An Interview With Edward Sylvan
…I will continue to share openly with the public in hopes that it will help in the effort to destigmatize mental illness, which ultimately could motivate people to feel less ashamed and ask for help when help is needed. I plan to do more to achieve these goals in the future.
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brooke Fair.
Memphis, Tennessee native, Brooke Fair, is an award-winning singer and songwriter, who began her music career in her early teens, writing and singing, and mastering the ukulele for anyone who would listen.
By the age of 14, Brooke’s songwriting and vocal talent began capturing the attention of notable music industry executives, as well as the world’s most recognized songwriting competitions.
Justin Timberlake’s guitarist/producer Elliott Ives, along with Scott Hardin produced two singles, “Universe,” and “I Can’t Breathe,” which gained the attention of the media, while her track, “Love Songs on Loop,” from her 2018 6-track EP titled, “All Queens Wear Crowns,” gained her new fans, while garnering over 100,000 Spotify plays.
Brooke’s album, “The Things We Were,” released on May 20, 2022, was produced by Matt Tutor (Derek Trucks, Eric Gales, Kenny Wayne Shepherd) and Chris Carter (Kirk Franklin, Chrisette Miller, Marcus Miller, and Jekalyn Carr).
Boasting an impressive collection of songwriting awards, Brooke was named Songwriter of the Year, by the Memphis Songwriters Association, along with a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, as well as a top finalist in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
Two tracks, “First Love,” as well as “Suck It Up,” alongside a video were released in advance of the album. “First Love,” attracted Brooke international attention by winning “Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting,” in the Adult Contemporary category, of The Great American Song Contest.
She has attracted avid fans and loyal industry folks for her talent, and immense passion for spreading messages that promote social inclusion and equality, along with helping to raise awareness on Mental Health and Wellness. Brooke is a bright light and a celebrated star in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Her vocals have been compared to the likes of a “Taylor Swift-meets-Dodie Clark,” raw, innocent and straight from the heart, with a lyrical style that is gripped with a captivating consciousness that grabs her audience’s attention.
Brooke, now 18-years-old, openly shares that she has suffered from bouts of depression and anxiety and is an advocate for mental health. Her most recent album, “The Things We Were,” is filled with grit and grace. Her album was themed with thoughts of feeling invisible among her peers. The song was released during Mental Health Awareness Month.
“There’s a gap with adults taking children seriously. I’d like to be a part in bringing forward more conversation, acceptance and understanding,” say Brooke.
Brooke is a force; filled with heart, and soul. She aims to use her voice for the betterment of parent/child relationships and to generally open the dialog between adults and children. Brooke’s hope is that her songs will help those who feel invisible to feel heard and understood.
You can learn more about Brooke and her music HERE, or follow her on Instagram @brookefairofficial and/or TikTok @brookefairmusic.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
I’d be happy to! So far, in my sweet 18 years here on the planet, I’ve spent my life living and working in Memphis, Tennessee; a city that is founded in rich musical roots. This is the place where my friends, industry colleagues and wonderful family, reside as well.
My father is fortunately musically inclined and he, along with the rest of my family, has really encouraged me throughout the years to use my voice and find my passion. Just before the age of 10, it became apparent that I had a great desire to sing and write music. I took vocal lessons at a variety of places and learned the baritone ukulele, spending much time growing as a creator and involving myself with the Memphis songwriting community.
My family and I decided to give my songs a shot with my first single and EP, All Queens Wear Crowns, in 2017–2018, and one song from the EP, “Anthem,” helped me to win the 2019 Memphis Songwriter of the Year award from the Memphis Songwriters Association. Since then, I decided I would put in the hard work it would take to make my dream a reality. There’s nothing more gratifying for me than creating music, and I will do anything to make sure that I am engaged with the industry for the rest of my years.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What was the lesson or takeaway you took out of that story?
It would have to be a story about winning my songwriting awards. I’ve been fortunate in that arena. I was named Songwriter of the Year, by the Memphis Songwriters Association, and was a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. My single release, “First Love,” from my just-released album, “The Things We Were” won “Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting,” in the Adult Contemporary category, of The Great American Song Contest.
One of the most memorable things that recently happened was when I discovered that I had made it to the finalist round of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. When I looked through the judges on the panel, I had found that Bob Weir was one of the judges. At the time I read that, I was eating in a restaurant and had to hold myself back from jumping up and screaming. I was floored. My friends got a kick out of my reaction. I’m a big fan, and love “The Dead,” and just knowing that he was on the judge’s panel was huge for me.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
Make sure that you love what you’re doing. Be yourself and choose your path because it’s what you love doing. If you’re getting into any career path in the arts that you aren’t passionate about, it won’t work out. You must love what you’re doing so much that it keeps you driven and motivated. There will be a lot of hard, monotonous and tiring days in this industry, but if your passion withstands the test of time, eventually it will pay off.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
Matt Tutor (Derek Trucks, Eric Gales, Kenny Wayne Shepherd) has been playing guitar and singing with me for the past three and a half years, and he has made the most impactful, and positive, influence on me both as a person and an artist. He helped me find my sound, and he has also been extremely supportive and involved in my development as a writer. Without him, I wouldn’t take as many “healthy” risks while creating, and I wouldn’t have grown into who I am as a creator now.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
I am very passionate about bringing more awareness to the epidemic of mental illness in adolescents. So far, I’ve done a few things to support this movement — my first song centered around my own struggle with depression is called “I Can’t Breathe,” and I donated a significant percentage of the royalties to “The Trevor Project” and other similar organizations that work to destigmatize mental illness and support those who struggle with these types of issues. My most recent single, “Suck It Up,” I open-d up even further about my anxiety and depression. I will continue to share openly with the public in hopes that it will help in the effort to destigmatize mental illness, which ultimately could motivate people to feel less ashamed and ask for help when help is needed. I plan to do more to achieve these goals in the future.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
I’ve struggled with poor mental health from a very young age. During my worst bouts of depression and anxiety, I felt entirely alone. I was often scared to ask for help when I needed it. When I finally got the help I needed, it was apparent that support and treatment can be lifesaving. It continues to blow my mind that society has made people more afraid to seek help for a mental illness than a physical illness, even though therapy can sometimes be just as lifesaving as a trip to the doctor. I want to do everything I can to help destigmatize mental illness, so people get help when they need it.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
I wrote my friend — I’ll call her Sam to protect her privacy — a song that would remain unpublished, about two years ago, during a very bad depressive episode she was having. She was contemplating suicide, and as part of her birthday gift that year, I wrote her a song called “Just Wait”. The song explained how much she means to me and those around her, as well as listing all the good things that were certain to come to her in the future. Sam has been in therapy and medicated for depression for a while now, and she tells me almost weekly how much that song means to her. She told me last weekend that she plans to get a tattoo of the song’s title with the “i” replaced by a semicolon, which is symbolic of the decision to keep living in the face of suicidal thoughts. Knowing I had such a positive impact on just one person keeps me on track. If my music can help even one person feel heard and understood, that’s all I need to keep doing it.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
- Make Mental Health Care More Accessible: For starters, as I mentioned previously, treatment for mental illness can be just as important as treatment for physical ailments. Oftentimes, however, this care is not nearly as accessible as it ought to be. Many people don’t have health insurance, or their insurance doesn’t adequately cover that person’s necessary treatment plan. Somehow, we need to make this care more accessible. It is crucial not just for people’s quality of life, but for their survival.
- Check On Your “Happy” Friends As Well: Way too often, people are assumed to be okay because they’re happy-go-lucky or the comedian of the group. Checking on these people gives them an open door; a way to talk about any issues they may have without feeling like they’re breaking character or killing the mood. Even those who seem to be okay on the surface need to talk to somebody every so often about what’s going on below the surface.
- Get To Talking and Destigmatize Mental Illness: If you feel comfortable doing so, be open about any struggles you may have with mental health. This can-do wonders for the de-stigmatization of mental illness, which will make those who are also struggling feel less alone and ashamed.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”
- Keep your first drafts of your songs close to you. I always stick with three industry folks who I respect their opinion when it comes to having them hear my new songs. Constructive criticism is always accepted from those I trust most. There’ll be a lot of well-meaning people who will want to offer their opinion if you share it, but I hold my newly written songs sacred for my top three to get constructive feedback from.
- Burnout is a thing. Pay attention. Still to this day, I often overwork myself, in hopes of eventually writing the *perfect* song. The reality is that this is impossible, as everyone always has room to grow as an artist. By working myself to death, it has only led to stretches of time when writing has felt like a chore, as opposed to an enjoyable gift. There are times when my creativity shuts down and I can’t write at all — the dreaded writer’s block. Now, when this happens, I know it’s time to slow down and give myself a well-needed break. You just need to pay attention to your mind, as well as your body and what it’s telling you.
- Collaborate often. When I’m in a period of writer’s block, I’ve realized that the best thing I can do is work with other writers. Everyone I’ve written with so far has brought something new and exciting to the way that I think about lyrics, melodies, and other aspects of the creative process. It’s an extremely valuable experience, especially when writing with much more successful and experienced people in the industry. It’s always a good idea to learn from people who are better than you. It’s been one of the experiences I’ve grown the most from as an artist.
- Stay true to yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in who a producer has worked with. I’ve found that a good producer will take time to know you, where you are as a musician, and your heart, keeping the pressure off to not change the sound, vibe and feeling you are going for too much. You’ll know when the producer is right. Everything just flows.
- Don’t create music, without budgeting for marketing and PR. Many focus so much on making great music and budgeting for production, collaborations, mixing and mastering, that they forget to have a hefty budget to properly market their music as well. Having someone keen to music marketing and having a publicist will allow for people to find and hear you and your music, as well as give you a voice.
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Aside from working towards my goals in the perception of mental illness, I just think people should generally be more empathetic. So many deep-rooted, systemic problems are caused by a lack of interpersonal understanding. Empathy makes people want to help each other, which is what the world needs more than anything, especially right now. I truly believe that if everybody just put more energy toward understanding and loving each other unconditionally, we could solve a plethora of problems, and solve them quickly.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” -Cesar A. Cruz
I honestly stumbled across this quote on Instagram, but it really resonated with me. I’ve always thought of my art primarily to express the parts of myself that I felt were too dark, weird, broken, or embarrassing to just say outright. I checked into other artists’ work and was comforted when I heard my own thoughts mirrored in their music. I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve kept writing: because music is a place where I feel like I can express the things that I can’t say anywhere else.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
It would have to be Bono of U2. He meets issues that others may avoid head-on. He seems to always be advocating for the underrepresented. He just proves that if we are fortunate to have a massive sphere of influence, as Bono, we can do a lot of good to better the world.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Thank you for giving me the platform to speak about my music and other passions. It was my pleasure! I’m most grateful for the opportunity to share my music, and some of my story with you and your audience. ❤
Music Stars Making A Social Impact: How & Why Brooke Fair Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.