As GENTRI prepares for its first headline show in Provo on August 16 and 17 at the Covey Center for the Arts, band member Brad Robins looks back on his experiences and how far the band has come in the last few years.
Robins formed the Gentlemen Trio — GENTRI — with two other tenors who met at a Hale Center Theatre production of Les Miserables. They started the group in June of 2014 and were soon joined by their producer Stephen Nelson, a BYU commercial music grad.
Robins graduated from BYU with a business degree. He believes his business background has helped GENTRI succeed.
“GENTRI has turned into the ultimate entrepreneurial adventure: it’s the dream job, every bit the grind of growing a business. Without my foundation from the Marriott School, it’d have been a lot harder,” Robins said.
The group has performed in Provo at events like Stadium of Fire, the BYU Spectacular and BYU Education Week. However, its Covey Center shows will be its first headline performances in Provo.
Robins said the most rewarding part of being in the group is the brotherhood and bond he has with the other band members.
“I didn’t have brothers growing up, so this is about as close as I can get to having brothers. We laugh, we cry, we fight and we have a lot of fun together. It’s definitely its own little family.”
He also talked about the positive effects his music has had on people’s lives. People have reached out to the group and shared personal stories of how the music has talked them off the ledge and carried them through difficult times.
“When you hear firsthand from someone about how the music has impacted them, it becomes more real and more satisfying,” Robins said.
GENTRI’s first song, “Dare,” received international attention for featuring Alissa Sizemore, a dancer who lost her leg in an accident.
“The song was about daring to dream — it spoke to a lot of people,” Robins said.
Since that first song was released, the group has gone on multiple tours and produced four albums. In 2017, it performed over 40 shows all over the country. The Provo performances will be album release concerts for its fifth studio album, coming out soon.
GENTRI has several thousand loyal fans on social media, some who have followed the band since its first Time Out for Women tour. The band and its fans are a close-knit community.
“Heard you sing Silent Night for the first time at TOFW in Salt Lake City … and have attended concerts and purchased all of your CDs! You are the best!” said fan Dianne Pierce on social media.
The trio describes its sound as “cinematic pop” and enjoys performing with symphonies across the country.
“It brings a contemporary, accessible flair to what is seen as a timeless, old-school sound and bridges that demographic divide,” Robins said.
GENTRI is hoping to branch out to international audiences and perform more shows throughout the United States, but the band loves coming home to Utah to perform and is excited to play a show in Provo.
Robins said anyone seeking a professional music career should “dare to dream — no one ever made a difference in the world who dreamed small. Think bigger than you believe you’re capable of achieving. You’ll meet people, and opportunities will present themselves once you act.”
Tickets for the Covey Center shows are available at http://gentrimusic.com/shows/. Keep up with the group on social media at @gentrimusic.
