An Interview With Edward Sylvan
I am hopeful that my book will inspire readers to live to their full potential and explore. I am hoping that they will understand if they have the power and ability to manifest the life they want. We are the architects of our blueprint. No one else. Our job is to guard it, nurture it and engineer it so that it meets our standards.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Charyn Harris.
Charyn Harris started her career touring as a keyboardist for R&B legend Barry White. She’s also performed with a variety of artists including Malcolm Jamal Warner, MC Hammer, The Cranberries, Jonathan Butler, Al B. Sure!, Doc Powell, Lord Nelson, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Luciano Pavarotti, and more. Harris is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and earned an MBA from The University of Phoenix. She also serves as a Conductor of Music Programs for A Place Called Home (APCH), a popular community youth center located in South Los Angeles. In 2004, Charyn founded Project MuszEd, a nonprofit agency providing arts education, performance, and programming. She facilitated and manages the thriving partnerships between APCH and Project MuszEd with Berklee College of Music’s Berklee City Music Network. Over thirty-five students under Harris’ tutelage have attended Berklee’s summer programs on scholarship, while over a dozen students have received full four-year scholarships to Berklee. Harris is noted for training a roster of highly sought-after young musicians. Some of them can be found on stage with artists like Smokey Robinson and Aloe Blacc. Her students have also opened for the Black Eyed Peas, Diana Ross, performed with The Isley Brothers, Macy Gray, and more. Harris has been recognized both locally and nationally for designing and directing vibrant arts programming and developing stellar resources to support youth through the arts. Harris just released The Art of War for Creatives, based on her knowledge and experience, sharing many of the hacks that she has used and seen others use to gain mad success.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up in Mt. Vernon, NY, which was incredibly charming and on the border of The Bronx, so very close to Manhattan. It was so beautiful — like straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Beautiful parks, lots of community events, a community pool, and ice skating on the pond. My parents were great admirers of the arts and culture. When I was in third grade, my neighbor came home with a flute. I had no idea about instruments and found out how to join the music program. I came home with a flute and also a violin. There was a Summer Creative Arts program during the summer. I ran into friends I had previously gone to summer camp with and encouraged me to join the piano class. We had these classic 73-key Wurlitzer keyboards. I missed about 3 sessions so I was probably the slowest one in the class. I just couldn’t get it. By fourth grade, I had a year of flute and violin under my belt and returned to the music program. I was much stronger on piano at this point. They ran out of violins, but sent me home with a cello! I continued playing instruments throughout high school and participated in the high school musicals.
Fast forward, my parents bought a piano for my graduation gift from sixth grade. I started taking piano lessons. My parent’s friends would always marvel at the length of my fingers which were long and slender. I kind of enjoyed playing, but really didn’t like playing classical, because honestly, it wasn’t relevant to who I was or my cultural experience. My teacher was incredible and taught me classical, music by black composers, and lots of church transcriptions. My high school had one of the top gospel choirs in New York state, so I joined the choir and started learning about the music I heard on the radio, which was still foreign to me.
I grew up pretty sheltered with a very controlled schedule curated by my mother who was committed to exposing me to everything she could. My week consisted of ballet lessons, heavy academic expectations, and piano lessons. I was a debutante at 16 and then off to college at 17. Although my first intention was to become an attorney, I opted to attend Berklee College of Music because I thought it looked cool, fun and was relevant to learning the type of music that resonated with me. I wasn’t sure of what I would do with my education, but I was very clear that I did not want to teach music. At least not in the traditional sense.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
I was in my twenties when I was introduced to the first book that I felt was instrumental in shaping my life. “The Game of Life and How to Play It” by Francis Scovel Shinn was gifted to me by my boss and mentor, the late Dr. H. Naylor Fitzhugh, Retired VP of The Pepsi Cola Company.
When I graduated from college, although I had a degree, I didn’t have a specific direction. I was certainly intelligent and had strong habits, but I wasn’t focused. I knew I wanted to play music, but I was shy and because I didn’t focus on contemporary music as much prior to college, I didn’t feel as prepared as some of my classmates who had been playing longer than me. Reading this book helped me to learn more about myself and develop my direction. It reminded me to be true to myself, which was a challenge for me. I spent a great deal of my early life following rules and pleasing people rather than defining who I was and wanted to do. This was the first step for me. A little later, I read “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. Strategy. We all need it. I began to draw a correlation between strategy and being creative. I noticed that as a young Creative, I was driven by emotions and my need to find fulfillment through being a musician, but I wasn’t fulfilled because I couldn’t figure out how to make a sustainable living doing what I loved doing. Out of all of the books I have read, these are definitely at the top of my list.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
This was probably my most interesting mistake. I wish I had a funny one, but sadly, I don’t. When I was about 13, I was being presented in a piano recital and not by choice. My mother wanted to present me ‘in concert’ at our church.I was to play “Fur Elise” by Beethoven. As I began to play, I could feel an anxiety attack begin to build along with the voice of my father who would constantly remind me that I couldn’t play one song without making mistakes. He didn’t understand how much anxiety I had. As I played, I started to blank out and couldn’t recall what I was playing. I jumped up from the piano and ran into the restroom and cried. After about a very long 5 minutes, and through heavy crying and feeling inadequate, I came out and played it again. I was able to finish this time although I had areas that I stumbled through. This was a hard lesson for me. I learned to focus on developing determination. I later had to work really hard on pushing voices, phrases, energy, and anything that didn’t serve my highest good to the wayside. Incidentally, among the adults that helped to encourage me to come back to continue playing was the same Dr. H. Naylor Fitzhugh that I ended up working for at Pepsi Cola about 12 years later. Talk about divine intervention and destiny. My biggest takeaway was — everywhere you go, there you are, so deal with whatever you are running from or it will always be there and potentially hinder you from moving forward.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
There is no blueprint for the creative economy. As an aspiring musician, I noticed segments. 1) There were those who were predestined because of starting to play on target at an early age. Maybe they came from a musical family or were a child prodigy; 2) Then there were those like me who were book smart but had to play catch up on figuring out a direction and how the industry worked; 3) Finally, there was a segment who had an undeniable hustle, didn’t overthink about book smarts and relied purely on the hustle.
As a studied musician with multiple layers of experience, I take this seriously. Music is a science. There are steps that cannot and should not be skipped. The Music Industry, however, is still and will always be the “Wild, Wild West.” That being said, strategy is important. There are many Creatives hiding in the shadows of their families, their parents, cultural or ethnic values, and communities that may not support or approve of them. There is trepidation and also an inability to be true to yourself if you are never feeling confident that you can integrate what you truly love. I am hopeful that my book will inspire readers to live to their full potential and explore. I am hoping that they will understand if they have the power and ability to manifest the life they want. We are the architects of our blueprint. No one else. Our job is to guard it, nurture it and engineer it so that it meets our standards.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
One of the most interesting stories that I touch upon is having a bird’s eye view of watching aspiring artists develop into literally household names. Teddy Riley was a young prodigy from Harlem that everyone wanted to work with because he was the ultimate producer — even as a teen. Growing up in Mt. Vernon, there were several talented youths — Heavy D and The Boyz, a prominent rap group, Jeff Redd, a former schoolmate, and awesome vocalist, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, who are now legendary pioneers in Hip Hop, and Al B Sure! who helped change the face of R&B music and became a prolific songwriter.
It was amazing to see the amount of drive these young artists had in creating their sound and finding their niche. What is even more fascinating is that they all had other aspirations other than a career in music. Some planned to go to college to study in other fields. Several had interest from sports recruiters. Their passion and drive literally changed the course of their lives. I love stories like this.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
The COVID pandemic gave a lot of us time to re-evaluate what was going on in our lives. Some were tightening up their plans already in motion while others were completely pivoting. I started spending a ton of time on Clubhouse. I noticed there were an insane amount of aspiring artists and Creatives who were seeking direction and quite a few would reach out to me after I moderated a room or sat on a panel. Around this time, several of my former students reached out to me about how they could propel their careers. I honestly felt overwhelmed and thought about how I could answer all of their questions. I thought about my path as a Creative and how I could best encapsulate the knowledge that they craved. My original thought was to jump on a Zoom session, however, there is so much to cover, I honestly hadn’t thought of classes or webinars at this point, but after the book, I discovered that there was a strong demand for what I had to offer. I love the idea of mentoring and helping people.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I had a mentor who was a man of incredible history and wisdom. He was also a great example for me of integrity, excellence, and professionalism. I happened to coincidentally be given an assignment at a large company that was very corporate, but fascinating and a huge departure from the artsy world of my college. Once I heard who I was assigned to work under, I was in disbelief, as this gentleman was someone who knew my family. We attended the same church. He also had a love of the arts and played the piano. He was from the same town as Roberta Flack and was a mentor to many young black professionals. He was also considered to be the “Dean of Black Business” and is credited with creating the concept of target marketing, in particular in the Black community. Why is this important? Because this was the beginning of my being able to embrace my creativity and my love and respect for the business sector. I love structure. He taught me a great deal about grace, gratitude, and reliability. I also felt that someday, I would be a role model to others, especially those who looked like me.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
If I had to identify three things to address the root of the problem I am trying to solve, it would be:
- Maintain The Arts in schools as budgets have been slashed exponentially. Involvement in the arts fosters respect and a better understanding of humanity.
- We need to do more, especially in the United States to encourage creativity in communities as it aids in the overall development of youth while giving them a positive activity to focus on.
- Understand that everyone does not learn the same way. A creative person needs an alternative approach to education and should never feel “less than” for having a unique gift.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership in my eyes encompasses having a deep and working knowledge of your area of expertise along with the ability to articulate your message in such a way that your audience is able to achieve tangible results. I feel a leader should be open to improving and streamlining systems to get even better results. The ability to champion change is sacred and takes a great deal of integrity.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
When I first started my career, I wished I had support from the people who surrounded me. Interestingly, my parents didn’t believe I was capable of achieving much in this area. Here are 5 things I wish I knew back then:
- I wish I understood the concept of “confidence” a lot sooner. Confidence was never spoken of in my home in connection with my musical ability. It wasn’t until I was out of college that I realized that my lack of confidence was a barrier.
- I wish I understood that regardless of my academic success, I had to drill down on my niche. I didn’t understand who the decision-makers were and how to communicate with them. No one ever told me prior and there was a lot of trial and error.
- I wish someone told me to “loosen up.” In retrospect, I felt I was way too structured and didn’t allow myself to experience my life in a way at that time that I could draw a connection to my art. An open mindset is a must.
- I wish someone had mentored me and helped me identify my strengths and my potential barriers to success. Having someone who can help you through your rough patches and encourage you is essential. We all need to change and we all evolve. Without it, we don’t grow, discover and come into our better selves.
- I wish I knew how I could make money work for me sooner. I wish I knew the value of investing much earlier in life. It seemed like for a while, many of us were living hand to mouth and not thinking about things like health insurance, life insurance or retirement. As I work with other aspiring Creatives, this kind of mindset is still very prominent and I am hopeful that I will encourage a shift with those that I am able to connect with.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is “A vision without a plan is a hallucination.” As simple as it sounds, so many of us go through life dreaming but not doing it. Through my family and studying music all of my life, I learned the values of a) commitment and b) seeing a project that I am passionate about to the end. When you study music, the goal is to be able to play an entire piece no matter how complex it is. It could be a simple one sheet of music or a piano concerto. How you arrive at your destination is determined by how much work and effort you put into it. If you start something and do not finish it, you were simply not passionate enough or committed to it. It can be perfectly okay because that project can lead you to something even more substantial. I feel it is critical to take inventory of your habits and weigh the difference between your ability to complete something against those projects you simply left hanging in the lurch.
What is life if you’re not living for your purpose? Is that fulfilling?
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I’ve always been a huge admirer of Sylvia Rhone. I’ve never met her, but have admired her tenacity, her vision, and her range. She set an incredible standard of excellence in the music industry for everyone, not just women. We also have the same birthday, which is an even more fascinating reason to connect.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Visit my website: www.charynharrisonline.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/charynharris
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamcharynharris
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Charyn Harris 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.