Today we’d like to introduce you to Brentney J. and Brian L. Boyd. Them and their team share their story with us below:
M.A.D. began as a summer camp in 2018 under the direction of performers Brentney J. and Brian L. Boyd. Both are professional performers who have traveled the country doing various productions and projects. Throughout their career, they have become aware of their influence and lack of opportunities for youth and emerging artists in their communities. Through this awareness, M.A.D. was born and has since trained over 300 students in various genres of art through after-school programs, summer camps, mentorship programs, private lessons, and original productions. M.A.D became a 501c(3) nonprofit in September 2020 and continues to provide quality performing arts education to under-served students and emerging artists.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Running our business as been very tough. From January 2018 until Fall of 2019, we probably encountered our biggest obstacles. We didn’t have much money coming in for our business at all. We were working side jobs that we are grateful for, but they definitely did not give us any fulfillment. Our clientele base was good, but we had to learn a lot, and learn quickly how to make our business become profitable for us. We were definitely in the red!
Eventually, we began booking more performance contracts, and setting money aside to invest more in our business. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we hit another bump in the road. The majority of our business is centered around children, so we had to figure out a way to continue our programming while staying safe and continuing to build more income for our business.
When we became nonprofit in September of 2020, our financial struggles dwindled. We were able to receive a lot of grant money, sponsorships, and tax-deductible donations, which has helped us get over our financial struggles. We are now able to underwrite a lot of the costs and expenses that come with running our business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We provide an array of performing arts programs for students in underserved communities where access to the services we provide are not readily available or affordable. Our target audience is focused on K-12 BIPOC students and students of low socioeconomic status. We partner with various private, public, and charter schools who are in need of the services we offer. While many school systems are eliminating performing arts from their curriculum, our organization helps to bridge the gap, by providing students with outlets that help them with creativity, discipline, communication, public speaking, and team-building.
We 100% understand that every child that enters our program will does not have the desire to become the next best performer. Our goal with our programs is to continue to be a catalyst within our community by providing quality performing arts education to children who have the desire to learn more about performing arts and expose children to performing arts who have not had the opportunity to do so. We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to engage in performing arts as a way to explore cultural expression, self-awareness, team-building, and confidence. This funding will help us to become more innovative with our programs, so we can introduce our students to new methods of learning and performing. We want to excite our students and encourage them to use their imagination to create tangible products they can be proud of and continue to build on throughout their years of studying and creating with us.
How do you think about luck?
Brian and I (Brentney) talk about God’s favor all the time. We don’t even acknowledge it as luck anymore. There have been a lot of personal obstacles in our lives that seemed horrible at the moment but was turned around for our benefit. There were many decisions made in our younger lives that brought us together.
Brian and I (Brentney) are professional performers. Brian graduated from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor’s in Theatre Performance. He is definitely the definition of Black Boy Joy and true triple threat.
I (Brentney) have trained as a dancer for 18 years and continued dancing and training in college at Bethune-Cookman University. I wasn’t a dance major, but I was a part of the school’s dance company, Orchesis Dance Ensemble. I thought I was going to be a medical professional but failed at that. Brian had no idea what his next move was out of college, but not knowing what the future held for either of us, taking chances, and trusting God brought us together in 2016. We met during a performance contract at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in Sarasota, FL, and yes we are a couple. We are actually engaged now. Performing Arts brought us to love. It is great being able to birth a vision with your partner. A lot of people say that working with friends, family, or your significant other is a bad idea, but it works for us. We understand our strengths and weaknesses, and we trust each other with our areas of expertise.
Years of uncertainty, questionable choices, and failing at other endeavors brought us together and has allowed us to create a beautiful service that can be appreciated by so many students, schools, and parents.
Pricing:
- Summer Camp $100-$140/week
- Private Lessons $60-$325/package
- Teaching Outsourcing $35-$60/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: www.musicactingdance.com
- Instagram: musicactingdance
- Facebook: MAD Music Acting Dance, Inc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaqNK7c3J8prt1SDndfbPWg
