Every time you listen to a song, there is always something more than the words or catchy melody. On Friday, May 1, right in the heart of downtown Providence, an extraordinary group of seniors from the Met High School performed live to spread awareness about the mainstream music stolen from Black artists and composers.
Students at the Met High School focus on innovation through hands-on internships. The Met’s idea of “Big Picture Learning” believes there is an infinite range of possibilities that set each individual up for success. That is certainly the case for Leo Brown, a creative bass player and passionate advocate, who has been working hard these past months on her program’s final project. That came alive all in front of our eyes right in the warmth of the Track 15 dining hall we all know and love. MET students are in internships two days a week, focusing on “Real-World Situations,” according to Brown. Brown’s current internship is with Motif, , which also sponsored the concert at Track 15.
OEight is the name of the band, and was named after the year of birth for all the band members. Dozens of civilians -– whether they knew about the concert or not -– sat feasting their ears and eyes on the alternative-rock music display this group has been practicing and perfecting over the two years that the band has been playing.
What if I told you that some of your favorite music artists have been stealing music from lesser known artists, and not giving credit or any mention of them at all? You may not know this, but it’s way more common than you think. This important problem has been facing our music industry for many years.
Every student at the Met has a final research project of their choosing where they study something they are passionate about. Leo Brown wrote an in-depth paper on the topic of Black music artists who had to face opposition from white artists who stole their music. Her work became the theme of the concert, and the question being addressed – “Creator or Appropriator” – was displayed behind the set.
I asked Brown what inspired her to write about this, and her answer really stood out to me. “I think my mom’s passion about stolen music. She refuses to listen to the appropriated versions. She refuses to even acknowledge that they exist. ….Elvis is not accepted in our household. We don’t listen to him just because of how much of a setback it was to our community.” She shows how this is an important topic to address because of the way it stole so much from specific communities. Simply not listening to the appropriated songs is an impactful way to make change and advocate.
It was a huge moment when the band performed to show their own advocacy for this problem through live music. But, this isn’t the first time the band performed live, In 2025 the group played at the Newport Folk Festival’s Founders’ Stage.
When I also asked Leo who she was most inspired by musically, she mentioned artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, two very influential Black music artists. She gravitated towards their heavy bass lines and style of music. Before the band came to be, the majority of them -– including Brown -– didn’t know anything about playing their instruments. Each of them chose their musical instrument and worked to perfect their skills from scratch. It was clear during the night of the concert that their hard work paid off.
“Our band is a messy, clumsy, silly mixture of personalities that just complement each other. It’s everything they thought it would be, especially the bad — but there’s so much good to come of it and will still come of it.” Leo said after the performance. We all saw how each of the members were unique in their own way, but created something so extraordinary together.
The music the band performed was a mix of covers and original music they wrote. On this specific night some well-known songs included covers of Radiohead’s “Creep” and “Don’t let me Down” by the Beatles.
Everyone in the crowd sat amazed by OEight’s performance, their unity and love for music shone throughout the night. It was such a special moment for parents and advisors to finally see all come together after the years it took them all to practice.
“I think Leo just exemplified what we hope all students do. I’m really proud of her,” said Leo’s advisor Ellen Piangerelli, after she saw all of the hard work Brown did to create this event.
What’s Next for Brown? After graduation she plans to attend the University of Rhode Island and major in Creative Writing and Poetry. When asked about OEight’s future, Brown replied, “I think maybe in a dream reality, we would stick together as a band and still meet up. In reality, I think it’s gonna fade out after a little while, which is sad, but it would be good because not all things stay the same, not all things will even stay. So, it’ll give us all a chance to kind of explore what the future has in store for all of us individually.”
No matter what is going to come for this band and Leo, they’ll remember this night and all of the amazing moments that lead up to it. I myself look up to how unified they were, and will never forget the night they created.
Music brings people together, binding minds and hearts in a knot of rhythm and notes of creativity. There is always history to music, it’s always important to learn more and seek understanding. Just remember, that we are the ones who create the legacy of music.
