Nicholas Brown, a graduate of the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, has written his first musical score.

The 18-year-old, described as a musical genius by producer Vincent Kee, wrote 30 songs used in Kee's production, 100 Years of Divas in American Music at Sonny's Place.

"I am impressed with his talent at this age,'' said Kee, who wrote the play. Brown wrote the music to such songs as "Calculatin' Bluz," adopted for the Ma Rainey character, and "As Blue as Blue Can Get," around the Billie Holiday character, Kee said.

Ron Williams (from left), Veliesa Jenkins, Linda P. Brown, Vincent Kee and Nicholas Brown work on one of Nicholas Brown's compositions for "100 Years of Divas at Sonny's Place." The composer, 18, is a recent graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts. The Enquirer/MICHAEL E. KEATING

The play was performed by local actors June 26-27 at the Cincinnati Art Museum as a fund-raiser, using local singers and actors.

"It wasn't very hard after Mr. Kee told me what he wanted," said Brown, who also had a role in the play as Jelly Roll Morton. "He wrote the words to the songs and I put the music to them."

Kee said the play drew a packed audience at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Brown comes from a musical family. His late father, Kevin Brown, was a bass player for several bands in Cincinnati. His grandmother, Lillie Brown, is the minister of music at Bethel Baptist Church, Walnut Hills. His mother, Kim Brown, is an artist.

Kee said the play will be performed at Jazz in The Park in Forest Park, July 23-24.

For more information, call 542-6366 or 731-4445.

Self-development for girls

irls ages 13-17 are invited to a free information session on the art of self-development at 6 p.m. today at the Butterfield Recreation Center, 22 Garfield Place, downtown.

Registration is not necessary, said Bobbie Corbean, who is conducting the session. "Give your daughter the lifetime tools of self-esteem and projection,'' Corbean said.

For more information, call 721-0287.

Memorial golf tournament

In honor of the late Bob Hampton, who died of diabetes complications last year, his family is sponsoring a memorial golf tournament Aug. 2 to raise money for the local American Diabetes Association.

The event will be at Belwood Country Club, Morrow, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

Hampton was former president and CEO of Midwest Container Corp.

For more information, call 759-9330 or 378-8765.

Shelter reunion

A reunion is planned from 5-9 p.m. today for former and current guests, board members and volunteers at Bethany House Services Emergency Shelter for homeless women and children.

The event will be a children's carnival in the 1800 Block of Fairmount Avenue, South Fairmount.

The event will raise money for Bethany House Services to carry out its programs for homeless women and children.

Grant to boost safety effort

WYOMING - The fire department recently received an $11,842 grant from the U.S. Fire Administration to enhance fire safety and public education efforts here.

The grant will help purchase several items to initiate new safety programs. These programs will include a 911 simulator, which will teach young children the proper way to place an emergency call to a 911 dispatcher.

Programs for senior citizens are also being formed.

One uses a miniature house that is outfitted to demonstrate a variety of fire and life-safety dangers.

The design of the miniature home allows the audience to see firsthand, for example, how smoke from a typical bedroom fire builds at the ceiling and demonstrates the need for smoke detectors and at least two means of escape from every room in a home.

"This grant will help enrich our fire safety presentations to nearly every citizen of Wyoming," said Fire Chief Robert Rielage. "Another aspect of the grant is to statistically determine the impact that such programs may have on the frequency of fires and related injuries in our community."