' So I thought, 'Great, I'll come out here to New York and do some theater, and when they get tired of me, I'll do something else.' Brian Stokes Mitchell thought great me tired I think I just had it by osmosis: an appreciation of Duke Ellington before I really even knew who he was. Brian Stokes Mitchell just who think appreciation
