Black Nouveau - Program - #2210

NOVEMBER 20, 2013. I'M JOANNE WILLIAMS. THIS WEEK, WE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST JAZZ VIOLINISTS. MILWAUKEE'S OWN SONYA ROBINSON. DO YOU LIKE BASKETBALL? THERE'S GOING TO BE PLENTY TO SEE AT THE ANNUAL FRESH COAST CLASSIC, A MIX OF BASKETBALL AND COLLAR -- SCHOLARSHIPS IS PLAYED OVER THE WEEKEND AND BOBBY DRAKE JOINS US WITH HIS NEW C.D. LET'S BEGIN WITH ANOTHER MILWAUKEE PERFORMER, JASON MCKINNEY. YOU MAY REMEMBER HIM FROM HIS ROLE IN PORGY & BESS. >> OPERA SINGER JASON MCKINNEY IS A NATIVE MILWAUKEEAN, WHO KNEW AS A YOUNG MAN HE WILL MAKE HIS LIVING IN MUSIC. THE ♪♪ >> GOOD MORNING, LIDDIE. >> HOW IS IT COMING BACK HOME TO MILWAUKEE? >> IT'S GREAT TO COME BACK TO MY OLD STOMPING GROUNDS TO SEE OLD FRIENDS, OLD TEACHERS, GO TO MY OLD SCHOOL AND SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY AND JUST ENJOY, YOU KNOW, THE GREAT CITY THAT IS MILWAUKEE. >> HOW HAS MILWAUKEE CHANGED SINCE YOUR YOUTH? >> WELL, A LOT OF IT HAS STAYED THE SAME. BUT A LOT OF IT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE LESS DIVERSE, YOU KNOW, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVISION BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS AND CLASSES AND PEOPLE. AND I JUST NOTICED THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, NOT SOMETHING THAT I LIKE TO MENTION, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY TRUE. I SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF -- A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A SEGREGATED CITY THAN I SEEMED TO NOTICE SINCE I WAS A CHILD. >> HE'S VERY SENSITIVE TO THESE KINDS OF ISSUES, BEING THAT HE'S BLACK AND JEWISH. >> WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT? >> WELL, NOT A YEAR WENT BY WHEN SOMEONE DIDN'T ASK ME, HOW ARE YOU BLACK AND JEWISH? AND MY RESPONSE, I'M FINE. HOW ARE YOU, BLACK AND JEWISH? IT'S A NICE LITTLE JOKE. YOU KNOW, IT HAS -- SOMETIMES, IT WAS HARD, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DID NOT BELIEVE I WAS A JEW OR THEY BELIEVE I CONVERTED TO JUDAISM, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE. I WAS BORN AND RAISED JEWISH. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT. 100% BOTH, 100% PROUD. YOU KNOW, SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT AND YOU JUST HAVE TO LET THEM DEAL WITH IT. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO CHANGE WHO I AM, AND IT'S -- IT'S BEEN EXCITING FOR MY CAREER BECAUSE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A NICHE THAT I CAN UTILIZE. I CAN, YOU KNOW, SING A RECITAL OF ALL JEWISH MUSIC OR ALL AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPIRITUALS, OR COMBINE THEM BOTH, OR YOU KNOW, USE MY OWN MUSICAL ABILITY OF COMPOSITION TO GIVE BLACK AND JEWISH VOICE TO MUSIC. IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN AND I'VE ENJOYED THAT A LOT. ♪♪ ♪♪ >> YOU STARTED PERFORMING OR GETTING GIGS WHILE IN COLLEGE. >> I HAD A FEW GIGS, JUST PUT A LITTLE MORE EXTRA CHANGE IN MY POCKET, AND JUST A LOT OF FUN GOING TO SCHOOL, TAKING GIGS ON THE SIDE. THEN I BEGAN TO FOCUS MORE ON THE GIGS THAN I DID ON THE SCHOOL, AND THUS, IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO GRADUATE, BUT I WAS STILL GIGGING THAT ENTIRE TIME, BECAUSE WHENEVER THE START OF THE SEMESTER WOULD COME ABOUT, I WOULD ALWAYS HAVE A REALLY HIGH-PROFILE OR HIGH PAYING GIG THAT I WOULD BE THE ONE TO TAKE, SO IT TOOK SOME FOCUS AND SOME DETERMINATION FOR ME TO FINISH MY GETS CONFUSING FOR FOLKS GROW, BUT I FINALLY DID. >> -- >> IT'S PERFORMED IN NUMEROUS PRODUCTIONS, PORGY & BESS, WHICH HE RETURNED HOME FOR. >> McBETH WITH GREG BAKER, DIRECTED BY LARRY MARSHAL AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT SHOW THAT I ACTUALLY GOT STARTED WITH PORGY & BESS BECAUSE LARRY MARSHAL, WHO WAS VERY FAMOUS AND A WONDERFUL DIRECTOR INFORMED ME THAT HE DIRECTS THAT SHOW EVERY SUMMER IN EUROPE AND I SAID, WELL, LARRY, YOU SHOULD HIRE ME. I WAS JUST SITTING THERE IN THE CORNER READING PORGY, BECAUSE I NEVER READ THE NOVEL AND LARRY CAME UP TO ME AND SAID YOU SHOULD DO THAT AND I SAID HAVE THEM GIVE ME A CALL. I HAD GOTTEN A PHONE CALL, I HAD JUST FINISHED A GIG, AND THEY SAID MR. MCKINNEY CAN YOU COME DOWN FOR TWO WEEKS AND JOIN THE TOUR? AND I SAID SURE. AND I THOUGHT GEEZ, I HOPE I CAN FIND MY PASSPORT, BUT I WAS ABLE TO FIND IT AND I WENT TO AMSTERDAM AND ZURICH, COLON, BERLIN. >> JASON MCKINNEY HAS BEEN DIVERSIFYING INTO MORE ACTING. HE'S NOW DOING A ONE-MAN PLAY, CALLED PAUL ROPESON. >> I ALSO HAVE BEEN PUTTING MORE JEWISH MUSIC AND I'VE BEEN PUTTING MORE JEWISH MUSIC ON MY RECITALS SO I CAN GO AHEAD AND SHARE WITH PEOPLE MY EXPERIENCES AND BLACK JEW AND GET THEM TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT MUSIC INTO THEIR REPERTOIRE OF LISTENING. I ALSO DO SOME OF MY OWN MUSIC, I COMPOSE A LITTLE DISC, AND SOME OF THE JEWISH MUZIC I LIKE TO PUT ON THE RECITAL IS PRETTY WELL RECEIVED. ♪♪ >> I WOULD SAY FOR ANY YOUNG PERSON WHO BELIEVES THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO SING, I WOULD SAY TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT SINGING IS THE ONLY THING IN YOUR LIFE THAT'S REALLY GOING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. IF THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY, GO FOR IT. IF YOU CAN ENVISION YOURSELF DOING ANYTHING ELSE, YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING ELSE. >> ♪♪ ♪♪ >> THOSE WERE PICTURES FROM LAST YEAR'S FRESH COAST CLASSIC. MILWAUKEE'S THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION OF BASKETBALL AND COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES. JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR'S EVENT ARE VICTOR BARNETT, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RUNNING REBELS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND KEVIN LOONEY, A VETERAN OF THE CLASSIC AND UCLA STUDENT. WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR UCLA. >> THEY ARE. >> A FULL RIDE. YOU GO TO WHAT HIGH SCHOOL? >> MILWAUKEE HAMILTON. >> HAVE YOU PLAYED ALL FOUR YEARS. >> THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR OF PLAYING. >> WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BASKETBALL? >> IT'S A LOT OF FUN, A LOT OF COMPETITION, A LOT OF COMPETE. I LOVE THE BOND WITH MY COACHES AND TEAMMATE. >> AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO AT UCLA? >> GREAT TRADITION THERE, GREAT EDUCATION FOR ME, I CAN LEARN BEYOND BASKETBALL. CALIFORNIA IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEATHER. >> OH, SO MANY PEOPLE SAY THAT. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO MAJOR IN? >> I PLAN ON MAJORING IN KINESIOLOGY. I WANT TO STAY IN BASKETBALL OR PHYSICAL TRAINING. >> TELL PEOPLE WHY YOU THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT. >> BASKETBALL DOESN'T WORK OUT FOR EVERYBODY, HOPEFULLY IT WORKS OUT FOR ME, BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A BACKUP PLAN, SO THAT'S MY BEST BET I THINK. >> SPEAKING OF BACKUP PLANS, VICTOR, THE FRESH COAST CLASSIC ALSO COMES ALONG WITH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ON WEDNESDAY? >> WEDNESDAY WE'LL HAVE A COLLEGE FAIR, WHERE WE PARTNER WITH M.P.S., MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND THEY'LL BE BRINGING OVER ABOUT 4,000 YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE A PART OF OUR COLLEGE FAIR, WHERE WE HAVE OVER 50 COLLEGES AND RESOURCES THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THE ACADEMIC PIECE IS A REAL BIG PIECE OF WHY WE EVEN STARTED THE FRESH COAST CLASSIC, BRINGING THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE TO A LOT OF INNER CITY YOUTH THAT MAY NOT GET THE OPPORTUNITY. >> YOU ATTENDED THE FAIR BEFORE UCLA? >> YES, MY FRESHMAN YEAR, MY FIRST HIGH SCHOOL GAME WAS AT THE FRESH COAST CLASSIC AND I WENT TO THE COLLEGE FAIR. ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN WITH THE REBELS FOR A LONG TIME, IN SEVENTH GRADE WE WENT THERE AND HELPED OUT, GOT TO WATCH COLLEGE TEAMS PLAY AND I WAS LIKE THE BALL BOY. >> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO KIDS WHO WERE THINKING, MAYBE I'LL GO, MAYBE I WON'T GO, HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO TO THE COLLEGE FAIR? >> IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO MEET ALL THE DIFFERENT COLLEGES. EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A DREAM TO GO TO COLLEGE AND TRY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD START. >> NOW, THERE'S A COLLEGE FAIR, THEN THERE'S THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. >> YEAH. THE COLLEGE FAIR BUT THEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, WE HAVE SOME EXCITING BASKETBALL THAT OCCURS, WE HAVE WINSTON-SALEM OUR RETURNING CHAMP BACK, CLARK ATLANTA, LANE, AS WELL AS CENTRAL STATE, SO WE HAVE SOME GREAT SCHOOLS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR OUR COLLEGE PART OF THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT AND THEN WE HAVE SOME VERY EXCITING HIGH SCHOOL GAMES GOING ON WITH KEVON AN MANY ANY OTHER ATHLETES FROM MILWAUKEE. >> I'M LOOKING AT THE LIST OF HIGH SCHOOLS AND YOU HAVE MAYBE A DOZEN HIGH SCHOOLS PLAYING. IT'S ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY? >> YEAH. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ARE THE GAMES. WE HAVE SOME GAMES, MIXED IN BETWEEN THE COLLEGE GAMES, SO WE KIND OF HAVE A MIXTURE. YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE SOME HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ON FRIDAY AS WELL AS SATURDAY, SO WE THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME EXCITING FUN, IT'S A WEEKENDS, FAMILY ATMOSPHERE, SO FROM WEDNESDAY'S COLLEGE FAIR TO THE GAMES ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, AND WE JUST TRY TO CREATE SOME EXCITEMENT IN MILWAUKEE AND BRIDGE SOME OF THE GAP BETWEEN OUR BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY. >> WHERE IS IT GOING TO BE PLAYED? >> THE GAMES WILL BE HELD AT WISCONSIN LUTHERAN. WISCONSIN CENTER WILL BE WHERE THE COLLEGE FAIR IS ON WEDNESDAY, BUT WISCONSIN LUTHERAN WILL BE WHERE THE BASKETBALL WILL BE OCCURRING ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. >> SO THE COLLEGE FAIR WILL BE DOWNTOWN AT THE WISCONSIN CENTER. AND THEN THE BASKETBALL WILL BE PLAYED AT WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> AND WE HAVE A LOT OF SPONSORS THAT HAVE HELPED THIS EVENT, BEING THE SEVENTH YEAR, BUT DEFINITELY THE MANDEL GROUP, POTAWATOMI AND EVENRUDE ARE SOME OF OUR MAIN SPONSORS. >> SO WE'LL SEE OUTSTANDING COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL. ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR? >> WHY YES. FRESH COAST CLASSIC IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST GAMES YOU HAVE PLAY IF EVERY YEAR, USUALLY A PACKED HOUSE. LIKE I SAID, THIS IS MY FIRST HIGH SCHOOL GAME WAS HERE, FRESH COAST CLASSIC, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PLAYING IT IN EVERY YEAR. >> THAT'S GOING TO BE NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 29 THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, THAT'S THE BASKETBALL AND THE COLLEGE FAIR IS ON WEDNESDAY AT THE WISCONSIN CENTER. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> SO IT'S A CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT COLLEGE, SEE ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AND TO SEE SOME REALLY GOOD BASKETBALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH BOTH OF YOU FOR. COMING TO SEE US, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU PLAYING ON TELEVISION ONE OF THESE DAYS AND WE CAN SAY WE KNEW HIM WHEN. >> THANK YOU. >> BROKEN BOTTLES AND BATTERED WOMEN, BULLET WOUNDED CONCRETE. THE SUN BEAMS AS CHILDREN DOUBLE DUTCH THROUGH IFNRKA, HECTOR DECIDED HIS NICKNAME SHOULD BE, AND KOCH. AS IF BEING 16 AND WATCHING HIS MOTHER OVERDOSE ON *** WASN'T ENOUGH, HEY, THE WAY HE FIGURED IT, WE ALL GOT TO START AT THE TOP. ACTORS HUSTLE WAS -- HECTOR'S HUSTLE WAS LEGAL. SEE, HECTOR UNDERSTOOD POLICY AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM FOLKS DOWN AT THE I.R.S. TO TAKE THAT NEW C CLASS RIGHT OUT OF HIS IMAGINATION, HE NEVER PACKED ANY PACKAGES, HE JUST KEPT THE UV ON HIM, HE KNEW HE WANTED HEAVEN ON EARTH, BUT HE LIVED IN HELL, THE BIBLE TUCKED AWAY IN HIS ROOM, READ AMONGST WOLVES, BECAUSE WOLVES WOULD KNOW SIN UNTO YOURSELF. BUT WOULD YOU BELIEVE HECTOR DARED TO DREAM. WHILE PEOPLE SAT AT TABLES, HE'D NEVER SIT AT DECIDING HIS FUTURE, HECTOR DARED TO THINK. I'M GOING TO MAKE IT OUT OF HERE. AND IN BETWEEN BREATHS, IN BETWEEN GUNSHOTS, IN BETWEEN, ALLEYS, HE SHED TEARS OF PAIN THAT NO PERSON COULD UNDERSTAND. NO PSYCHOLOGIST COREMIA THING FOR HIM, BECAUSE SEE, HE DIDN'T DO WELL AT SCHOOL. NO, HECTOR UNDERSTOOD POLICY AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO TRAP HIS MIND WITH RIDDLE AND RIDDING HIM OF HIS ABILITY TO WORK THROUGH THE ROADBLOCKS TO LAND SAFELY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AMERICA'S GHETTOS, AND HE WOULDN'T FALL VICTIM TO TEENAGE PARENTING, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT STILETTOS ON 16-YEAR-OLDS, SOMEHOW DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. AND IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, THEN IT CAN'T ADD UP TO THE DOLLARS HECTOR NEEDS TO GET OUT OF HERE. HECTOR DARED TO DREAM. AND THERE WAS NO MAN OR MOTHER AROUND TELLING HIM A THING. DREAM. BUT HE SOMEHOW KNEW RIGHT FROM WRONG. DREAM. IN BETWEEN THE 23rd PSALM, IN BETWEEN THE GUNSHOTS, IN BETWEEN THE DREAMS OF GETTING OUT FROM IN BETWEEN THESE ALLEYS, HECTOR DARED TO DREAM AND IN AMERICA'S GHETTOS, THERE ARE MILLIONS OF HECTORS DARING TO DREAM. >> I WONDER, BOBBY, WHEN I HEAR POETRY, WHERE PEOPLE GET THE INSPIRATION. WHERE DID YOURS COME FROM? >> IT CAME FROM THE WORK THAT WE DID AND I SAY WE, AS ORGANIZERS, WITH THE LEAGUE, FORMERLY THE LEAGUE OF YOUNG VOTERS. WE WERE DOING A LOT OF WORK IN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THESE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, BAD NEIGHBORHOODS, SPANISH NEIGHBORHOODS AND A LOT OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE WERE RUNNING ACROSS NEVER DIBBLED OR DABBLED INTO THE BAD THINGS OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY KIND OF JUST STAYED ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW, AND THE NARRATIVE THAT WE ALWAYS HEAR IS ABOUT HOW WE MADE IT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE BAD TO THE GOOD, BUT WE RARELY HEAR ABOUT THE KIDS WHO JUST STAYED ON THE STRAIGHT PATH, AND SO I WANTED TO WRITE SOMETHING THAT TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THE KIDS WHO ACTUALLY DO, MUCH LIKE MYSELF. I GREW UP IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS , BUT NEVER WENT AWRY. >> WHAT KEPT YOU FOCUSED AND WHAT KEPT SOME OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE YOU MET FOCUSED, WHERE THEIR FRIENDS AND PEERS TEMPERATURE AWAY? >> -- FELL AWAY. >> GOOD PARENTS. RIGHT. GOOD PARENTS. ABSOLUTELY GOOD PARENTS, AND THEN FRIENDS WHO HAD GOOD PARENTS. IT REALLY DOES START AT HOME. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT FOUNDATION, THAT THIS IS WRONG, WE DON'T DO THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE DO. AND WITHOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYONE COULD FALL. >> WHAT ELSE IS ON YOUR C.D., WHAT OTHER STORIES ARE YOU TELLING IN YOUR POETRY? >> WELL, I'M TELLING ALL TYPES OF STORIES. I'M TELLING STORIES ABOUT HEARTBREAK AND KIND OF HOW TO GET OVER IT, OR THE BRAVADO OF A GUN, TRYING TO GET OVER THE HEARTBREAK AND I'M TELLING STORIES ABOUT CONTINUING TO PUSH PAST THE STRUGGLES THAT YOU'RE FACING IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS. IT'S A MUSIC-POETRY C.D., SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF TOUCHING NEW GROUND. >> DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING HAPPY ON THIS C.D.? >> I DO. I DO HAVE SOMETHING HAPPY ON THE C.D. >> WHAT'S IT CALLED. >> I'M THINKING. >> WELL -- >> NO, I THINK A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE THE C.D. WHAT IT IS IS THE FACT THAT IT'S -- THEY'RE ALL VERY PERSONAL STORIES. SOME OF THEM I LIVED, SOME OF THEM I DIDN'T, BUT THEY'RE VERY MOTIVATIONAL, SO I WOULDN'T SAY HAPPY, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT YOU DON'T LISTEN TO IT AND REALLY GO YEAH, I SHOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THIS. >> SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO GET THE C.D., HOW DO THEY FIND OUT ABOUT IT? >> YOU CAN GO TO BOBBY DRAKE.COM, YOU CAN GET IT ON ITUNES OR AMAZON, GOOGLE, HOWEVER YOU GET YOUR MUSIC ON LINE. THE ALBUM IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. >> HOW MUCH OF THAT MARKETING AND SALESMANSHIP DO YOU HAVE TO DO YOURSELF? >> A LOT. THE WAY THE ALBUM CAME ABOUT WAS REALLY THROUGH A LOAN, THROUGH WIBIC, WHICH IS A GOD SEND AND THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE FINANCING BEHIND WHAT WE NEED TO PUSH THE ALBUM THE RIGHT WAY. >> IT'S A LOT MORE THAN ARTISTS USED TO HAVE TO DO. >> YEAH. YEAH. WELL I'M NOT GOING THE LABEL ROUTE. I AM AN INDEPENDENT, AND I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO ENJOY THE MUSIC AND IF THEY DO, THEN IT'S JUST BETWEEN ME AND THE FANS. >> OK. WELL YOU AND THE FANS WILL HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. AND TALKING TO US, AND SHOWING US A SAMPLE OF YOUR POETRY. >> IN 1983, MILWAUKEE YAWN SONYA ROBINSON USED HER OUTSTANDING TALENT OF PLAYING THE VIOLIN TO WIN THE TITLE OF MISS BLACK AMERICA. RECENTLY, SHE CAME BACK HOME FOR THE RELEASE OF HER FOURTH C.D. WE TALKED TO HER ATOP THE PFISTER HOTEL BEFORE HER SHOW. ♪♪ >> WELL YOU AND I HAVEN'T TALKED SINCE YOU WON THE MISS BLACK AMERICA PAGEANT. WE WON'T MENTION THE YEAR,. >> OH, THANK YOU. >> BUT WE KNOW WHAT YEAR IT WAS. AND THAT WAS VERY EXCITING FOR YOU. BUT THAT WAS SORT OF THE BEGINNING OF A CAREER IN MUSIC. >> RIGHT. >> DID YOU EXPECT AFTER YOU WON THAT TITLE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN OR DID YOU EXPECT THAT IT CAST GOING TO FADE AWAY -- IT WAS GOING TO FADE AWAY AND YOU WERE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE? >> YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT THE FIRST THING FOR ME IS MY LOVE FOR MUSIC, SO WHETHER I'M PLAYING PROFESSIONALLY OR NOT PLAYING PROFESSIONALLY, MUSIC WOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG IMPORTANT PART OF IT, AND SO I'VE ALWAYS -- I'VE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO GREAT MUSICIANS, I ALWAYS GO AND HEAR A LOT OF MUSICIANS, I WENT TO MARSELLIS AND HE WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE BEAUTY PAGEANT THING, I WAS LIKE OK, ALL RIGHT, I'LL GO WITH THAT. >> LOTS OF KIDS WOULD LIKE TO BE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS LIKE YOU, HOW DO THEY DO IT? >> PRACTICE. WHAT IS THAT OLD SAYING, IF YOU WANT TO GET TO CARNEGIE HALL, YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. THAT'S PROBABLY THE FIRST THING. I THINK A LOT OF US HAVE A LOVE FOR IT. A LOT OF US DON'T ALWAYS NECESSARILY HAVE THAT SPARK, OR THAT THING THAT REALLY GETS IT. SO SOMETIMES WE CAN COMPENSATE BY JUST PUTTING IN THE EXTRA WORK. >> FOR EXAMPLE, I GOT TO WORK IN THE STUDIO, WHERE THE OWNER IS FRIENDS WITH GEORGE BENSON AND HE TELLS ME THAT GEORGE BENSON PRACTICES SIX HOURS A DAY. AND I'M LIKE, THIS MAN IS BRILLIANT, WHY IS HE STILL PRACTICE? BUT THERE'S STILL -- THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT DRIVE, SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO A, LOVE IT, LOVE PRACTICING, AND BE WILLING TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. BECAUSE SOME OF US HIT, SOME OF US DON'T. ♪♪ >> I KNOW YOU WROTE ONE SONG FOR YOUR MOTHER. DID SHE LIKE IT? >> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, MY MOTHER PASSED BEFORE, AND SHE HAD TOLD ME SONYA, PLEASE WRITE A SONG FOR ME. OK, MOTHER, I'LL GET TO IT. AND CIRCUMSTANCES, WELL, I KNOW MY MOTHER IS WATCHING DOWN ON ME, BECAUSE MY LIFE HAS JUST BEEN TOO BLESSED LATELY, SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MY FAMILY AND MY ANCESTORS TAKING A PEEK AND JUST GUIDING ME ALONG ON THIS PROCESS, BUT YEAH, SHE DIDN'T GET TO HEAR IT, BUT I THINK SHE WOULD REALLY BE HONORED. >> WHAT LESSON DID YOU LEARN FROM PROCRASTINATING AND NOT DOING IT IN TIME? >> WELL, LET'S SAY I -- I THINK EVERY SONG THAT I WROTE HONORS MY FAMILY, SO I DIDN'T NECESSARILY -- I'M LIKE, MOM, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. NOT EVERY MUSICIAN WRITES A SONG FOR THEIR FAMILY, AND I KNOW SHE ASKED ME AND MAYBE I WAS BEING SELFISH, BUT -- LIKE I SAID, I JUST FELT THE NEED TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE THESE THINGS, MY MOTHER ASKED, SO I HAD TO ANSWER. >> DOES IT TAKE A LONG TIME TO MAKE AN ALBUM? >> I SEE OTHER PEOPLE DOING STUFF, AND IF YOU'RE NOT IN IT, YOU CAN'T WIN IT. I'M SORRY, THAT'S A CORNY PHRASE, BUT THE OTHER ONE IS YOU JUST HAVE TO DO IT, SO IF YOU DON'T DO THE PROJECT AND EITHER SUCCEED OR FAIL OR FAIL AND SUCCEED, WHATEVER THAT PROCESS IS, YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT. >> IF YOU WEREN'T PLAYING THE VIOLIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? >> I THINK -- I DON'T KNOW. I MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE UP THE GHOST, BECAUSE IT'S JUST -- IT'S SO ENGRAINED IN ME. I'VE BEEN PLAYING SINCE I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, SO -- AND THAT'S THE WAY I HEAR THINGS, THE WAY I WRITE IS FOR MY INSTRUMENT. THE WAY I THINK IS FOR MY INSTRUMENT, THE WAY I HEAR IS FOR MY INSTRUMENT, SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I'D HAVE TO -- I THINK YOU'LL HAVE TO EXPAND MYSELF A LITTLE BIT MORE JUST IN CASE IF I COULDN'T DO THAT. >> MAYBE YOU WOULD WANT TO TEACH. >> I AM TEACHING. I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR 17 YEARS, I'VE DONE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL AND I LOVE IT. >> WHAT'S THE MOST FUN? >> WHAT YOU GET BACK AND WHAT YOU GIVE. I MEAN, THE PROCESS IS ALWAYS A GIVE AND TAKE, AND I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN. AND THEY'RE SO SWEET. >> ARE YOU GLAD TO BE HOME? >> EVERY TIME I COME BACK TO MILWAUKEE, I REALIZE THAT NUMBER ONE, I LIVE IN NEW YORK, AND IT'S EXTREMELY HECTIC THERE, IT'S IN THE AIR, EVERYBODY IS FRAZZLED, NOBODY HAS TIME TO STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES OR TALK TO THEIR FRIENDS OR GO HANG OUT, ENJOY GOOD FOOD. I MEAN, THEY GO OUT, BUT EVERYTHING IS FOR A REASON AND IN MILWAUKEE, IT'S JUST NICE TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN REALLY BE RELAXED HERE AND STILL GET THINGS DONE. >> THE TEMPO IS -- IT'S A LITTLE SLOWER, WHICH IS SWEET, SO I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. I'M THINKING ABOUT MOVING BACK HERE. >> THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION. WILL YOU EVER MOVE BACK HERE? >> I'VE BEEN SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW. >> AND THAT'S "BLACK NOUVEAU" FOR THIS WEEK. I'M JOANNE WILLIAMS. THANKS FOR JOINING US. GOOD NIGHT.