This past July Lollapalooza goers saw a sweaty crowd go wild watching a former Parker student play his drums. Lollapalooza, now a 26-year-old Chicago tradition, had yet another special guest for the city to watch, one of Parker’s very own, Eddie Burns.

Burns played drums for Clairo, who was at American Eagle Stage from 12:50 – 1:30 on the Friday of Lollapalooza. Over 30 Parker students were there supporting our alum. “Eddie looked so professional while he was performing. It was crazy to see him up there,” Shayna Ellis, a former Parker student, said.

Twin brothers Eddie and IZ Burns, Class of 2016, are both now 19 years old. Since graduation, they’ve pursued their alternative music careers both together and separately. Together, in collaboration with former Parker student Andrew Bedows and Elton Aura, they produced “Sun Shower,” a collection of four songs released to Soundcloud last December.

Keyboardist Bedows and the twins met through Parker, and vocalist Elton was introduced to them later.

Separately, Eddie has gone on tour with a musician called Clairo as a drummer. Burns was in contact with Chance the Rapper’s manager, and through him, got to play a few shows with Clairo. “And then the next thing I know,” Burns said. “I looked at my calendar and I am opening for Dua Lipa in a sold out world tour.”

Together, the twins did performances at The House of Vans, called “Louder Than a Prom.” This year, the performances have stopped while Eddie has been on tour with Clairo, and IZ has been at home producing music. “IZ is at home holding it down for us, making beats, sending me his music,” Burns said.

The twins, in collaboration with Bedows and Elton, are working on yet another EP, a collection of songs that is not a complete album, called “Sweet as Hell.” “It’s only three songs, but I am so excited about it.,” Eddie said. “That’s some of my favorite music I’ve ever made.”

While at Parker, both Eddie and IZ did Jazz band, — Eddie on drums and IZ on trumpet. “You know some people have their problems with Parker,” Burns said. “But I definitely owe a lot to the school, its music program, Mr. Greenspan, Lucius Bell, Sunny Hikawa and all of them.”

Specifically, Mr. Bell has had a strong impact on the Chicago music scene. “A lot of people don’t know this but it’s right in front of us.” Burns said. Bell taught Maceo Haymes, the lead singer of the O’My’s, Carter Lang, the bassist of the O’My’s, and producer of SZA’s album, both of the Burns twins, Bedows, and a Chicago rapper, ZachTV.

“Lucius Bell taught us so many valuable lessons and just music in general,” Burns added.

In addition to the help of teachers, the twins have gotten support from the students here at Parker. “Eddie and IZ are doing amazing work,” former Parker student, Talia Garg Class of 2018 said, “I am so proud of both of them.”

Eddie’s musical success has brought a whole new perspective to some Parker students. “Knowing those twins had the same music teachers as me,” sophomore Alex Schapiro said. “and went through the same classes as me, just shows how much you can really get out of an education if you are dedicated to what you’re doing.”

In the future, the Twins plan on sending music back and forth while Eddie is hopping between Spain, France, and Mexico finishing out the tour. “With the technology we have, sharing and working together while you are so far away is easy, so we are hoping to get the hang of that,” Eddie said.