Milwaukee native Malik Johnson is a Grammy-nominated cellist, composer and music producer.
And he recently added the title of artist in residence at Milwaukee’s Betty Brinn Children’s Museum to his repertoire.
Johnson became the museum’s first artist in residence last year and returns to the role this year to continue connecting with children and families through music.
He spoke with Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez about his work and the Betty Brinn artist in residence program.
How did you first discover the cello?
I would say the cello discovered me. I was in third grade when the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra came to my school and asked teachers if they knew any students who might want to learn an instrument. My mom and I were interested, so when we got there, they had… the violin, viola, cello, and bass. I thought the bass they were offering was the electric bass, but when I got there, it was an upright bass. I was like ‘What is this thing? This was not what I expected.’ Turns out, they ran out of upright basses, and they were like, ‘We have the cello… it’s the next best thing.’ So I started playing the cello.
But I would say a lot of things made me stick with the cello. One, I would say the cello is just the best-sounding instrument. The violin is kind of high, and the bass is really low, but the cello was a good sweet spot. It's the most like a human voice. My cello teacher, for example… would use so much musicality in her playing. She would be really big and expressive. So that, combined with the sweetness and the sound of the cello, really made me fall in love with it.
What do you do as an artist in residence at a children's museum?
There are a few components to my residency at Betty Brinn. The first one is that I give weekly performances where I just play my cello and jam out with the kids. It's really fun — we have a lot of kids dancing and newborns and toddlers are crawling around, trying to get close to my cello. It's a good time. The second part is that I give Toddler Talkbacks. This is a 30-minute session that promotes social-emotional learning with the kids. Some things we discuss are exploring your goals and dreaming big.
This year is a little different than last year. So last year, to end the residency, I created the Betty Brinn official theme song. But this year, we're going to start bringing music to the families — we're going to use household items to create instruments. So we’ll be creating pan flutes and rain sticks with kids that they can take home.
Betty Brinn was a staple in my childhood. So when this opportunity presented itself, I knew this was meant to be, because this was a place where I felt seen and a place I felt I could explore my dreams and become who I wanted to be. So I want to do the same thing and provide those same experiences for our guests.
What advice do you have for up-and-coming musicians or artists?
I would say the biggest thing I try to remind myself every day is that it's about the journey and not the destination. Sometimes I feel like ‘Oh, I should be at this point or I feel I should have this amount of dollars.’ But it's really just about the people you’re affecting and the people you will inspire. So that's what I try to kind of focus on — how much impact I'm creating. I would recommend others to do the same and remember that it’s about the journey, and not where you end up.
Visit the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum website to learn more about Johnson’s upcoming performances.
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