The rich, percussive strings of piano chords sparked a young Braunte Beeks’ interest in music.
Her mother, Heather Gin, a singer, producer and pianist, often played songs by Alicia Keys and Beyonce, inspiring Beeks to sing along at just three years old.
Gin saw the potential of her daughter’s passion for music, which ultimately led her to get Beeks’ music career started.
“I always grew up watching her perform at different Seattle venues and helping promote her shows, and as a little girl putting up her posters and stuff,” Beeks said.“So that was how I got into music, because my mom was into it.”
Today, Beeks has continued her passion for music, turning into an R&B singer-songwriter with a unique melodic sound with loud instrumentation. Beeks produces her own music and DJs for Sacramento State’s student-run KSSU radio as ‘DJ B.A.B.’
Additionally, she is the San Francisco Representative for Grammy U, a mentorship program that teaches artists aged 18 to 29 about the music industry.
The Grammy U Rep
The Grammy Academy created Grammy U in 2006 to help artists get their foot in the door and it expanded in 2023 to include anyone aged 18 to 29.
Beeks became the San Francisco representative after entering a song-writing competition, according to Gin. She represents Northern California, Utah, and Colorado as the San Francisco representative.
Being part of the Grammy U program allowed Beeks to experience the 68th annual Grammy Awards ceremony on Feb 1.
“I help out with producing events,” Beeks said about her job as the Grammy U rep. “I was at the Grammy Awards, and I was helping with the red carpet check-in, and hosting people… It’s really like an experience and something built out for students that the Recording Academy does. So it’s amazing to experience that.”
Beeks didn’t go alone; she was able to take her mother, the person who got her started on her music journey.
“My daughter worked hard,” Gin said. “I worked hard to get her to work. I’m very emotional over everything. I’m just so proud of her.”
She attended many events leading up to the ceremony, including learning what it takes to do a music festival and a “Best New Artists” event.
“As a DJ or a music artist, I love curating music,” Beeks said. “So seeing the different artists, and just learning what this could look like for me when I start getting more into my music career.”
Beeks said that, after attending the Grammys, one of her goals is to eventually be nominated for or receive a Grammy for her work as an artist.
“I would have never imagined myself in that sort of space, but I want to be more comfortable being in that space, because I know I’m there for a reason. But right now, I’m focusing on how to be myself and create art as my most authentic self, and my only hope is that would translate into a successful career.”
Formative artist years
Beeks said watching her mother sing and play the piano were formative years in her life. Those days and nights listening and singing along inspired her mother to put her into talent shows.
Gin said the talent show was a big deal to both of them.
“She was just on the stage, ready to go, confident,” Gin said. “The difference between me and her is I studied it, like I learned it, and, for her, it comes natural.”
By the time Beeks got to high school, she was writing and recording her own music with her mom’s help. She released her first EP, “Energy,” at age 16, with her mom helping her put it together.
“We just started working on stuff, and she started creating with me and helping me learn,” Beeks said. “She helped me with doing that, which led to me eventually learning how to record myself too. So, I think that EP was a foundational point on how to record my own voice.”
Beeks would describe her music as “ethereal” and “otherworldly,” with many layers that evoke a nostalgic feel.
As Beeks’ musical progress continued, she began taking audio engineering classes at Edmonds College in Washington before moving to Sacramento. She now produces all her music in Logic and has built an in-home studio in her apartment.
Her most recent release, “Miss Pearl,” was special to her because she recorded the 4-song EP entirely in her closet.
“It’s my first project that I fully produced myself. And it was probably like two years in the making of that,” Beeks said. “The really cool thing about it is, when I started the Grammys, I met one of the engineers who works at Million Dollar Snare, Demetrius, and he mastered my project, but he’s mastered a lot of people’s albums.”
Beeks will be graduating from Sac State this summer, where she’ll be DJing her own commencement, and plans to move to Los Angeles in the future for more opportunities.
“I think I’ve really thrived here. And I’m happy to go back and forth,” she said. “But I think just as a support system, LA makes sense for me. But Sacramento is amazing, I’ll definitely always see it as my second home.”
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.