Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Musician of the Month: JerVaughn Bratton

JerVaughn Bratton

From using pots and pans as his drum set and wooden spoons as his drumsticks, Jervaughn Bratton has had a love for playing the drums as well as music since the age of 2. Playing and any forms of percussion, Bratton speciality is the drums. After playing being the drummer boy for his church, Living Faith Ministries, located in Queens, Bratton is now a drummer for his band called ‘Poofy and the Busboys”. After playing for six years together, members of ‘Poofy and the Busboys’ are Charles Sams, the keyboard player, Justin Zim, guitar player, vocalist, Greg Ktcher, bass player Ronnie Lahzolatta and Bratton, have undergone seven name changes and five line- up changes, the Funk and Hip Hop band are still going strong. Although Bratton has high hopes and dreams for his band, the19 year- old hasn’t forgotten about his college education.  Bratton’s dream is to become a music production engineer, but at the moment, he’s studying music business with a minor in education.
Poofy and the Busboys

Q:  When did you start actually getting into music?
        My mom said in her womb I was beating her up. But I was two years- old and my dad had a camera and said that’s when I really started. My dad had “Black Magic Woman” by Santana playing, put some pots and pans out, gave me some spoons, tied a bandana on my head and we just started rocking out and I actually played. I watched the video a couple years back and I realized that I was on time for 8 measures. But I grew up playing in church. I’d get on during offering, I never really got former lessons, but my godfathers Leon and Deon Lacy, who are twins, taught me how to play. They’d always tell me pray before I play as well.

Q: What’s your religion and how long have you been going to your church?
            Living Faith Ministries where my pastor is Rasheen C. Rutludge and we just had our fourth year anniversary, in November. I’ve been going there for four years and the church was birthed out of my house, in our basement. Once in the basement, to me bringing my drum set down, my friend playing keys and my mom would do the praise and worship. We would do one song, and it would go to three songs. This year we actually got our first building. There’s no way we could have gotten it ourselves, without God. We had enough money to buy it, but that’s it. Our whole church is based upon faith. I grew up playing in church.

Q: What’s your bands future endeavors?            
For my band, the way we’re going right now is the right way. The goal we had for 2011, we met it and surpassed it. Our goal was to make an album and a video and for people to like it, and we did it. In two to three years, for a label to sign us and be able to put our music out there. And that’s what I want, but that doesn’t mean that’s what God wants. For myself, I want three studios.  The main one will be for professionals, artists like if Jay-Z wanted to come in. Award winning Grammy artist come in and record. I also want to have that middle studio for college and high school students, between 15 to 25 years- old. I want to be able to keep kids out of trouble. Music is getting cutt from schools. Come from school, and take the train to a local place, where there’s a studio. Kind of like a PAL but different. They’re learning how to play an instrument, but they’re mixing down too. They want to cut down the arts and its what keeping people insane.

JerVaughn in action


Q: What set started the ignition for you to take music seriously?
I was thirteen and I grew up playing baseball only. At that time, I played the drums only at the church. At that specific year, I pulled out my back and the doctor said I couldn’t do anything strenuous for three weeks. So, I couldn’t play for six and seven games. I was in the school jazz band but I’d miss rehearsals for baseball practice. Then I started making all the rehearsals I would usually miss. After that, I was like I love baseball, but I didn’t really want to do it again. I tried out my freshman year of High school, and I didn’t make it. And that was the kicker, and I never ever gotten cut.  

Q: Now you do say that your inspiration comes from church, what’s your favorite Bible verse?
            Psalms 150. It’s kind of like a musician’s favorite Bible verse. In church, if people are there worshipping, giving God praise, usually the drummers are rocking out the tempo. That’s the thing with musicians in the church, we have the ability to change the atmosphere from one place to another. We’re here to praise God and I can do that all the time, by playing the drums.

Q: Did your parents have any particular influence for your love for music?
My mom was a born and raised singer. She’s been singing her whole life, from Donnie McClurkin, to Hezekiah Walker and Dorinda Clark-Cole. She also pushed me to be involved in music and brought me to her concerts. She’ll have lead songs in the choir and take me to all these events.

 Check out JerVaughn's band, Poofy and the Busboys' video entitled 'Victory'

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