Tom Brooks (born October 31, 1954) is an American music producer, arranger, engineer, and conductor. He is keyboardist/Music Director for Alan Parsons and the Alan Parsons Live Project, and is the founding producer of Integrity Music and the Hosanna Music series distributed by Sony. For his production work Brooks has been awarded 6 Platinum Albums, 12 Gold Albums, a Latin Grammy Award, and a GMA Dove Award. He is Director of the Center for Commercial Music at California Baptist University and Music Professor at Hope International University. His "Language of Music" book is published by Hal Leonard Publishing.
Career
In 2019 Brooks conducted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv debuting his Prog-Rock arrangement of The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The piece features Alan Parsons, Steve Hackett, Jake Shimabukuro, Vinnie Colaiuta, Nathan East, and Jeff Kollman. He performed for NASA at the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing with Neil Armstrong's son and debuted the "One Note Symphony", a song he orchestrated and co-wrote with Alan Parsons. He also launched the 'Center for Commercial Music', orchestrated for Saturday Night Live performances by Chance the Rapper, and for Kanye West's Sunday Service at Coachella.
In 2017 Brooks conducted the orchestra and choir at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, performing with three-time Grammy winner Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, and 40 other artists. His arrangement of Chris Tomlin’s How Great is Our God was broadcast world-wide on the CBS television network.
In 2018 Brooks performed with David Foster, Steve Vai, Katharine McPhee, Alan Parsons, and Sisterhood, along with Katy Perry, Kenny Loggins, Wilson Phillips, and Richard Marx at the "Kick Ash Bash"; a fund-raising concert event to assist victims of the Santa Barbara/Montecito fire and mudslide disaster.
In 2016 Brooks received the Latin Grammy Award for "Best Christian Album" as producer of Marcos Vidal – 25 Años.
In 2013, Brooks performed with the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra and Alan Parsons at Parque Pies Descalzos in Medellín, Colombia. The live concert DVD was released in 2016 titled, The Alan Parsons Symphonic Project.
In 2011 The Language of Music, Brooks’ contemporary music theory textbook was published by Hal Leonard Publishing.
In 2012, Brooks joined six-time Grammy winner Aline Barros in Brasil to perform on her live concert DVD, 20 Años:pt:20 Anos (álbum de Aline Barros) featuring Michael W. Smith and Abraham Laboriel.
In 2009, he performed for a crowd of 750,000 people at ‘The Experience’ event in Lagos, Nigeria along with Grammy winner Kirk Franklin, Ron Kenoly, Bebe & Cece Winans, Don Moen, Israel Houghton, Donnie McClurkin, and other international artists. He also produced a live concert DVD of the event.
In 2000, he produced the title track of , from the Brazilian singer Aline Barros.
In 1997, Brooks received the GMA Dove Award for "Best Praise & Worship Album" as producer of Welcome Home featuring Ron Kenoly.
Brooks has produced 169 albums, 16 concert DVDs, 38 music training videos, and multiple choral and orchestral arrangements. He travels internationally as a keyboardist, seminar clinician, and orchestra conductor. He is a university professor and is Chief Engineer/owner of Master Recording Studios in Southern California.
Early While studying piano at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, Brooks served as Student Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony and Assistant Conductor of the Bach Society, blending these classical influences with his rock roots. He involved symphony players in live rock events and pop studio recording sessions. He directed two broadway shows, performed at local rock venues, produced a series of children's albums titled "Super Gang!", and continued to write and produce music for advertising and corporate clients Anheuser-Busch, McDonald's, among others.
He also began to record and produce live music in area churches New Covenant Fellowship and Grace World Outreach Center where he worked with artists Kent Henry, Ron Tucker, Don Moen, Charlie & Jill LeBlanc, Jeff Hamlin, Carl & Leann Albrecht, and others who would later become key figures in his work. In 1983, Brooks produced two Praise & Worship albums, Behold His Majesty and Glory to the Lamb, the first recordings of their kind to capture live symphony orchestra and rock rhythm section with live Worship.
Hosanna Music In 1984 these two albums came to the attention of New Wine Magazine, who offered to help market the recordings in their bi-monthly issues. As the magazine was preparing to shut down in 1985, the owners made a unique proposal to Brooks – they suggested that if he would continue to produce live Praise & Worship albums on a bi-monthly basis, they would offer their subscribers a new music album every eight weeks instead of a magazine. He agreed and the "Hosanna Music" series was born. Brooks went on to produce over 100 successful albums for Integrity's Hosanna Music, mostly recorded live in churches throughout the US and around the world. Notable among these are Lift Him Up, God Is Able, and Sing Out featuring Ron Kenoly and Give Thanks featuring Don Moen. While producing for Integrity, Brooks also created a series of instrumental albums, choral works, orchestral arrangements, and concert videos.
In 1985, Brooks arranged and produced seven albums including All Hail King Jesus featuring Kent Henry, one of the largest selling Hosanna albums in Integrity Music's history. The album went on to be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units.
He produced, arranged, and engineered eight albums in 1986 including Give Thanks which went on to be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units.
Mighty Warrior with worship leader Randy Rothwell was produced by Brooks in 1987, featuring full orchestra blended with a pop-rock rhythm section. In that same year, Brooks also arranged and produced Experience PEACE, the first in the Hosanna Instrumental Series, which is currently used by Korean Airlines to underscore their in-flight entertainment.
Brooks arranged and produced eight recordings in 1988 including "A Family Christmas" for Maranatha Music and Steadfast Love with Don Moen, and albums featuring Charlie LeBlanc, Marty Nystrom, and Joseph Garlington, plus 3 more instrumental albums including Experience JOY.
In 1989, he produced The Lord Reigns at the YWAM base in Kona Hawaii featuring Bob Fitts as well as his third album with Don Moen, Bless the Lord and Experience REST.
The 1990s In 1990, Brooks traveled to Scotland to produce Amazing LoveArchived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: with Graham Kendrick as well as Don Moen's fourth album Eternal God and the first Hosanna Christmas album. He also produced the Experience LOVE album and four others.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
Ron Kenoly's first album, Jesus Is Alive was produced by Brooks in 1991, along with Highest Place featuring Bob Fitts and 6 other live recordings. That same year, Brooks was also producing sessions for Maranatha Music in Southern California and moved his studio operation to Orange County in August 1991. The following day, he flew to Australia to record All Nations Worship with Mark Conner, in Melbourne.
1992 saw several milestones; Brooks arranged and produced Lift Him Up featuring Ron Kenoly at Chrysler Hall in Virginia. For the live recording Brooks brought together several world renowned Christian musicians including Abraham Laboriel, Chester Thompson, Alex Acuna, and Justo Almario. This was also the first live Hosanna concert video. Both the CD and DVD have been certified Gold by the RIAA. Brooks also produced Worship with Don Moen and He Is Faithful, the first album featuring prolific songwriter Paul Baloche.
As tensions were riding high against the Apartheid system in 1993, Brooks brought a team of 20 musicians and singers to South Africa for a goodwill tour and two live album recordings, Rejoice Africa featuring Lionel Petersen and We Are One with Tom Inglis. Both concert DVDs made powerful statements of unity with many differing cultural groups singing songs of peace side-by-side on stage together.
Brooks arranged and produced another Gold album and DVD for Ron Kenoly in 1994 titled, God Is Able in Atlanta (which featured a song with three drummers) along with Revive Us Again featuring Alvin Slaughter and 6 more successful projects. He also began a musicians' training institute at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.
A highlight of 1995 was the recording of Sing Out, his fourth album with Ron Kenoly. The album and DVD featured the ‘African Children's Choir’, a percussion parade, a song in three languages and Paul Jackson Jr. on guitar. Both the CD and DVD have been certified Gold by the RIAA. Brooks also arranged and produced Integrity's Christmas album, Bethlehem's Treasure that same year featuring Kelly Willard, Bob Fitts, and Lenny LeBlanc.
In 1996, Brooks produced his fifth CD with Ron Kenoly, Welcome Home, which went on to receive a GMA Dove Award in 1997. He also produced Praise with Don Moen and 6 other album projects as well as touring again in Korea and South America.
In 1997, he again teamed up with Don Moen to produce Let Your Glory Fall in Ft. Lauderdale FL. Brooks also recorded Beauty for Ashes for Crystal Lewis and performed throughout Europe and Asia.
Brooks arranged and produced two live CDs and two concert DVDs in one night in 1998; Majesty featuring Ron Kenoly and God Is Good with Don Moen. The double concert was recorded at Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia. He also recorded Gold for Lewis.
Brooks brought a team of musicians to Rome, Italy in 1999 to record We Offer Praises with Ron Kenoly featuring drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and the ‘Coro de Gloria’. That year also marked three more projects with Don Moen, More of You Lord, En Tu Presencia in Spanish featuring Brazilian artist Aline Barros, and the re-release of Give Thanks, making it one of the largest selling Integrity albums in their history. The WOW Worship series was also launched that same year eventually winning a Double Platinum award for Brooks.
The 2000s On a tour of Asia in 2000, Brooks produced two albums featuring Don Moen, The Mercy Seat recorded live in Singapore and Heal Our Land recorded live in Seoul with special guest Paul Wilbur.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: He also produced Mas De Ti in Spanish plus six other artist albums. The Songs 4 Worship series was launched that same year awarding Brooks with a Double Platinum Album in January 2002.
Less than one month after the September 11 attacks in 2001, he took 25 gifted musicians and singers to South Korea for a live recording and tour featuring Ron Kenoly, Kent Henry, Morris Chapman, Aline Barros, Rick Muchow, Sheila E., Jeff Deyo, and more. The live recording in Seoul brought a crowd of 69,000 to Yeouido Plaza and the tour ended with a concert at the DMZ, the border with Communist North Korea.
In 2002, he arranged and produced the "American Worship Gathering", a live Concert event at the Washington Monument featuring Tommy Walker, Jeff Deyo, Don Moen, Bob Fitts, Lenny LeBlanc, Rick Muchow, Sheila E., along with Pastors Louie Giglio and Rick Warren. He was also featured on the album Songs for a Purpose Driven Life, based on Rick Warren's best selling book.
During a tour of Europe in 2003 with ‘Abe Laboriel & Friends’, Brooks played and produced a live jazz/world music album with Abe, Paul Jackson Jr, and Vinnie Colaiuta called Live in Switzerland. That year also marked the release of two more Don Moen albums, God Will Make A Way and Trono de Gracia plus iWorship – a Total Worship Experience that has received a Platinum Album sales award.