| Donald Braswell II, San Antonio native, appeared at a | | | | sing, to understand the marvel of his previous career. |
| Pops Concert at the Symphony of the Hills in Hill | | | | The Journey through America’s Got Talent |
| Country in Kerrville, Texas on June 27, Donald | | | | Years later, against all odds, a glimmer of light |
| Braswell Fan Club Newsletter Editor, Doreen Lee, | | | | penetrated his world of musical darkness, when he |
| re-designed her beautiful account of this amazing | | | | slowly began regaining his singing capabilities and |
| singer’s re-entry into the world of symphonic | | | | realized that his dream might not be lost. He took |
| performance to reflect the experiences of the | | | | on performance opportunities with regional groups |
| event. It is NOT my work. Doreen's article is | | | | and his church in order to strengthen his voice. |
| brilliantly written and I chose to publish it here | | | | When the time was right, it was Julie who, like |
| untouched: | | | | before, put him on a path that would take him back |
| Songs through Silence: | | | | to the world of music – where he deserved to |
| Donald Braswell’s Impossible Dream | | | | be. In 2007, when the third season of NBC’s |
| By Doreen Lee | | | | America’s Got Talent was searching for new |
| “Ed ho sentito nel silenzio una voce dentro | | | | competitors, Julie sent in an audition video on her |
| me.” | | | | husband’s behalf. In September of that year, |
| (And in the silence I heard a voice inside of me.) | | | | he was called to Dallas for a preliminary audition. In |
| ~Paolo Limiti | | | | a 90-second performance, his life would be |
| When Donald Braswell took the stage on June 27, | | | | changed…again. |
| 2009 to perform as a soloist in a concert with the | | | | When he announced that he would be singing Josh |
| Symphony of the Hills in Kerrville, Texas, few knew | | | | Groban’s “You Raise Me Up”, laughter |
| what to expect. A majority of the audience | | | | could be heard from the audience and booing |
| consisted of locals anticipating a night of classical and | | | | ensued. By the end of the song, the entire |
| crossover music. The orchestra members, no doubt | | | | audience was on their feet cheering – |
| accustomed to accompanying classical vocalists, went | | | | unanimously chanting to send him to the next |
| into that performance like they would any other. | | | | round. Upon hearing Braswell’s audition, Groban |
| However, when Braswell’s soaring tenor leapt | | | | told radio personality Billy Bush, “What a |
| effortlessly through the leggiero passages of | | | | voice!…to hear [his] story…obviously he’s got |
| “Di’ tu se fedele” from Verdi’s Un | | | | full pipes going now…I’m sure he’s going |
| ballo in maschera, even those who knew his story | | | | to have a wonderful career!” |
| found it difficult to believe that there was a time | | | | Following that successful audition, Braswell did |
| during which he could not even utter a sound. | | | | advance, but not for long. To the outrage of the |
| Before the night was over, he would go on to | | | | viewing public, the judges soon failed to move him to |
| captivate the audience with his interpretations of | | | | the Top 40, and Braswell – thrown off his musical |
| popular standards, including classics from Bobby Darin | | | | career for the second time in his life – went back |
| and Sam Cooke. Even the orchestra members | | | | to his previous job at the car dealership, thinking that |
| found themselves swaying to the music, enjoying the | | | | singing was simply not his destiny. |
| change of tempo and at times becoming as | | | | Fate would have it otherwise. When a wild card |
| mesmerized as the audience itself. | | | | spot opened up in the Top 40 (in the summer of |
| Braswell had finally come full circle. The Juilliard | | | | 2008), Braswell was one of the eight contestants |
| graduate and protégé of Franco Corelli, the | | | | selected for a chance to return. The American |
| Prince of Tenors, was once known and praised for | | | | public was impressed by his ability to turn the |
| his leading tenor roles as Cavaradossi in Tosca, | | | | audience around during his first audition; they were |
| Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Pinkerton in Madame | | | | also awestruck by his powerful voice and the grace |
| Butterfly; but at the height of his career, he saw his | | | | with which he handled himself on stage. For these |
| dreams shattered in the disastrous few seconds of a | | | | and other reasons, Braswell enormously connected |
| hit-and-run automobile accident that destroyed his | | | | with the television audience and managed to |
| voice. The journey back to his rightful place in the | | | | captivate millions of viewers with a mere 90-second |
| spotlight accompanied by a full orchestra took almost | | | | performance and was voted back into the Top 40. |
| fourteen years, but once again, Donald Braswell | | | | He went on to become a finalist where, thirteen |
| achieved his quest, this time exuding the deep | | | | years after being told that he might never speak |
| passion of an artist matured and tempered by the | | | | normally again, he won fourth place amongst 250,000 |
| agony of loss. | | | | contestants. During the season finale, NBC showed |
| The Rise to Stardom and the Catastrophic Fall | | | | a video from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, |
| In late 1995, as his trembling vibrato resonated | | | | congratulating Braswell on his rendition of “Music |
| through the aria “Addìo, fiorito asil” | | | | of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera |
| (“Farewell, Flowery Refuge”) from | | | | and expressing the wish to work with him in the |
| Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Donald Braswell, | | | | future. |
| though he did not know it at the time, was also | | | | His experience on America’s Got Talent gave |
| bidding “addìo” to his career as a premier | | | | Braswell the opportunity to explore new genres of |
| operatic tenor. It had been five years since he | | | | music. The show’s producer, Simon Cowell, |
| graduated from Juilliard, and he was quickly becoming | | | | encouraged him to sing “Unchained Melody” |
| an international star whose musical brilliance would | | | | at the finalists’ concert at the MGM Grand in Las |
| soon equal that of Pavarotti, Carreras and Domingo. | | | | Vegas. Braswell, still holding on to his classical roots, |
| But success, no matter how promising, can be taken | | | | was at first skeptical. Nevertheless, he trusted |
| away in an instant. | | | | Cowell’s judgment, and today “Unchained |
| That moment of adversity came for Braswell while | | | | Melody” is one of his signature pieces, garnering |
| bicycling through Wales. He was hit by a car and, as a | | | | a standing ovation at every concert, including his |
| result, suffered substantial damage to the soft | | | | sold-out show four months later at the Las Vegas |
| tissues of his throat. Medical professionals declared, | | | | Hilton. Now this classically trained singer performs a |
| because of the type of injury sustained, that | | | | variety of genres, including pop, rock, soul, and even |
| speaking would be a challenge and singing would be | | | | impressions of some of the Greats, such as Elvis, |
| out of his reach. | | | | Dean Martin and Robert Goulet. At the same time, |
| Braswell was devastated. Having grown up | | | | he still remains loyal to the people who followed him |
| surrounded by music, he had never imagined life in | | | | through and before America’s Got Talent; his |
| silence. His parents, Don Sr. and Jane, were | | | | concert is never complete without a classical |
| Broadway performers who met on the set of L’il | | | | crossover piece from the likes of Mario Frangoulis or |
| Abner. “For me, classical music was very much | | | | Andrea Bocelli. |
| engrained in me from early on, and I wouldn’t | | | | Changing Symphonic Music |
| listen to anything else from the time I was a | | | | Since his return to the music scene, Braswell had |
| child,” Braswell stated. “So by the time I was | | | | mostly performed both classical and popular pieces |
| seven or eight years old I was performing in a lot of | | | | with a four-piece band. However, when he |
| the things that [my parents] were doing…so it just | | | | worked with music director Anthony Bazzani and |
| sort of felt natural that I would one day go into the | | | | arranger José Irizarry in preparation for his concert |
| music field in some capacity…I still remember the | | | | with the majestic Symphony of the Hills, the result |
| first smells of the theater, and feeling those lights as | | | | was an evening of unanticipated musical |
| a child on that stage, and hearing that rush of sound | | | | enchantment. Amongst the night’s many |
| from an audience…it was a world that I just | | | | surprises included a tribute to Ennio Morricone, a piece |
| understood – it was a world where I felt at | | | | titled simply “Ennio”, a collaboration between |
| home.” | | | | Bazzani the composer and Braswell the lyricist. This |
| Shortly after college, his wife Julie persuaded him to | | | | was but a small portion of the night’s eclectic |
| apply to Juilliard, a school with an acceptance rate of | | | | medley. The orchestra might be based in a small |
| roughly 6%. He did it only to humor her, thinking | | | | town, but it is definitely world-class; the violinists |
| admission was impossible. Julie and his family | | | | even began strumming their instruments like a guitar |
| weren’t the only ones to recognize his talent as | | | | to enhance the flavor of the Pops portion of the |
| Juilliard not only accepted Braswell but also offered | | | | concert. Fully exploiting the other’s talents and |
| him several scholarships, including the prestigious | | | | versatility, Braswell and the symphony took the |
| Enrico Caruso Scholarship. | | | | audience on a seamless musical journey from 1832 |
| Thus began the journey that would take the | | | | (Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore) to the |
| boy-next-door from the tranquil hills of Texas to | | | | present. They brought out the best in each other, |
| international stardom. His achievements both at | | | | and Braswell proved that it is precisely there, in front |
| Juilliard and on the stage earned him a grant from the | | | | of a full orchestra, that he rightfully belongs. |
| Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, entitling him to | | | | A little over a year has passed since Braswell was |
| study with the renowned Franco Corelli. Braswell | | | | discovered by millions on America’s Got Talent. |
| credits Corelli for making him the musician he is today: | | | | Curiously, when he was voted back to the Top 40, |
| “When I first worked with Franco Corelli, I | | | | he chose to sing “The Impossible Dream”, |
| didn’t know what to expect. There was this | | | | the celebrated magnum opus from Man of La Mancha |
| mystery about the way he taught voice that no one | | | | composed by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion. Reaching |
| would talk about for some reason. I think it was | | | | one arm to the cheering audience, he boldly belted |
| because Corelli didn’t really teach voice. He | | | | out the last line of the song, vowing to “reach |
| showed singers where it came from, and how he felt | | | | the unreachable star.” His rendition of this song |
| the music and why he felt the music and how [the | | | | (one of the greatest hits sung by critically acclaimed |
| music] kind of created itself within him.” | | | | Robert Goulet) prompted Vera Goulet to offer her |
| From Corelli Braswell would learn not only to deliver | | | | accolades and support. The piece, which would |
| music, but also to create it with a passion. That | | | | eventually become the official song for his |
| passion, coupled with his versatile lyric-dramatic tenor | | | | International Fan Club, seems to perfectly describe |
| voice, made him the perfect lead for many classic | | | | his journey; twice in his life, Braswell had been thrown |
| works from Puccini, Verdi and Donizetti. He would | | | | off a career in music, but he fought back relentlessly. |
| go on to tour the world for several years before the | | | | Now, having successfully launched the 2009-2010 |
| drastic moment that made his world collapse. | | | | season for the Symphony of the Hills, Braswell |
| A Period of Silence | | | | continues to contribute his talents to the new trends |
| In a television interview in December 2008, Braswell | | | | in orchestral music. He is currently planning a Pops |
| stated it was only after his accident that he | | | | tour that will give him the opportunity to perform |
| understood what it meant to experience depression; | | | | with symphony orchestras around the continent. |
| it consumed him for nearly two years while he lived | | | | Recently, he has teamed up with the genius of |
| in the silence that had been forced upon him. | | | | composer and conductor Tim Janis in preparation for |
| Despite this, he yearned for a way to express his | | | | his second studio album. Not only is Janis writing |
| anguish in the most natural way he knew – | | | | vocals for Braswell to accompany his existing pieces, |
| through music. He composed numerous songs, | | | | he is also creating new arrangements for |
| including “Look At Me” (which he has | | | | Braswell’s own composition, “In Those |
| recently performed at several concerts and | | | | Eyes”, a song which he dedicates to his wife. |
| dedicated it to the homeless). The song captivates | | | | Janis’s soothing symphonic music encompasses |
| the listener precisely because of its touching and | | | | elements from various genres – a characteristic |
| powerful simplicity: “Look at me,” the | | | | that greatly complements Braswell’s own eclectic |
| poetic voice begs of the audience, “I really am | | | | repertoire. On November 27, Braswell will take |
| somebody.” He reminds us that underneath the | | | | part in Janis’s upcoming PBS special, Believe in |
| sorrow that he must bear, music was thriving and | | | | Dreams, in Carnegie Hall. A biography is also in the |
| fiercely fighting to be set free. | | | | works for publication in 2010. Through all that he |
| While he was mute, however, there was no | | | | has experienced, Donald Braswell is indeed living what |
| instrument that could liberate the music within him. | | | | was once an “impossible dream.” |
| It was then that Braswell began to realize that, | | | | Orchestras interested in scheduling Donald Braswell |
| despite the grief he was going through, he had | | | | for his Pops tour should contact James at: |
| another source of happiness – his family. His | | | | For more information on Braswell, please visit: |
| first child was born in this time, and he named her | | | | For more on the Symphony of the Hills, visit: |
| Aria. In March 2009, Braswell told Diane Bliss of | | | | _________________________ |
| Detroit PBS: “An aria is the love song, the place | | | | I am deeply grateful to Cherie Ohlsson, who not only |
| of expression and emotion in an opera. I named her | | | | came up with the concept of this article, but also |
| that because, when I didn’t have a voice, Aria | | | | played an essential role in the editing process. My |
| was going to be the voice for me. She was my | | | | acknowledgement and gratitude also go to Judy |
| song when I didn’t have one.” But inside, | | | | Docter for her initial contributions to this article, as |
| the music never died; Braswell continued to dream | | | | well as to Serena Vignola, Julia Hatton and Barbara |
| that one day his children would be able to hear him | | | | Nielsen for their input and comments. |