Brooks Taylor Salloum (they/them) has, since childhood, had an aptitude and unwavering curiosity for music. As well as being the double bass teaching artist at MYCincinnati, they are the Youth Programming Coordinator of Girls Rock Cincinnati and in the midst of their masters degree in Double Bass at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music (under the tutelage of Professor Rachel Calin). Brooks regularly performs double bass for freelance gigs with various groups, such as Elementz’s Hip Hop Orchestra and a folk-americana band Wild Carrot, as well as solo sets of covers and originals using their double bass, vocals, guitar, and a loop pedal.

Since initiating their conservatory studies as an undergraduate in 2015, Brooks has performed under the baton of maestros Aik Khai Pung and Mark Gibson, traveled to the Czech Republic on a scholarship to perform with the Prague Summer Nights Festival, and collaborated with organizations such as ArtsWave, WavePool, WordPlay, and the Fringe Festival. In CCM’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Brooks was awarded the position of principal double bassist, and performed the famous Mahler Symphony 1 double bass solo. Brooks’ bass skills are featured on various recording projects with musicians like Ric Hordinsky, Elsa Kennedy, and Al Classic Music.

Brooks’ career focuses on the use of music as a tool for activism, having donated performances to several activist causes over the years. Brooks co-founded the Youth Poetic Performance Collaboration, a project in which youth poets and musicians join forces to craft performance pieces focused on activism causes. Brooks ultimately aspires to use music to uplift the causes of those who live at the margins of modern society.
Brooks is from Lexington, Kentucky; has two dogs, and loves to garden and hike. They hope to attend graduate school in the near future to progress their musical career.