♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> Charles "Shorty" Garris of Innovative Recordings, and Mark Gusakov, noted data engineer and entrepreneur, next on "The Chavis Chronicles."

>> Major funding for "The Chavis Chronicles" is provided by the following.

At Wells Fargo, diverse representation and perspectives, equity, and inclusion is critical to meeting the needs of our colleagues, customers, and communities.

We are focused on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion both inside our company and in the communities where we live and work.

Together, we want to make a tangible difference in people's lives and in our communities.

Wells Fargo, the bank of doing.

American Petroleum Institute.

Through API's Energy Excellence program, our members are committed to accelerating safety, environmental and sustainability progress throughout the natural gas and oil industry around the world.

Learn more at api.org/apienergyexcellence.

Reynolds American, dedicated to building a better tomorrow for our employees and communities.

Reynolds stands against racism and discrimination in all forms and is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

At AARP, we are committed to ensuring your money, health, and happiness live as long as you do.

♪♪ >> One of the living legends of music of many different genres, Shorty Corleone.

Welcome to "The Chavis Chronicles."

>> Dr. Chavis, thanks for having me.

>> First, tell us about your upbringing and how you got into the music business.

>> Oh, man.

Born and raised in Southeast Washington, D.C., the Highland community.

Music was always going on in my house, right?

It was three floors.

So, the main floor, Grandma had WOL cranking.

So, the inspiration, she gonna have the vibes right, and we gonna get the word when you walk through that door.

In the basement, my uncles, they had the P-Funk going on.

And upstairs, it was the Motown Revue.

So each floor, I would get music, right?

As soon as I stepped outside, the soundtrack of Washington, D.C., which is go-go music, right?

I would hear that, you know, constantly with the cars coming up and down the street.

And soon as you go in the alley, you know, there are some guys beating on the bucket.

So, music was, you know, pretty much around.

I was always the youngest guy hanging around the older guys.

Right?

So, in order to be in the room, I had to, like, have musical stories.

So I would take the stories that my uncles shared and I would, you know, have the conversations with the older musicians.

And so I got invited to join a band, and I was 14 years old.

I wrote this song, and somehow, Verdine White from Earth, Wind & Fire got the demo, right?

So I ended up signing a deal with Warner Bros. at 14 years old, right?

>> So you became a songwriter... >> Yeah.

>> ...at the age of 14.

>> At the age of 14.

>> And one of the biggest groups in the country... >> Biggest groups in the country signed me.

I was -- actually had a artist and a publishing deal, and I was bitten by the bug ever since.

Right?

And from there... And it was a go-go song, right?

Crazy, right?

So I was asked to come and join Rare Essence, and my first three to four songs end up becoming staples, in music and in go-go history, so... >> So I want to go back.

You know, in "The Chavis Chronicles," we have a diverse audience.

>> Yes, yes, yes.

>> So people may have heard of go-go but don't know what it is.

>> Okay, okay.

>> Tell us, what is go-go music and how did it have its indigenous origin in Washington, D.C.?

>> There are so many stories on how go-go was actually started, but I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Ricky Wellman.

He was one of the drummers for Chuck Brown when they was creating go-go.

>> The legendary Chuck Brown.

>> The legendary Chuck Brown, the honorable Chuck Brown.

And so they had to find a way to keep the people on the dance floor, right?

Because back in the day, you would play a song, stop, the audience will applaud, and then you'll start a song again.

So, to avoid having to start again, they was like, "We're going to try this beat."

Right?

And it was pretty much the Grover Washington beat, which is the "boom, tap boom, boom tap, boom boom," right?

So, they had this conversation, and Ricky said, "It'll never work."

In between the song, Chuck told them, "Play that beat we talked about, son."

And so he played the beat.

Right?

And Ricky did not look up at the crowd.

He just was playing, looking down.

And Chuck said, "Son, look at the crowd."

And he looked up... And that was the story.

That was the birth of the go-go beat, because that kept the people on the floor.

And that term, it keeps going and going and going, you know, that helped birth that.

>> You said go-go is a celebration.

>> Yeah.

>> What are we celebrating?

>> We're celebrating life.

We're celebrating whatever's you've been challenged with for the week.

You know, folks come in on Friday night and they let their hair down.

They get they fix.

Or Saturday night, you know, from having a rough week, or, you know, you have folks that have their wedding receptions in a go-go.

you have folks that bring their whole entire office staff to the go-go.

It's just a place where there is this high level of networking.

Right?

And if you've been to a Frankie Beverly & Maze concert, you get it.

Like, it's church, right?

And that's the same thing that happens when you go to the go-go.

Like, folks will come and see the same band three times a week.

They hear the same music three times a week.

You're gonna hear it differently, but at the end of the day, you're going to hear the same -- the same music, right?

But it's that network and fellowship that happens whenever they come to the go-go.

>> They say music is the universal language.

>> Yeah.

>> And as you know, there are many different genres.

But what I want you to focus on, how important it was in your own evolution, to have access not only to the culture, but making sure other people in your age group, or even younger, also had access.

>> I had the opportunity to do a go-go in schools, music in schools initiatives with DCPS Arts.

The whole program was to support go-go in schools.

Right?

And so we had a residency of 10 schools, and we went into the schools and had the students have an opportunity to create original compositions.

And it was amazing.

And the end -- the end goal was to have all the students onstage.

So we had 50 kids onstage at one time at Monumental Sports Arena over in Southeast.

It just blew everyone away.

The people in the audience partied.

And you had kids meeting each other for the very first time, and that whole thing that if you're not from around this way or not around that way, we don't communicate, et cetera.

But these -- the universal language is music.

The kids bonded.

You had folks, you know, sharing ideas, you know, with horns and beats, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and the mash-up was incredible.

And so that also showed the power of music.

It showed that this too can work.

But we gave the kids something else different to lean towards, but also help to save the music and the deficit that the school music programs have been cut.

>> Other school districts across the country are doing what you're doing in D.C., or they're still -- we have to try to inform them?

>> Well, I think we have the proof of concept now, right?

I think we have the model that shows that it works, and it supports the music teachers that are currently in the schools trying to figure a way how to keep the attention span of these, you know, aspiring young musicians, et cetera.

I just had a meeting with Councilman Calvin Hawkins over in Prince George's County, and we're working on, you know, bringing a similar program that we're doing here in Washington, D.C., to Prince George's County.

He's super excited about about this opportunity.

>> That's great.

>> Yeah, yeah.

>> Because, you know, I think success, though, is important to be replicated.

>> Yeah.

>> And you seem in your own life to not only have gained success, but you're translating that opportunity to others.

>> Yes.

>> And I think it's very noteworthy... >> Yeah.

Thank you.

>> ...what you're doing.

How do you see the future of music?

>> The ceiling has been removed.

The ceiling has been removed.

Again, with so many incredible creatives, you know, figuring out how to turn nothing into something, right?

The best records were produced when you had a lack of something, right?

When the keyboard would get stuck, so you had to use the other keys, or the drum machine -- you wouldn't, you know -- you didn't have access to the beats you wanted.

So it challenges the creative to figure it out.

Right?

So I think we're gonna hear so many new wins for the music industry, as far as apps, as far as concerts, as far as ways to break a record, because the world is much smaller now, with the Internet.

So, again, I feel that ceiling is gone and we're going to hear so many new stories on how this person did it or how this person was able to create this or that.

>> So, the sky's the limit.

>> The sky's the limit.

>> How do you see artists being responsible like yourself?

>> For the seasoned veterans, right, it's that they have a responsibility to make sure that this next generation of creatives understand the power of this music and how infectious this music is.

So that education has to happen, but not just how to play your instrument, but know the history of the artists that came before you.

Right?

Know the history of Chuck Brown, like his first song.

Right?

Which was the national record of "Bustin' Loose."

But before that, he played with a Latin band, Los Latinos.

Right?

So, when you share those timelines of other artists before them journeys, it shares that, okay, they were once in your shoes.

They had to be creative and figure it out.

But also, the folks that are in junior high and high school that have, you know, an aspiration of music, these legendary artists, again, was once in their shoes and a lot of bands were formulated, you know, from high school, middle school, meeting up in the band room after, after class.

So, those stories, sharing back, you know, to the next generation of creatives help inspire them to keep going.

But also someone is going to give them some time to, you know, give them the tools that they need.

Right?

And that's another thing you want to make sure that we change the narrative that, you know, we're around if you need some help.

>> In states like Florida and some other states, they're banning books, changing curriculum, taking music out a lot of the schools.

>> I heard about that.

>> What's your response?

>> Ah, man.

It's -- It's...

The folks that have access to those communities, they got to maybe roll up their sleeves a little more and make sure the accuracy of history gets to the people.

>> Today, Shorty, what gives you your greatest hope?

>> Tomorrow.

Tomorrow gives me my greatest hope, that I get another shot at it, I have another opportunity, I get one more day to take a crack at it, right?

To be better tomorrow than I was today.

>> Shorty Corleone.

>> Yes, sir.

>> Thank you so much for joining "The Chavis Chronicles."

>> Thank you for having me, Dr. Chavis.

I appreciate it.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> We want to welcome to "The Chavis Chronicles" Mark Gusakov, one of the nation's leading authorities on data, futurism and science, technology.

We're pleased to welcome you, Mark.

First of all, where are you originally from?

Where were you born?

>> Thanks for the wonderful introduction, Dr. Chavis, and it's humbling to be put in that category, but I do appreciate it.

My background -- I come from a small town outside of Buffalo, New York, called East Aurora.

It's the world headquarters of Fisher-Price toys.

That's its biggest claim to fame, and 13th president of the United States, Millard Fillmore.

I started off in my journey public speaking through Cornell's Cooperative Extension.

My father, Ignati, was an engineer by design and trade, and my mother was an educator.

She ran a small nursery school out of her church for 60 years, and I went through that program when I was young.

>> And today you are the chair of the governance board of advisors for Nomad Futurist.

>> That is correct.

>> So, for the audience, what is Nomad Futurist?

>> Nomad Futurist is a nonprofit organization that focuses on demystifying the digital infrastructure industry for emerging talent and our community in general.

We partner and collaborate with many organizations in digital infrastructure, along with organizations such as the Infrastructure Masons that support four pillars of the digital infrastructure industry in areas such as sustainability, innovation, diversity and inclusion, and education.

>> Explain to us, what is the digital infrastructure industry?

>> When we talk about digital infrastructure, what we're really talking about is a collection of data centers that exist to operate electronics and machinery for the community and the betterment of that.

Everybody wants to get Netflix, everybody wants to live stream and get information like that.

>> So it takes data centers to make sure that is operative.

>> It is a critical component, a mission-critical component of digital infrastructure that must operate at a 24/7, round the clock, fully supported, resilient operational component.

It is a critical utility of our current demographic for information, how we gather it, how we transmit it, and how we communicate with each other.

>> Are these data centers privately owned or government owned?

They're so vital -- how is it maintained 24/7 without any break, to have that kind of consistency?

>> It really comes down to resiliency.

So, to answer your first question, ownership of the data centers vary.

The government does own some.

Maybe the government owns one and another entity operates it for them on their behalf because they have the skills and the expertise.

There are facilities called co-location facilities where you have one building, multiple servers, multiple tenants that are leased, and then could have enterprise data centers.

Maybe a bank or a financial institution, a college campus even, could have their own house data center.

And then everybody's heard of the cloud, but not many people know what that means.

Really, the cloud just exists as a supportive infrastructure of all these data centers put together, where people can pool this information and push/pull.

>> How does one prepare themselves to get involved in that industry?

Is there certain things you have to major in in school?

Do you really need a college degree?

What is the educational requirement to get more competence and involvement in the digital infrastructure industry?

>> Boy, am I glad you asked this question.

This is my favorite thing to talk about, by the way.

So, I'll go back to what we're doing at Nomad Futurist.

Phil Koblence and Nabeel Mahmood in 2020 created a podcast to start talking about what we're doing.

And from that, they created the Nomad Futurist organization, which I'm a part of.

But in this demystification process, we are also, as an educational entity in the industry, the connective tissue that then brings organizations, collaborative entities, educators, and the end product of this, which is ultimately human capital.

You know, the people that we're going to see.

There's some statistics around digital infrastructure industry that the people in this industry that have 20-plus years in the industry occupy 45% of our demographic.

45% of the people in the industry have 20-plus years.

Now, another 32% of those people have 10-plus years in the industry.

So if you combine those numbers, 77% of our industry has 10-plus years in.

That screams folks getting ready to retire.

So we're already behind the curve trying to bring new talent in.

So what we're doing, we partner with organizations.

I'll give you an example.

We went to Sandusky, Ohio, and spoke with Sandusky High School.

They have an excellent trades program there and an excellent, very diverse -- >> I'm gonna stop you right now.

>> Please.

>> A trade program in a high school?

>> Absolutely.

>> Because across the country, many high schools have ended their trade programs, have ended their music programs, have ended their -- you know, because of budget.

They've been cut back.

>> What we know about Sandusky, Ohio, or at least what I knew was Cedar Point was there, right?

So hospitality, tourism -- still a big part of their organization.

It's still a big part of their demographic, you know, what they're doing for their economy.

Sandusky, Ohio, has one room dedicated just to welding, one room dedicated just to manufacturing, one room just dedicated to computer programming and coding.

>> At the high school level?

>> Yeah, it's about half the high school from what we saw.

So we entered a partnership with one of our advisers, Phill Lawson-Shanks, and Joanna Soucy, and she and Phill and I went to the high school and spoke on behalf of his organization.

He's the chief intelligence officer for Aligned Data Centers.

Now, this is a company that builds data centers.

They are building a data center across the street from the high school.

So imagine you're a student driving, riding on the bus every day, and you see your grandfather's General Motors plant where he worked his whole life, get demolitioned, and you wonder what's going in there next, and there's a heavy construction vehicle coming.

Nomad Futurist, Aligned Data Centers, and Sandusky High School partnered together, and we had the opportunity to speak to the entire trades group within this school, all these kids that are taking courses around welding and computer programming, cosmetology, machining, manufacturing, carpentry.

And we let them know that the digital infrastructure world exists.

But now the people who are in there and they're coding and they're doing I.T.

work... Now they know that there is a local resource for them to work in, and they can work in the same space that their grandfather did, their grandmother did, and grandparents.

>> The question I will have -- why can't that be replicated all over the United States?

Because kids want to be successful even while they're in high school.

Why aren't our curriculums across the country, both public and private, more geared toward what Nomad Futurist is offering?

>> I can speak to you New York, where I live and breathe and reside.

We have an organization there called Northland Workforce Training.

And Northland was a -- is an organization sponsored by Alfred State University in New York.

It has also backing from New York State, where it's a similar model.

It's just on a different scale.

So, this is not attached to a high school.

This is now moving into the college level where you have a State University of New York, SUNY school that is now providing money and contributions and also collaborating with local businesses to get programs like welding, like CNC machining, like carpentry.

Automotive tech is starting to come up with them.

They built this facility on a bus route.

People can take public transportation to get to it.

It's built in the inner city.

And they can get people through a program, get them out of the program, and they have a job at the end of it.

And this is the rare piece.

What I'd like to do, what we'd like to do together is find a way to take this business model that exists, duplicate the success, and then re-create this in other areas, like Washington, D.C., Chicago, Georgia, Phoenix, Arizona.

We're building data centers.

Austin, Texas, which is a thriving market right now.

We'd like to be able to take this model and convert it.

We need help.

We need resources at the government level, at the state level, at the regional level, to make absolutely certain that we can get this model duplicated.

>> We're heading more and more into technology?

>> Absolutely.

Right now, what we're seeing are other countries that are taking what we've built in the United States in digital infrastructure and mimicking that model to grow their digital infrastructure footprint in other places where they may not have previously been able to serve.

When we watch movies and we see places like, you know, Abu Dhabi and we see other, other areas of the world where, you know, the world's tallest building is no longer in the United States.

And when you look at places in, you know, in the Middle East, this is an area that's a technology hub where they are growing at an alarming exponential rate.

They're really in the cutting edge of building massive amounts of data centers.

Asian Pacific countries are in the same category.

They're growing at an incredible rate, and they are starting to develop cultures in technology.

Part of that process is that as they start to get technologically advanced, we also have to find ways to coexist and collaborate.

You know, as you know, we've got trade regulations and we have issues that we don't want to fund, you know, warring.

We don't want to fund war profiteering and geopolitical, geoeconomic situations start to play into that.

We're not going to support a war that we don't believe in by investing in another country's technology.

We're not going to buy uranium, you know, from a country that, you know, then that revenue stream starts to support a war that we don't support.

So, there are odd dynamics at play that start to factor into how we're going to work together and with each other.

We've got to find a way to co-exist and collaborate together.

And if we sacrifice technology at the expense of when we don't want to fund a war, that also hits at the civilian end as well.

And we need to be very careful and cautious of that.

Together we advance very well.

We're much stronger together as we unite as people, than we are working apart in vacuums.

>> You're changing the world, you're making a difference, and you're doing it inclusively to bring people in, not to shut people out.

Mark, thank you so much for joining "The Chavis Chronicles."

>> The pleasure was all mine, and it's an absolute honor.

Thank you very much.

>> For more information about "The Chavis Chronicles" and our guests, visit our website at TheChavisChronicles.com.

Also, follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

>> Major funding for "The Chavis Chronicles" is provided by the following.

At Wells Fargo, diverse representation and perspectives, equity, and inclusion is critical to meeting the needs of our colleagues, customers, and communities.

We are focused on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion both inside our company and in the communities where we live and work.

Together, we want to make a tangible difference in people's lives and in our communities.

Wells Fargo, the bank of doing.

American Petroleum Institute.

Through API's Energy Excellence program, our members are committed to accelerating safety, environmental and sustainability progress throughout the natural gas and oil industry around the world.

Learn more at api.org/apienergyexcellence.

Reynolds American, dedicated to building a better tomorrow for our employees and communities.

Reynolds stands against racism and discrimination in all forms and is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

At AARP, we are committed to ensuring your money, health, and happiness live as long as you do.

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