Or at least that's what you might believe when talking with the five cheerful offspring of Keith and Lisa Brown. The five are the hottest act in classical music.

They are serious, Juilliard-trained pianists ages 21 to 27 who don't shy from casual dress. They always take time during their concerts for questions from the audience.

What separates the Browns from most cheesily hyped classical crossover acts is that they are all sophisticated musicians. Each studied with one of Juilliard's all-time great teachers, Yoheved Kaplinsky.

Their Kansas City area debut is this Friday at the Pavilion at John Knox Village. The audience might skew older than the Browns are used to. Half of the subscribers to the Lee's Summit Concert Association are residents of the retirement community.

But the quintet of scrubbed, smiling keyboard whizzes has delighted not just kids but their parents and grandparents since its debut in 2005. If the sales of their CDs are a sign, these young 'uns might do more for classical music than Leonard Bernstein, Pavarotti and Joshua Bell combined.

"It's not the music's fault; it's the establishment's fault," said 27-year-old Desirae, speaking on Ryan's cell phone as the five drove across Wyoming to their next concert.

"They try to make it so elitist when, in essence, classical music has what every other genre of music has — joy, anger, love, hate. What we're trying to do in our concerts is make it about the music. We dress the way we normally dress, and we talk to the audience and let people know this music is not just for upper crust."

They play some barnstorming ensemble numbers on five pianos provided by Steinway & Sons. Their "Rhapsody in Blue" on the latest CD is a convincing version of Gershwin's classic. And they also break out into solo, duo and trio numbers.

"We didn't lose our solo repertoire in the process," said Gregory, 24. "As long as we have the best of all possible worlds, I can imagine us doing this for a while, as long as people want to hear us."

Lisa Brown didn't set out to create five pint-sized pianists. But when each child turned 3, the parents bestowed upon him or her the "honor" of starting piano lessons. As they grew up, it felt as natural as brushing one's teeth.

"It's mostly nurture and a little bit of nature," Desirae added. "Chances are pretty high that if you have the combination of dedicated parents and teachers who really care and you work seriously, you can achieve something. I think talent does have a little bit of an impact."

Lisa Brown was a classically trained opera singer from Houston, where all five of the children were born, and she knew about music and early childhood development. She would sit with the children for hours every day well into their adolescence, by which time they began to run off to Juilliard. The whole family moved to New York for a time while the Browns became the first family ever to have five students at Juilliard at once.

One of the first purchases the Browns made as a young couple was a Steinway upright piano. Now that the Browns are a traveling ad for Steinway, the company transports five concert grands for their tours.

When it's not practical, as in Lee's Summit, a local Steinway dealer (in this case Schmitt Music in Overland Park) provides the pianos. Now that four of the five Browns have finished their New York schooling, they've settled into domestic life at home in Salt Lake City.

"We grew up competing against each other in different competitions. If you didn't win, you'd want your sibling to win. It's great for us to be there for each other."

As their fan base grows, they are recognized in the most surprising places, 21-year-old Ryan said. Recently he and 22-year-old Melody were driving across Utah, and some young girls in an adjacent car recognized them and held up a sign in the window: "Aren't you Browns?"

"At our concerts, little kids who don't know what classical music is are dancing in the aisles," Gregory said. "This is the age of the iPod, so why not have some classical music on it, too?"

The 5 Browns perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Pavilion at John Knox Village, 520 N.W. Murray Drive in Lee's Summit. Ticket availability is limited. Admission is only through buying a $40 four-concert season ticket to the Lee's Summit Concert Association's 2006-2007 series. (Subsequent concerts are Dec. 7, Feb. 17 and April 13.) Call (816) 525-4565.

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