The Brothers Hypnotic I.S.U.

Essay
The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a jazz ensemble consisting of eight brothers from the
South Side of Americas very own Windy City, Chicago. The brothers are no strangers to the
music industry, as they have grown up surrounded by their familys exceptional musical talent. As
the son of jazz legend, Phillip Cohran, they lived and breathed jazz music during a heavily
influenced childhood. Through the passion of music that has bound them more than blood, the
Cohran brothers have come together to pursue their dreams of being impactful in the music
world. Their HotDocs documentary, The Brothers Hypnotic, takes a closer look at their journey to
rise to the top. Although they experienced days filled with downfalls and setbacks, they prove
time and time again that without pain, there is no gain.

Through the vision of film-maker Reuben Atlas, The Brothers Hypnotic takes a closer
look at the lives of the brass ensemble over a span of 5 years. At a young age, the boys were
introduced to the world of jazz. Growing up in a musically talented family, the band decided to
follow in their familys footsteps, however they chose to do it on their own terms. From learning
the history of jazz music, to consistently practicing their respective instruments at 6 in the
morning, the jazz world became their world. On a cultural aspect, the ideology of Black
Consciousness was imperative within their lives. Their parents rooted the core values of the
African-American culture within them at a tender age; teaching them the importance of
embracing the colour of their skin. Phillip Cohran had strong beliefs about African American
culture as he grew up in an era that scolded African Americans for the colour of their skin. The
importance that he placed on Black Consciousness was passed on to his children as a means of
shedding light, and creating perspective, on historically relevant events to African Americans.
Although the brothers show musical individuality, they have united together to create and perform
music that reflects their passion for musical elements. Despite all their success, the brothers have
been faced with the crisis of determining if they have they have their own musical identity, or if
they were simply riding on the coattails of their fathers success. However, they found their niche
by incorporating all the musical values, lessons, and influences that they garnered throughout
their career.

While most families in inner-city Chicago struggled financially, money was not a
problem in the Cohran family, it was more of a matter of choice. As Cohran chose to live a simple
cost efficient lifestyle, it was also implemented on his familys lifestyle. Phillip Cohrans
financial effectiveness was also affected by his involvement in a polygamous relationship. With
having three wives, each with approximately 30 kids each, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble brothers
are essentially only half-brothers. Just like any other dream, there were obstacles that the Cohran
brothers had to endure. For one, they constantly struggled to find who they are within themselves,
in the band, and in the music business. They were labeled as street performers for sharing their
music on the street, however, they tried to break through that barrier by consistently performing
and showing people that they were not street performers, but an established jazz ensemble. In
addition, the struggle to add hip-hop elements in their music became an issue, as they grew up
listening to Public Enemy, Ice Cube, and NWA. Much to their fathers dismay, the brothers
secretly listened to these hip-hop artists, which is essentially why they push to incorporate it into
their music. By incorporating hip-hop into their music, they have had the opportunity to
collaborate with hip-hop legend, Mos Def.

Through my knowledge of the Cohran brothers, I was most shocked by their familys
lifestyle. As a devout Catholic, it is not common to hear about, or witness a polygamous family.
Within their household, it is deemed as normal, as they grew up living in a situation in which
they had no option to change. I was most shocked that the effective functionality of the family
seemed to work, despite the involvement of more than one parental figure in the household. After
watching the documentary, I learned that we should never let the shadow of the superior, make us
inferior. One should always acknowledge their own potential, rather than compare it to someone
else. In the music world, who you know can only take you so far, but your individual success is
determined by creativity, drive, and stability.