From the sidewalk, this particular Brooklyn Avenue two-story doesn’t look particularly special. It’s indistinguishable in most ways from the houses to its right and left, just another University District home in an area primarily inhabited by college students.

But the treasures concealed in its basement set this particular home apart from its neighbors: a collection of turntables, mixing boards and musical instruments line the studio of Jack Newman at the home of his Unite-One Productions.

Newman spent his early teen years spitting rhymes and sitting in on hip-hop recording sessions with the likes of Hieroglyphics and Living Legends. From those sessions, he took away an important lesson: it doesn’t matter what color your skin is or what type of music you make, as long as your skills are sharp and your movements fresh.

The young white boy with an interest in hip-hop and a background in jazz would eventually morph his interests into a love affair with reggae. The potential was endless.

Now, Newman plays guitar, sings and produces across multiple genres. Recently, he released the Evergreen Organics LP, his first attempt at “testing the waters” and learning exactly what it takes to put out an album. Everything on the album carries the same message: unite one.

“This production, in the name itself, embodies a theme of horizontal integration where the next person counts as much as the entire world,” Newman said. “I’m just uniting one person at a time, pairing conscious thought with method. I want people to feel the opposite of apathy.”

In reality, it’s all a big project in fusion — the blend of his Bay Area upbringing and college experience in Seattle, the meshing of multicultural genres and the progression of socially relevant ideas across boundaries of race, income and education.

“Music is a great outlet,” Newman said. “It breaks down barriers. Through music you can love me, and yourself, and everything in your life. This is just my attempt to bridge society’s gaps through music.”

“There’s definitely a rift and confusion, but I haven’t encountered anything that’s hurt me, and I haven’t hurt anyone else,” Newman said. “Music is a great outlet; it breaks down barriers. Through music you can love me, and yourself, and everything in your life. This is just my attempt to bridge society’s gaps through music.”

Seattle and the UW community have heavily influenced Newman’s creations. In fact, he credits UW professor Joel Migdal with inspiring his consciousness during Migdal’s International Studies 201 course. The class, entitled “The Making of the 21st Century,” focused on the shaping of our interdependent, fragmented and fractious world, instigating an awakening within Newman that led to the song “INT. Related” and eventually shaping the development of Unite-One.

“I felt the love from this university environment, this instantaneous love,” Newman said. “That lives on in eternity. We have so many resources — how could you not do anything and everything you could ever want to? There’s nothing holding you back. There’s just no stopping.”

Newman is all about collaboration and innovation, and in keeping with his mission almost all of his connections come from within the university community. Those connections are widespread and exciting for both Newman and Unite-One, combining to create a diverse portfolio of work. He’s teamed up on projects with cinematographer Harrison Shoff, graphic designer Jeremy Juel, vocalist Maddy Shaw, DJ Aerel Rankin and skateboarder Jordan Roper.

One of his most exciting collaborations came while producing with multi-instrumentalist Andrew Vait. Vait is working on an EP to be touted to successful Northwest record labels like Barsuk and Sub Pop.

Recently, Newman continues to experiment, “taking the best part of every sound,” including a stint as lead trumpet and backup vocalist with free-flowing funk outfit Pink Carpet and a collaboration with hip-hop artist and poet Jeffon a.k.a. The Essence.

Newman’s social consciousness has expanded beyond music and artistic production. In 2008, he formed the group Students for Green Development and Sustainable Practices, combining his awareness with his construction management studies to create a forum for UW students focused on environmentally friendly development.

Despite his many activities, Newman recognizes that his goals as a student come first. He might take a break after he graduates to travel — his eyes are set on Norway, Portugal, Brazil and Thailand — but in the artist’s own words, “you can’t just end the music.”

Reach reporter Nick Feldman at arts@dailyuw.com.