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2001-02
Broadcast Season
Broadcast Program Transcripts
Episode #1712
Boys Choir of Harlem
Holloway: Jay Holloway,
host
Turnbull: Dr. Walter Turnbull
Leak: Corey Leak
Taylor: Anthony Taylor
[CHOIR SINGING]
Holloway: Take a front
row seat at the rehearsal, and meet the director of the Boys
Choir of Harlem. That's next on Black Issues Forum.
Voiceover: This program
was made possible by contributions to UNC-TV from viewers
like you. Thank you.
[THEME MUSIC]
[CHOIR SINGING]
Holloway: Traveling,
singing, dancing, on the road for days at a time is a lot
to handle, but it's a pressure this group of boys is prepared
to endure, all for the chance to be with the Boys Choir of
Harlem. In December of 2001 the choir and its entourage of
counselors, tutors, choreographers and musicians visited Duke
University's Page Auditorium for a holiday performance. North
Carolina is a stop on the tour only once every two years.
The Boys Choir of Harlem touring ensemble is comprised of
the best of the best attending the Boys Choir Academy in New
York, an arts and educational institution of 500 boys and
girls where 98% of its graduates continue on to colleges around
the nation. 70% of the boys come from single-parent households
headed by women. 55% live below the poverty level. What's
behind the widespread success of the Boys Choir Academy? It
could be the rigorous production schedule, or perhaps even
the school's high standards of performance and discipline.
Just as likely, though, is the love and leadership of it's
director, Dr. Walter J. Turnbull who founded the choir at
Ephesus Church in Harlem in 1968. Turnbull says, "A choir
is a good starting point for building character." He
took a 14th century concept using choirs to educate
boys and applied it to 20th century inner-city
youth. The boys choir employs a diverse group of musicians
and artists working closely together to make the boys choir
the world-renowned, award-winning group it is today. It's
a reward that stemmed from a part of their mission, "To
prepare inner-city youth to become disciplined, confident,
motivated and successful adults," and it's an excellent
model for increasing achievement and closing the gap.
Tonight we welcome the Boys Choir
of Harlem to North Carolina. They are at Duke University,
here on the campus, for a performance here tonight. I'm Jay
Holloway, good evening and welcome to Black Issues Forum.
Tonight we welcome the founder and director, Dr. Walter Turnbull.
Thank you for being with us, sir.
Turnbull: Thank you
for having us.
Holloway: Also we welcome
Corey Leak, he's a senior here at the academy, the Boys Choir
Academy. Thank you for being with us Corey.
Leak: Thank you.
Holloway: And last
but not least, Anthony Taylor, he's in eighth grade, and thank
you Anthony for being with us.
Taylor: Yes, thank
you for having us.
Holloway: You guys
are known all around the world, internationally, as very artistic
organization and performers, but also, what I think is most
important really, is you are a role model or a model for alternative
education. And you are the founder of this academy and this
choir, but you said something to me before your rehearsal
as we were walking in that kids need nurturing. And that's
probably one of the reasons why you started this.
Turnbull: Oh, absolutely.
I think nurturing is very, very important, and particularly
for young men, particularly African American and Hispanic
children who live in the inner city. Nurturing is important
because we need to give them confidence and help them to have
confidence and carry them through. We need to lead them through.
It's not about providing an opportunity and standing back,
it's about holding their hands and taking them through. So
I think that that is very important, the nurturing that comes
with being concerned not just about their musical and academic
development, but also about their social needs. So I think
that that's very important.
Holloway: Corey, you're
a senior, so how long have you been with the academy?
Leak: I came in in
the 9th grade, which would be when high school
starts. I had to go through an audition process in which I
was warmed up, and then after that I went through an interviewing
process, and then from there they reviewed my records and
then they decided from there whether I was accepted or not.
Holloway: How has this
met your expectations from when you first started.
Leak: This has definitely
met my expectations from when it first started in the sense
that I've achieved vocally what I wanted to, where I wanted
to achieve, and I still am achieving. It's given me the opportunity
to travel all over the world. I've been able to travel many
places such as Israel and Japan and things of that nature
which I've actually wanted to do since I was a kid. Academically
it has definitely challenged me because I've had to definitely
keep, you are forced to keep an average of 80 or better if
you are going to maintain a spot in the performing unit. We
also have a busy schedule while we are on the road of homework
sessions every morning, making sure that we get all of our
coursework and stuff done, along with rehearsals and performances.
So it has definitely made me a stronger individual.
Holloway: Anthony,
how about you? You're in the eighth grade, how long have you
been here?
Taylor: I've been here
now for four years, and I also had to go through an audition
process. But since I came in in the fifth grade and I was
in elementary I had to go through one year of prep, in which
a teacher will develop you in your vocal skills and teach
you how to sing better and also teach you a focus and stuff
and discipline. And after that I have developed, and I also
worked hard so I would be in select. And I really wanted to
be in select, so I really worked hard so I could reach my
goal.
Holloway: Dr. Turnbull,
these guys are amongst the best in your program and amongst
the best in the country. Your reaction?
Turnbull: As I'm sitting
here hearing them speak and haven't heard that before I'm
really quite awed, as I am with all of our children. There
are wonderful things that they can do given the opportunity.
There are wonderful things that they can be given the guidance.
[MUSIC]
Turnbull: And I think
that it's very, very important. So often we hear of young
black children, that they are not doing well or they don't
want to do well. I haven't found that to be the case. Children
that I have met all expect and want to be somebody, and to
be somebody means that you must work hard, it means that there
must be a sense of hope, there must be a sense of purpose
and there must be someone there to guide and nurture. Often
one of those things are missing, and most often it's the sense
of nurturing, because it's a day-to-day process, an hour-to-hour
process that we must really hold their hands and go forward.
Sometimes we wait until they get to adolescents and then we
say, "Oh, they are big enough to know what they are supposed
to do." Well, that's perhaps the time that they need
it the most.
Holloway: You miss
them at the foundation if you.
Turnbull: Absolutely.
That's the time that they need it most, and that's why Boys
Choir of Harlem and programs like Boys Choir of Harlem, whether
it's a basketball team, a dance group or whether it's a football
team, when we can corral that energy at the very important
time in their lives, most impressionable, that they can move
with direction.
Holloway: In terms
of direction, I watched intensely and enjoyed your rehearsal.
And one of the songs that really struck me, and I think I
got it, was the song about black boys born to be heroes. Is
that one of them?
Turnbull: We Are
Heroes, it's called. And the line is, "Black boys
are born of heroes, ancient heroes, biblical heroes, historical
heroes, all black boys are born of heroes." And then
it names a few. Of course there are a lot more.
Holloway: Anthony and
Corey, what does that song mean to you all? Does it mean more
than just an artistic song singing, or does it really mean
something to you?
Leak: Definitely, it
really does, because while singing this song you're talking
about all these famous black strong men who were before us,
who made it possible for us to be here today, who provided
the way for us to be here, for without them we might not have
some of the opportunities that we have today.
[MUSIC - WE ARE HEROES]
Taylor: As I sing this
song I feel I want to be like those strong black leaders when
I grow up, and they are my role models too.
Holloway: You guys
realize that this academy that your founder has set up is
really a model in terms of success. Around the country a lot
of African American students are not succeeding to the counterparts
of their white students, and you guys are doing tremendously
well in terms of performing at and above grade level, 100%
being accepted into college and attendance rate, I mean it's
just blowing the statistics out. What is it that really motivates
you to want to do well at that academy?
Taylor: Personally,
for me, I want to do well because I want to grow up and I
want to be successful. That's why I always come to school,
have my mind set correctly. I really want to grow up and get
my education, because to me, without an education you won't
be successful in life.
Holloway: Now you're
in eighth grade. Are you planning on going to college?
Taylor: Yes.
Holloway: And what
do you ultimately want to do for a career do you think?
Taylor: I want to be
an engineer.
Holloway: Engineer,
all right. How about you Corey?
Leak: Yes, I definitely,
I want to go into vocal performance, study classical, do gospel,
I just want to sing.
Holloway: So Anthony,
are you going to continue in the academy on up through high
school?
Taylor: Yes, I'm still
making my decision.
Holloway: All right,
because you do have a choice, right?
Taylor: Yes.
Holloway: All right.
Well let's talk about this, your program is a model but it's
also a replication for others. And you got a grant from the
Kellogg Foundation and there are, I think, four other cities
that are in the process of modeling this right now.
Turnbull: Well the
idea was that particularly for African American males to find
things and alternatives that could help, excuse me, that could
help to bridge the gap. And I think that Kellogg recognized
that very early. So we're helping other cities to develop,
in some cases, boys choirs that are modeled after the Boys
Choir of Harlem method, that is, with all of the things that
are necessary to teach. It's not just about singing. Yes,
we want world class singing and world class teaching in the
art of singing, but we want great academics and high standards
in academics as well, and then we want to make sure that they
are successful. So that requires a lot of work. And then they
must have counseling, an ongoing kind of nurturing that's
necessary to ensure that they can be successful.
Holloway: You guys,
I'm sure, have other friends that maybe go to other schools.
Do you see a big difference? Have you all had that other experience
before? You've only been here four years. Have you noticed
that big a difference between the previous school you were
at and where you are now?
Taylor: Yes. At my
old school my schedule wasn't as long as here at the choir,
because usually you just have academic and that's it, but
here at the choir they make sure we have more choices: music,
vocal, academic and also the difference of playing with instrumentals
and all that stuff. And it makes the day longer, but it's
for a learning process and that's what's good and it keeps
you off the streets and stuff.
Holloway: So Corey,
you went through elementary and middle school at another school,
right?
Leak: Yes, and yes
there definitely is a difference, because as Anthony says,
not only are there longer hours, but there's more challenge
there. You have to not only go through a full day of school,
but then you also have to make sure that you have rehearsal.
You also have rehearsal that you have to attend each and every
day after school. And then you have to make sure that you
go home and get your coursework done. But at the same time,
where it may be harder or more to do, it also, like Anthony
also said, it keeps you busy, it keeps you off the streets
and it keeps you, unlike some of my friends that may have
not gone through this program or who do not have this program,
from getting into trouble or from getting yourself in situations
that you can avoid.
Holloway: Dr. Turnbull,
have you monitored some of your graduates that have gone on
to college, and how are they doing now?
Turnbull: First of
all, there are some graduates who are teachers now at the
Boys Choir of Harlem and who help out in the basics. And I
often tell the audience, Mr. Wright, Terrance Wright is a
choreographer and a graduate of Clark Atlanta University,
and William Byrd from Oakwood College, a graduate, and then
Gilbert Robinson from Virginia Union. But we have graduates
everywhere, and then there are some in music.
Holloway: So they go
on to historically black colleges, to some with traditionally
white students, white schools as well.
Turnbull: Yes, oh absolutely.
Boston University, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, they
go on to a wide variety of places because they are qualified.
Holloway: What about
the transition from a predominantly black environment to some
of the other schools that are not predominantly black. How
do students say they've made that transition?
Turnbull: Well, very
well. Most are doing very, very well and come back, of course
we get the reports of how well they're doing. But once you
feel very comfortable with who you are, it's easy to go and
be with people. And at the Boys Choir of Harlem we have a
faculty that's quite diverse.
Holloway: So they're
learning diversity and to appreciate that.
Turnbull: They're learning
diversity every day. Their teachers are from all races. There
are lots of black kids, lots of Hispanic kids, but I think
that they're learning well how to be a good human being, that's
most important.
Holloway: Good point.
Let's move now to your artistic side of it. I talked about
watching this rehearsal here today. It was strenuous, a long
rehearsal, and I read in the materials that you guys practice
about three hours almost every day. I watched a three-hour
practice today.
Turnbull: Well, it's
the beginning of the tour, so there are lots of things that
always have to be tightened up after the first night's performance,
and this is just the second night.
Holloway: How rigorous
is that for you guys, and how do you guys deal with the practices,
the rehearsals.
Leak: Oh, it's very
rigorous, but you learn to pace yourself. When you get home,
when we get back to the hotel rather that night, you learn
that you have to go to sleep, that you can't stay up and talk,
that you can't, you know, go play with your friends, that
you have to get in the bed when you get to the hotel and make
sure that you get enough rest, so that by the time you get
to the hotel you've rested and you're able to go through the
rehearsals.
Holloway: Anthony,
you all have so much in your repertoire, what kind of music
do you like, or what particular performance do you like the
best?
Taylor: I like the
gospel and the pop and stuff because I like the way the crowd,
the audience I should say, reacts to it. Because it's good
to see when you perform for your audience and the audience
like when you perform for them and they love to see you perform.
And you also meet the performers and they get to know and
learn about you and stuff.
[MUSIC]
Holloway: That's great.
In terms of student services as an area, you talked about
counseling and I think you have a counselor riding, traveling
with you.
Turnbull: Absolutely,
and a teacher.
Holloway: And the teachers.
That's what I was going to ask about. How does that work while
you're on a travel schedule?
Turnbull: Well, they
have about four hours every day, Saturday and Sunday included,
of sit-down schoolwork. The teachers at the school have given
to the counselors what they are supposed to do, and the order
in which they are supposed to do it and what they are supposed
to come back with. We have a teacher on this tour, as a matter
of fact a graduate of Duke, '95, Mr. Douglas George, who is
working with the students to take care of all of the things
and be in touch with the teachers. I think they email and
they do, oh lots of things with the computers back and forth.
But they really work very hard. And kids who are usually out
on tour are usually ahead of the class, so it doesn't hurt
them at all. But it is disciplining, and discipline is a main
ingredient of the Boys Choir of Harlem: how to set the goal,
how to go for it, how to do. And you know they can use that
in life. That's why choir as a means of success is one of
the ways, helping them to learn to be disciplined.
Holloway: Interesting
point. Corey, what's most important to you outside of the
singing and performing as you look at this whole academic,
academy, and the whole program. What else is important to
you?
Leak: What else is
important to me is that it's the foundation under everything;
that you can be and that you can do whatever you want, one,
if you have faith in yourself, if you have faith in God and
if you believe that you can do it, you can do it. And whatever
you feel that you can achieve it can be achieved and done.
And Dr. Turnbull, I feel, is the whole symbol of that because
he's taught us that through God, through faith that you can
accomplish all things and that nothing is impossible if you
trust.
Holloway: Now you have
a lot of other special programs. Anthony, I've just read things
like the Talking Drum, the Summer Institute, are you familiar
with either of those or any other special programs?
Taylor: Yes, because
most other schools, after the school year is finished we have
nothing else to do. But at the choir we have Summer Institute,
we go to Skidmore, we also learn music up there, do a little
performances, they teach you vocalizing and it keeps you busy
through the summer.
Holloway: In terms
of your link back to your parents and your family, we haven't
talked much about that yet. How do you all stay in contact
with your family?
Leak: Telephone. When
we're [COUGH], every opportunity that we have the chance to
be home, we're with them. When we're on the road we have the
opportunity to call them on the telephone and talk to them
and see how they're doing. Things like that.
Holloway: You want
to add anything to that Anthony?
Taylor: It's really
hard to be connected when you're on the road, mostly because
mostly it's the telephone.
Holloway: Well let
me ask you, we're in some tough times now, this new war and
the new reality that we're living in. Has that effected your
travel or your singing? You have some patriotic numbers I
noticed in there. Do you want to touch on that for us Dr.
Turnbull?
Turnbull: Well yes,
it has affected everybody, particularly in New York, on a
very grand scale. The Boys Choir of Harlem has done lots of
memorials, we have done patriotic events and lots of things,
and so the kids are very much aware, and some people have
been effected in their families and friends who never came
back from the World Trade Center, and that was an awesome
event. You know, flying for us, we've had to curtail some
of our flying because of the fears of some of the parents
particularly, so we've done much more bussing recently, but
we hope that we'll get back to the point that we were. So
that affects us too. Of course, we lost some funding because
of course people want to give for the immediate need, but
at the same time we have to survive. And so performances are
important to us.
Holloway: What about-we've
just got about a minute or so left-why do you do such a wide
variety of performances in your repertoire?
Turnbull: No one will
ever box the Boys Choir of Harlem into gospel, or just gospel,
or just pop. The Boys Choir of Harlem can sing and any of
our children can sing classical as well, Bach and whomever.
It's what we bring to it, and it is making sure that kids
learn all music so that they can intelligently say, "What
I don't like, and what I do like." I don't believe in
the notion that, "This is our music, and that's y'all's
music." It's all my music if I want to perform it. So
based on that philosophy I try to make sure that my children
get the world view of music as opposed to the local, oh, you
know, "We're going to have this gospel chorus and we're
going to do nothing else." This is our music. You have
to be able to do it all. So we do gospel too, but we also
do Bach.
Holloway: Well listen,
I just want to say congratulations to you for coming up with
such a tremendous program that has really set the standard
and example to people all across the country for closing this
gap in academic achievement. And best wishes to you guys in
your future, and thank you for entertaining and setting an
example for all of us across the country and in this state.
And I want to thank you for watching as well. If you'd like
to know more information about the Boys Choir of Harlem, join
us on our website at www.unctv.org
or give us a call at (919) 549-7167. I'm Jay Holloway for
the Black Issues Forum team. Join us again every Friday
night at 9:30 on UNC-TV. You have a blessed evening. Good
night.
[CHORAL MUSIC]
[THEME MUSIC]
Voiceover: This program
is made possible in part by contributions from UNC-TV viewers
like you.
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