My Handi- Capable Reporter October 2000

A 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Corporation Volume 5 Issue 9

"Changing Pessimism to Optimism"

 

Meet the Phenomenal Brad Gilbert

By Brandi Bard and told by Brad Gilbert in his own words .....

My name is Brad Gilbert (professionally known as Simon Illa) and I am a 24 year-old hip-hop/r&b producer from the Midwest. I am writing not to talk just about my career in the music industry, I am writing to convey my experiences which have brought me to what I am today. My life experience is all but "normal". I was the second born in my family with a genetic "disorder" known as OI (osteogenisis imperfecta), the other being my older brother Brian. This results in a weak skeletal structure and short stature. I'm 3' 1" tall. From my day of birth I have defied the assumption that I would not live to be one year old. However, as common sense can tell you, they were wrong.

In my youth, I lived through numerous broken bones and the death of my mother when I was three. My brother and I moved in with our grandparents and life moved on, albeit with the occasional broken bone and usual trouble that kids get into. What I began to understand very early is that if you don't feel or believe that you are different you realize that nothing is out of your reach.

This is where music began to take a big role in my life. My

father, whom I did not live with or even know very well, was my idol. Before I was born, he was playing guitar in a local band (The Gilbert Brothers Band). I knew from a very early age, I wanted to play guitar like my father, I felt this would help make me closer to him in some way. However, guitar playing for me was just a dream until the age of thirteen when my grandmother bought me a guitar which was scaled down to my size (Thanks Grandma).

My two best friends, Pete Briseno and Pat Postlewait and I spent days and days in my room writing songs. This lasted for many years, probably to the dislike of my grandmother (just kidding). In 1994, I graduated from Paris High School and moved to the campus of Indiana State University in the fall to pursue a degree in music.

College started with a broken knee. Still not stopping me, back to the story..

During orientation I was told that sight reading music was a requirement for the music majors. However the fact that I could not play in school band growing up (although I scored very high on the band test in grade school), left me lacking this knowledge. Very disappointed yet not undetermined about music, I decided to take my second choice and major in Geography and Climatology (nothing personal Dr. Bierly, my climatology prof.).

During my second year of college I joined a live hip hop band called UGS playing guitar and we played numerous campus shows and recorded two albums as a full band. One of the band members, lead rapper Tony Doyle (aka Taboo) and I took his management company and turned it into a record label / recording studio with a third partner Monique Jackson. I have earned production and writing credits on nearly 30 albums (almost 150 songs), primarily hip-hop and r&b as well as a Bachelors in Science from ISU.

There is definitely one person I have to mention here and that is the person who has given me the courage to pursue my music career and to never give up, Billy Terrell. Billy Terrell is known throughout the music industry as the great producer and writer of several hit songs. I met Billy at the Philadelphia Music Conference in 1997. We really did not speak when we met, he just gave me his card. Of course, I called him and he conveyed his interest in what I did. Since then, he has taken the time to listen to my work, give me advice on the industry, and help me get my foot (or wheel, just kidding again) in the door of people within the industry. Thanks, Billy!!

Currently, I am planning to move to the East Coast to pursue music production work on the major industry scale with other writers and producers. (can't forget Keith Huggins, great writer, good friend).

Although still rather young, I have never lost sight of the reality that I can do whatever I want I in life. I have written this not only to thank those who helped me get where I am, but to also make people realize that society made the term "disabled". I'm here to prove society wrong. (Notice I did not focus on the disability that much .that's the point!)

Anyone can check out some of my work at this internet address:

http://stations.mp3s.com/stations/77/midwests_best1.html

or email me: Simon_Illa@excite.com

----To my mother Ruby Jewell and my father Joe Gilbert: Rest In Peace.

I Love You---Peace.

Simon Illa (producer) "Disabling" the music industry since 1995.

"They will have to build a ramp at the Grammys@.