It all started in Beaumont, TX. Joe and John Beaty were born into that East Texas heat and humidity. It took a few years and a few bumps in the road, but the Beaty Boys found their calling, they found their instruments. They both took to practicing 8 hours a day. The brothers knew they wanted to end up in New York City and they had the perfect pit stop.
Both Beaty Brothers were accepted with scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy. The brothers now had the opportunity they needed to ensure their ticket to New York. They could practice a staggering twelve hours a day. Sharing, mentoring, and teaching one other the Beatys soaked up the worlds of classical music, dance, poetry, art, and theater.
In mid-August of 2001, the brothers fulfilled their goal of making it to New York City. Both of the them received scholarships again and continued to maintain there crazy practice habits. What the brothers didn't realize was that they would learn more in that first month then ten colleges could teach. While getting ready for class, the brothers actually saw the bottom of the first plane flying low over union square. There are few words that can be used. To see the people of New York first hand rebuild and recover. The city dead below 14th street. The meetings, vigil's, and soap boxes in Union Square. The white smoke, the sore throats, the nose bleeds. The smell. The New York the Beaty Brothers have known is so completely different than what they could have imagined.
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They didn't run from the city, they became part of the city. They finished at New School then moved on to NYU where they were also accepted as faculty. For two years the brothers studied and taught at NYU. Through there years studying in New York the brothers got to play with some of the greatest instrumentalist in the world. Guys like John Scofield, Richard Bona, Chris Potter, Dafnis Prieto, Jean-Michel Pilc, Ari Hoenig, Reggie Workman, Ruben Blades, and Bobby Sanabria.
They thought it was time to move on and become touring musicians. That summer the Beatys were in Japan on tour when Joe's heart took a turn for the worse. Joe was born with WPW syndrome. WPW is deadly in .2%, that's right point two percent, that are born with it. It became clear Joe needed a doctor. Unfortunately without health care Joe had trouble paying to see a cardiologist. However, after a tour in France piano titan Jean-Michel Pilc found Joe a cardiologist and made doctor visits possible. Joe was told he would need to have a massive event in order to get the surgery without the cash and without health care. Several months later, Joe indeed have a heart attack. The ensuing surgery failed, and a full year would go by before the technology was made available to help Joe. After a year of tremendous courage, living under the almost daily threat of death, Joe would be fixed.
During that year, John continued to tour and perform. Though performing was difficult for Joe, both the Beatys were able to do work for Stings album, “If On A Winter's Night” helping with scores and parts. Didn't get all that book learnin' for nothin'! What happened when Joe came back and was healthy was Beaumont. It is the beautiful place the brothers had in their minds practicing 182.5 full twenty four hour days a year, or six and a half solid months. Beaumont is their playground, their happy place, their melancholy place, their heart and souls. . Show less
