Concerned Black Men of Richmond Conducts 1st 2023-2024 Session at the Music Box Studio

November 1, 2023

Hello everyone,

The Concerned Black Men of Richmond conducted our 1^st activity for the 2023/2024 session on Saturday, October 14^th.  The “Music, An Inside Look, Part II” was a lesson on history and music held at the “Music Box Studio” in downtown Richmond.

 A couple of years ago, CBM had the opportunity to work with Grammy Award winning song writer and music producer Lamont Fleming.  He was instrumental in launching the career of Chris Brown and on this day, he was accompanied by producer/songwriter Dialo Moss.

The activity started with an introduction of all attendees and a brief discussion of the history of the location.

The studio on the property of the historic Barrett House was built by William Barrett, a tobacco industry business owner in the mid 1800’s.

In the midst of evacuating Richmond to Union Army Forces on April 3, 1865, the Confederate Army set fire to the tobacco warehouses.  The fire spread throughout the business district and 9/10ths of it was left in ruins.  The Barret House is one of the few buildings to survive and was home of Henry “Box” Brown the famous slave who was boxed and shipped to freedom in Philadelphia Pennsylvania!

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/narratives-of-henry-box-brown-the/

Next, Lamont asked everyone about their musical taste and if there were any musicians present.  Lamont and Dialo then discussed their extensive musical background and gave a tour of the studio.  Then they discussed the parts of a song and how songs are made.  The mentees then came up with a hook and verses and with the assistance of Lamont and Dialo, they arranged the song “Richmond”.  After a little practice the song came to life!

We took a break for lunch that was catered by “Sweet as Sugar Homemade Desserts”, that was enjoyed by all!

Finally, the boys went back to the studio and recorded their song.  It was awesome to see what these young men can achieve with a little encouragement and assistance.

 

 Thanks to each of the mentors and each of you for your interest and assistance in providing quality programs for the young men in our community. It means the world to our community and the youth we serve.

Sincerely,
Timothy Mallory,
President CBM-RVA

Click Here to learn more about The Concerned Black Men of Richmond, Inc.
Click Here to learn more about becoming a Mentor.
Click Here to see how you can support our efforts to continue to care for our youth.

Concerned Black Men of Richmond Attends 31st Annual 2nd Street Festival & Holds Music Activity with Youth & Grammy Award Winning Composer Lamont Fleming

November 10, 2019

Greetings all!

Last month the Concerned Black Men of Richmond began the month at the 2^nd Street Festival on October 5^th & 6^th in historic Jackson Ward. This is a celebration of African American Art & Culture that has taken place for 31 years.  We manned our table on community row and met with politicians, former mentors and the community at large to tell how we are continuing to impact the youth in the Richmond area.

Senator Jennifer McClellan with CBM

 

This is always a great opportunity for the Concerned Black Men of Richmond to recruit new mentors and mentees for our organization!

Next, we had our first youth activity, “Music – Inside Look” on Saturday October 12^th. The event was conducted by Lamont Fleming, a Grammy Award winning composer who has worked with artists such as Chris Brown and Destiny’s Child.

Lamont and Markel Bealle prerecorded a music track and worked with the youth on developing a hook and other facets of song composition for them to put together. 

 

 

They had a great time putting the song together and actually completed the first verse (a rap) and the hook!  Lamont did a great job encouraging the boys to pursue their dreams and to strive for excellence in all their endeavors. 

The Concerned Black Men of Richmond really appreciates the time and effort that Lamont and Markel put into putting on this event. We hope that we can get together again to possibly finish the song. It warms our hearts to see men of that stature give their time and share their talents with other young men!

Thank each of you for your interest and support of the Concerned Black Men of Richmond.  You are making a difference in the lives of the youth that we serve and the community.

Sincerely,
Tim Mallory, President CBM-RVA

Click Here to learn more about The Concerned Black Men of Richmond, Inc.
Click Here to learn more about becoming a Mentor.
Click Here to see how you can support our efforts to continue to care for our youth.