A campus-wide campaign 

Brown Gives first began as a two-month employee pledge drive. Today, it has grown into a year-round effort featuring dozens of creative fundraising events — from golf tournaments and dress-down days to bake sales and raffles. Over the past five years, the campaign has raised nearly $1 million for the United Way, with contributions from more than 1,100 Brown community members. 

Each year, departments across campus, led by volunteer Brown Gives campaign leaders, introduce imaginative ways to raise funds. One longstanding fundraiser is the Brown Bookstore’s round-up program, which invites customers to round their purchases to the nearest dollar. The Real Estate and Auxiliary Housing office hosts an annual cornhole tournament each June, while the Division of Advancement raises funds each March through its “Leprechaun Letters” event, where participants send festive notes to colleagues.

 Eager to add something fresh, Geoff Greene, a campaign leader for the Office of Information Technology began brainstorming new ways to encourage participation.

 “At one of my very first meetings, someone asked, ‘Does anyone have ideas on how we can raise more funds?’” Greene said. “I’ve been a church musician for years, and I’ve done a lot of fundraising through music and so I said, ‘Why not do something with music? It’s a great way to bring people together and raise money while we’re at it.’”

The concept was met with enthusiasm, and the fundraiser quickly took shape. The three bands were natural choices for the event, each known within the Brown community for past performances on campus. Together, they brought a cross-section of Brown’s creative talent to the stage, uniting faculty and staff from departments across campus for a night of community, connection and fun. 

A night of rock, reggae and rhythm

The night opened with Dirty Filthy Basement, whose classic rock edge set an energetic, foot-stomping tone for the evening. Named for a lyric from the Rolling Stones’ “Let It Bleed” and together since 2011, the band put its signature spin on rock favorites including the Beatles’ “Don’t Pass Me By,” the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” and Madonna’s “Borderline.”

The audience of nearly 200 Brown faculty, staff and students shared in the excitement, clapping, singing and moving along from their seats. Katherine Scanga, a manager for the Department of Philosophy, was one of many who joined not only for the music, but to cheer on colleagues. 

“I wanted to attend because I love music — but I also love the talent at Brown,” Scanga said. “It’s so much fun to see professors, deans and staff expressing themselves in a different way outside the classroom.” 

Professor Roots kept the crowd energized with a mix of originals and classic covers, their smooth reggae rhythms bringing warmth and joy that contrasted the chill outside. The band’s soulful takes on 1970s hits like “Too Late to Turn Back Now” by Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, and Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” had audience members moving.

Alongside his long career at Brown, Greene, the keyboardist for Professor Roots, has always viewed music as his life’s work. A pianist and organist for decades, he founded Professor Roots in 2014 with fellow staff member Fred Jackson, now retired, whom he first met on campus in 1992.

“One of my greatest joys is bringing the band together,” Greene said. “Music is fun — it’s a universal language. It connects people across culture, language, age and background.” 

Lilly Cordova, who attended with colleagues from the Office of Information Technology, said it was that sense of connection that motivated her to attend. 

“I think this is such a great way to bring people together,” Cordova said. “I wanted to support Geoff and his band but I also love Funkademic because I’ve heard them perform before, so I knew they’d be amazing, and it’s great that we can come out and support such an important cause.”

Closing the night with a blend of funk, soul, pop and R&B, Funkademic sparked a spontaneous burst of dancing. Their high-energy set — from Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” and Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary,” showcased both musical precision and infectious joy. When the opening beats of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” hit, a jolt of excitement rippled through the Lindemann. Voices joined in, hands clapped to the rhythm and a few dancers took to the aisles, bouncing and swaying along to the beat. 

“I hope people leave tonight excited — that they’ve met colleagues in person for the first time, that they’re inspired by the Lindemann, and that they feel good knowing they had fun while supporting a great cause,” said Kara Kelley, chief of staff to the executive vice president and one of the organizers. 

Kelley said she hopes the Battle of the Bands will become a tradition and that Brown Gives will continue to inspire new and creative fundraising events each year. 

“I think we’d all love to do it again — and maybe even discover a few more Brown bands along the way,” she said. “Brown Gives campaign leaders are always looking for new ways to showcase faculty and staff talent, bring the campus community together and extend Brown’s impact across Rhode Island.”