Today we’d like to introduce you to Chancelor ‘ChanceBTW’ Brabham
Hi Chancelor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’d say my journey started in a way that might surprise people—through hip hop. Growing up, I was completely captivated by the raw energy and storytelling of artists like Tupac, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Tech N9ne. Their music ignited my passion and set me on a path, even though it feels like a far cry from where I am today.
But it wasn’t until I discovered rock that everything clicked into place. Fall Out Boy was the catalyst—I remember the moment I realized I wanted to play guitar after hearing them. Soon after, bands like Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and John Mayer became my mentors in a way. They taught me almost everything I needed to learn during my formative years (ages 14–17), and inspired me to pick up not just the guitar, but also drums, keys, and bass.
Of course, my path wasn’t without its hurdles. I was born with a unique challenge—my hearing naturally interprets music a half step flat, which made singing especially difficult. Add to that growing up in Ulmer, a small farm town in South Carolina, where opportunities to build a band were few and far between. These obstacles, however, only pushed me to work harder. Moving to Charleston for college, and later transferring to Full Sail University in 2023 and relocating to Central Florida, opened up a whole new world of musical connections and possibilities.
Today, I’m fortunate to wear multiple hats. I work as a Music Youth Development Specialist at the Boys and Girls Club’s Bradley Otis Clubhouse in Orlando, where I get to inspire the next generation. On stage, I’m the frontman singer and guitarist for the ChanceBTW Band—a blues/soul/funk/rock cover band that really lets me express my range. I also play guitar for Stella-Fi, an up-and-coming band with some close friends, and I contribute as both guitarist and bassist for country artist Neil Dover. I even have a few of my own tracks streaming, drawing on that alt rock vibe that originally sparked my musical ambitions.
Ultimately, my dream is simple yet ambitious: I want to support myself full time as a live or recording musician. Whether it’s playing bass in a top 40 wedding band or rocking out in front of thousands on a stadium stage, I just want to be on stage doing what I love—and in doing so, support myself and my loved ones.
Some very important musicians in my journey I would love to shout out are, Philip ‘Peep’ Hutto, Chloe Towne, Woody Lingle, Debbie Lingle, Dr Nicholas Holland, Dr Brett Floyd, Carl Taylor II, Kevin Frazier, Jenny Lever, Celestino Duley, Julie Marcano, Mark Krurnowski, Chris Kline, Troy ‘Atom’ Frank, Alex Ivanov, Ralph Gray, Kevin Marcos, Geo Calderon, Ezra ‘Phat’ Williams, Jarrett Roles, John Olsen, and many many more. Without you guys I would not be half the musician I am today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like I mentioned before, a big issue for me has been my hearing. I don’t know exactly if I was born with it or if there was some cause. I remember having ear infections as a kid and i have a theory that event may be a possible cause. I didn’t even learn this was such an issue until college, and at the time I was 3-4 years into my career as a musician. In all honesty, at this point I’m almost against getting this checked out because I’m so comfortable working around it…what if I can get it fixed but in the process of fixing it have to completely relearn how to hear again.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since moving to Florida I think I’ve developed a reputation as a guitarist, and a reputation as someone who can be trusted to learn a lot of music really fast. Despite this, I’d say my primary instrument is bass, it’s the instrument I have the best “chops” on, it’s the instrument I read best on and it’s honestly the instrument I want to play more. I specialize in blues and funk guitar playing, but have skills in genres ranging from Metal to Punk Rock to Traditional Cuban Music and Jazz.
The thing I want my reputation to be as a musician though isn’t even exactly being a musician, but I want my peers and my network and those who know about me to know that I’m someone who wants to help. I am always willing to give up my spotlight in an attempt to raise someone else up. If someone needs a guitarist, I’m there, if someone needs a bassist I’m there, if someone needs a set of ears to help with a song or a record, I’m there. I believe that my skills will go much farther if I use them to help others rather than just keep them to myself.
In my own personal artistry, I say I’m not really a “genre” artist, I just like to make music, but in the end my style will always have a hint of Alt-rock. My most recent release, Deeper Than My Love is an intentional tribute to the style of music that inspired me to be a musician and is, in my opinion, my best work yet, setting a new standard for future releases of mine. I wrote, recorded, mixed, mastered, sang, played guitar and bass on this song all over the course of a month. It also features 3 musicians I have the most respect for, my friend Julie Marcano on backing vocals, my then teacher Troy ‘Atom’ Frank on drums and my lab instructor Mark Krurnowski on the guitar solo.
What matters most to you? Why?
Community. Music is about community. What good is learning something on an instrument if I can’t show anybody? What good is being a musician if you can’t share it with anybody? If your art only stays in the confines of your mind, is it even art? Art is human expression and a key part of the human experience, so I feel that for those os us who don’t share our art, we are missing out on a whole other level of the human experience.
Pricing:
- Solo Acoustic – 175$ – 3 hours
- Duo Acoustic – 250$ – 3 hours
- ChanceBTW Trio – 500$ – 3 hours
- ChanceBTW Band (4-5 piece) – 600$ – 3 hours
- Private Party Band – Contact for Negotiation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/chancebtwmusician/meet-my-team
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chancebtwmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1YN8SVz9qy/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chancebtw2003
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/chancebtw
