A new seed has been planted in Brooklyn's top soil of young adults. With proper nourishment, fertilizer time and care, the fruit of this seed will be known as The Higher Levin Youth Organization.
Higher Levin was formed by Mr. Tichard Chapman in 2004 with the members of the advanced steel band at Meyer Levin Junior High School. At present, we are predominantly a youth steel band. However, our goals and dreams far exceed that of the average steel band. Higher Levin envisions an entire performing arts program which will in time be able to embark on musical excursions around the globe. It is the intention of Mr. Chapman to give the youths of Brooklyn an opportunity to showcase their talents around the world, showing others that there are positive things going on in our community.
The Meyer Levin steel orchestra, led by Mr. Chapman, had become a very important and influential part of the performing arts program at I.S. 285. Since its inception in 1998, the Steel band has been representing Meyer Levin Intermediate School by thrilling audiences at various locations throughout Brooklyn and New York City, skillfully playing selections from a variety of musical genres.
Throughout the years, there have been many exceptional students whose talents have had direct impact on the steel band’s success. Walter Louis, Kiera Scanterbury, Kadeem Alleyne, Janel Franklin and Clinton Modeste, are a few of those who have all played an important role in the growth and popularity of the Meyer Levin Steel Band.
From time to time former members of the Meyer Levin Steel Band would return to Mr. Chapman with ideas and aspirations of forming a reunion band for the next show, whenever that was. This sparked the idea of not just forming a reunion band for a one time event, but forming an operating Steel band of current and past members, who can learn from each other and perform under a separate entity. This idea took off and led to the creation of the Higher Levin Steel Orchestra.
Higher Levin has made quite a name for themselves throughout the community and throughout New York City performing at various community and fundraising events and such as the Carlito’s Wish Foundation Fundraising Dinner, the Susan Smith McKinney Nursing Home's Caribbean Day and Paerdegat Park's Youth Happening. They have performed for Mayor Bloomberg on two separate occasions, once at the school Meyer Levin, and the other, on the grounds of Gracie Mansion itself. The steel band has also performed at The Wyckoff House Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, Kings Plaza, the Taft School in Connecticut, and the co-naming of Church Avenue as Bob Marley Boulevard. In addition, we have been featured on numerous television stations throughout Brooklyn as well as in local news papers circulating the entire city.
With the hard work and the dedication of the students, the success of Higher Levin is limitless.