(Read Time: 2 1/2 Minutes)
Resilience
the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties
Synonyms: Flexible, Strong, Durable, Irrepressible, Tough
The 5 Brown’s
Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae
Who They Are
- Remarkably talented Julliard trained classical pianists (The first 5 siblings to ever attend Julliard simultaneously)
- Critically acclaimed quintet since 2002
- Recording artists: 6 full length classical CD’s to date (3 ranked #1-Billboard’s Classical Music Chart)
- International touring artists (Yes, they’ve played at Carnegie Hall – and just about everywhere else)
- Published authors and respected bloggers
- Victims of sexual abuse
The Timeline
1990’s: Throughout the 1990’s, the girls-Deondra, Desirae and Melody were sexually abused by their father.
2008: The siblings had graduated from Julliard, were playing together professionally, had experienced international fame and recorded 5 full length CD’s.
The siblings, whose professional careers had always been managed by their father, fired him.
2009: Supported by each other and their spouses, the girls filed formal charges of sexual abuse against their father. They filed these charges after their father declared that he would scout other young talent to manage.
2011: Their father was sentenced to 10 years in prison. For many, the sentencing would have closed a horrific chapter. That same year, Deondra and Desirae co-founded theFoundation for Survivors of Abuse to advocate for policy change around reporting abuse.
Today: All of the siblings are married. Two of the girls have children of their own. The quintet continues to tour, grow professionally and record (album #6 and counting).
Why Resilience Mattered
‘Resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone’. American Psychological Association (www.apa.org)
10 Techniques to Build Resilience
(from the APA)
- Make Connections with Others and Accept Support
- Avoid Seeing Crises as Insurmountable Problems (every situation has a solution)
- Accept that Change is Part of Living
- Develop Realistic Goals and Move Toward Them
- Take Decisive Action
- Look for Opportunities for Self-Discovery
- Nurture a Positive View of Yourself/Trust Your Instincts
- Keep Things in Perspective
- Maintain a Hopeful Outlook
- Take Care of Yourself
It took a decade and the threat of their father abusing again for the Brown girls to act. But they did.
They banded together (siblings and spouses), made a plan (filed charges), set a goal (take their father out of reach of children), took decisive action (father was convicted), kept it in perspective (continued to perform, tour and record albums), maintained a hopeful outlook(created a foundation), and took care of themselves (two of the sisters have children of their own).
At some point, we will all face hardship or a period of indecision. These periods may even seem insurmountable. But we all have the capacity to overcome and excel.
That capacity is called resilience.
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