Music mentor mobilizes aspiring youths to ‘sleep out’

Undeniably, the music industry maintains an allure for attracting creatives who entertain and in the process earn exorbitant rewards for their effort. Perhaps true in the case of most, Vivian Scott Chew entered with a purposeful role of inspiring youths to maximize their ambitions to capacity.

As president of the Power 2 Inspire Foundation, just ahead of Thanksgiving she managed to recruit talented, socially conscious and philanthropic youths to volunteer for a fundraiser for Covenant House International, whose board of directors she is also committed to serve.

With a goal of raising $3,000 Chew sheepishly asked the youths she mentors to help out. That she asked for volunteers to sleep in Times Square, the way the homeless beds down at night was not a simple request.

“It is important that we look after the mental and emotional health of our young people. We want them to grow in being great human beings who will feel compelled to give back as we have to them,” Chew said.

According to the mentor, without hesitation Javier Jbara, Melissa May, Luke Waldron, Donovan Long, Tony Singfield raised their hands as if she had asked them to sing with Beyonce or Taylor Swift.

Already accomplished musicians, graduates of prestigious music institutions, actor, composer, and engineer they each wanted to help with the initiative of highlighting the plight of the homeless.

At the crossroads of New York City they did just that on Nov. 16.

In the end, their mission boosted the aim to almost double the goal.

With bragging rights of $5,500 the youths added currency to their characters by aiding the cause.

Of the experience Singfield said: “For when the time comes, the ones who fight for freedom will be carried by their dreams, so let’s feed our spirits so we can re generations’ hunger for justice.”

Throughout her career Chew transitioned from various record companies in order to fulfill her own dream which manifested in 2013 when with her husband Ray Chew co-founded the Power 2 Inspire Foundation with aspiration of empowering “young aspiring musicians and future leaders.”

The power couple is renowned in the music industry for their combined expertise. Ray is acclaimed as a musician and musical director of the recent Thanksgiving Day Parade and “Dancing With The Stars.”

While Vivian seems to be most known for signing Jamaican dancehall deejay Shabba Ranks to a record contract at Sony Music but her reputation at record labels includes sealing a production deal for a young Damian Marley, Shaggy; funk master George Clinton to 550 Records, Third World to Polygram Records and many more recording artists to publishing deals while working at ASCAP.

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