A Conversation with CEO & Founder of The Mama Foundation - Vy Higginsen

The Sing Harlem Choir is a celebrated group of performers elevated from the Mama Foundation for the Arts Music School of Gospel, Jazz and R&B. This award winning and nationally recognized foundation has grown to be a highly respected and influential force in the New York gospel scene, producing not only great vocalists, but top notch global citizens. Vy Higginsen, the Founder & CEO fuels her community with not only music and song but an emotional and spiritual release. Take a peek into her past, her present and very bright furture of the Mama Foundation!   

RESOURCES   
|Sing Harlem NY NOW Digital Market Performance:
https://youtu.be/VRkovrXg85I   

|Sing Harlem Instagram: www.instagram.com/singharlem                     

|Sing Harlem Facebook: www.facebook.com/singharlem   

|Mama Foundation Website: www.mamafoundation.org   

| NY NOW Podcast Page: 
https://nynow.com/podcast   

| NY NOW Email Subscription:   
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/147c19d133dc472cbc83778bcaec0402   

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Transcript

Dondrill Glover: 0:02

Welcome to the NY NOW Podcast, a modern wholesale market for retailers and specialty buyers seeking diversity and discovery, gathering twice a year in America's design capital, New York City. It's where buyers and designers on earth have refreshed and dedicated collection of eclectic lifestyle products.

Amy Loewenberg: 0:21

Hello, everyone, and welcome for joining us for today's podcasting Harlem. My name is Amy Loewenberg, and I'm the relations and partnership development manager at New York now, today we have a very special guest Vy Higgensen. And she's going to not only share what and who sing Harlem is, but we're gonna get an inside peek into her Foundation, The Mama Foundation for the arts. So without further ado, I am honored to introduce you to the one and only Vy Higgensen Welcome. Hi, how are you doing today?

Vy Higgensen: 0:51

Oh, I'm feeling delicious. So good to be here with you, Amy and New York now.

Amy Loewenberg: 1:01

It is a pleasure to have you here. But before we go into sing Harlem, let's talk about you, shall we? Yes, yeah. Vy Higginsen is the CEO and founder of the mama foundation for the arts. She is a noted author, playwright, radio and TV personality, who has garnered an excellent reputation and won many awards for providing high quality products and services to the African American audiences. After a decade of being behind the microphone on major New York stations like w BLS, ww LWRKS vibe published and edited, unique you New York say that right? unique New York, a lifestyle magazine designed for African Americans and tourists. In 1983 by co wrote, produced and directed the classic black gospel musical mamma I want to sing, which ran for eight years, and 2200 performances at the Off Broadway hechsher Theatre in East Harlem. In 1986. Mamma began a national tour of the United States, playing two consecutive years throughout all major cities and several international tours in 1988, by co produced Joe Turner's come and gone by August Wilson on Broadway, and in 2002. Oh my gosh, she was ordained as an interfaith minister. I love it. Led by her passion for the sounds and music she grew up hearing by conceived and created alive, which documents the sounds, music and stories of the black American musical landscape. She continues to write and produce original works. As the executive director of the Emmy Award winning mama foundation for the arts, in Harlem, New York. vie, you have been a very, very busy woman. And it sounds like you have been able to make a large impact on your community. And I've had a great deal of fun along the way.

Vy Higgensen: 3:04

Well, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. And when I hear it, it brings back such warm memories. And I think about the power of communicating and communicating effectively, whether it's Radio Television, though, of phonograph recordings, theatre, and publishing, and so I just feel delighted to have had those on the job experiences.

Amy Loewenberg: 3:33

Well, we could do an entire interview on your history alone. But let's talk about saying Harlem a little bit, shall we? Yeah,

Vy Higgensen: 3:40

yes, please.

Amy Loewenberg: 3:42

So Sing Harlem is actually the award winning musical group that was a breakout choir from The Mama Foundation for the Arts School of Gospel, Jazz and R&B Arts. It's under the direction of her incredibly beautiful and very talented daughter, a Maya Noel. The Sing Harlem choir has grown to be a highly respected and influential force in the New York gospel scene, producing not only great vocalists, the top notch global citizens. At its core sing Harlem serves as both a social impact initiative for young people that have graduated from The Mama Foundation's music training program and as a commercial choir, delivering acclaimed entertainment nation wide. Sing Harlem has actually performed at many prestigious venues across America. And this very distinguished list includes the Congressional Black Caucus, the stellar awards, New York Fashion Week, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, the US Open Chicago's ravinia Festival, and Brooklyn's Afro punk. But wait a minute by I'm sorry, what was it like performing at Lincoln Center? Oh, what

Vy Higgensen: 5:00

An amazing what an amazing venue. And we have this rare opportunity to take young people and give them experiences that they might not normally have things that give them bragging rights, things that say, Okay, I sang at Lincoln Center, and it was a big festival with lots of different groups performing. And we stood on that amazing stage and it felt good all over. And especially for the young people. I show in Richie,

Amy Loewenberg: 5:38

I cannot even imagine it just must have been so heartwarming for you to see that happen. So amazing. You've also done television performances that include get this, the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Saturday Night Live the view Good morning, America. VH, one trailblazers, and the Grammys, so I'm gonna stop again, the Grammys. Are you kidding me?

Vy Higgensen: 6:04

Oh, listen, listen, this was our first time at the Grammy Awards. And it was your first time

Amy Loewenberg: 6:12

so you've done it. A few that didn't know that.

Vy Higgensen: 6:16

That's the first time time we go, we should be picking up one for ourselves.

Amy Loewenberg: 6:21

Oh, I totally agree.

Vy Higgensen: 6:25

And it was with this amazing artists called cism. And, and, and it's the excitement behind the scenes, that it's what happens before everything else happens. And that's where the magic is. And everybody's getting ready. And they have makeup artists and their choreographers and dancing and people rehearsing and things happening backstage. It was so, so exciting. And then, and then you go on stage, and it's magic and the audience's applauding. So yes, the Grammy Awards is the sort of pinnacle of, of recognition and celebration. Yeah, I loved it.

Amy Loewenberg: 7:14

It was great. amazing, incredible. You have also done I mean, the list goes on by you've also done a myriad of theatrical performances that includes the let go with Nick Cave, the mile long opera as you like it. And in addition to headlining sing Harlem continues to accompany a variety of musical artists, including, as you mentioned before, it says a sting ariana grande de fer al Williams, Alessia Cara, Chance the Rapper, and for a blast from my past Madonna, oh my god. But now we can include New York now to that list. So we are honored to be a part of that list, New York. And we are honored to have you and sing Harlem here with us. So again, welcome to you.

Vy Higgensen: 8:05

Thank you. Thank you. I'm just absolutely delighted to be here.

Amy Loewenberg: 8:09

Well, let's dive in now. Okay, so music education is an important aspect of providing children with a well rounded education. music helps children grow and self esteem. It builds essential skills that helps basically prepare them for life and a bright future. What are your thoughts on that? And then share the mama foundation and your team's mission and purpose for us?

Vy Higgensen: 8:35

Yes, well, Mama means to nourish, encourage, and fine tune. And foundation means to educate, experience, and gain access to opportunity. And so we find that the musical child is a special child, we find that many of our inner city schools and other schools don't have a musical curriculum, we find that the budgets get cut first for music and art. And we find therefore the musical child seems to be lost in the universe and misunderstood and then therefore don't perform well. And, and so when we bring young people together, and we exercise their talent, so many benefits come from it. You're right music is amazing. And it is sort of like therapy. And when the musical child finds their own voice, and we give this vigorous, we give vigorous, physical and vocal exercising to the young people so they can get rid of anybody. baggage that they're carrying with them for just being born. And what happens is the light goes on, and you get to see that light. And this young child comes alive with confidence and self esteem, and, and better grades in school and doing their homework and doing their chores. And to me, that's a blessing and a joy to watch that young child develop in that way.

Amy Loewenberg: 10:25

it just must be so rewarding for you on so many levels.

Vy Higgensen: 10:29

Yes.

Amy Loewenberg: 10:30

How do you go about guiding your many students? I mean, they just vary in ages. So how do you go about guiding them in this crazy arena?

Vy Higgensen: 10:39

You know, it's really funny, because that's what music can do. It has the power to bring people together, it has the power to unite people. So we start with breathing harmony, pitch and control. These, that's where we begin to, and this something that we do that seems to be a little old fashioned, and that in order to sing, you have to hear it. So therefore you have to listen. So where are we spending a lot of our time on the computer and without some thumbs on the phone. Now you're in a place where you have to listen in order to harmonize. If you want to be in harmony, you gotta listen. So we have Alto, Sopranos and tennis. So we're building that skill of hearing. So we do everything by ear. Its ear training, don't bring pieces of paper, I don't want to see lyrics. I don't want to see that. We're going to teach you like this. Wow, call and response ear training? No, no, if you want to learn how to read music, then you go somewhere else. That's okay. reading music is okay. But something about the ear helps us be creative. It's direct access to the brain.

Amy Loewenberg: 11:58

It makes perfect sense builds confidence, you have to trust in yourself and not what you're reading in front of you. It comes from within,

Vy Higgensen: 12:04

it's a different part of the brain that you were activating.

Amy Loewenberg: 12:08

We are a complex being art way,

Vy Higgensen: 12:10

aren't we?

Amy Loewenberg: 12:12

So this, this brings up a couple of other areas that I want to dive into. So there is definitely a lack of diverse programming in the art spaces, which you and the mama foundation address, and you fuel your community with not only music and song, but an emotional and spiritual release, you offer a myriad of programs, share with us the different mama programs you've created and offer and I know the gospel for teens is one of them.

Vy Higgensen: 12:40

Yes. Well, gospel for teens is the first program that we offer. And the reason we offer that program is because we thought we were in danger of losing the tradition of gospel music. And we wanted to make sure that young people who were being bombarded by other kinds of music of the day that they didn't forget who they were, and where they came from musically. So that we wanted to make sure that they understood and celebrating the music of their ancestors. So that's why we created that program. And, and young people couldn't even sing a gospel song all the way through, they didn't even know. So it's sort of an odd education and appreciation and celebration of the music and the history. And then we make them ambassadors of the music, so that they can pass the music on from generation to generation with the idea that the music never dies.

Amy Loewenberg: 13:56

Thats beautiful

Vy Higgensen: 13:58

Thank you. And so gospel for teens is one of the problems. So while we're doing this for the young people, the older people said, What about me? And so we created a program for older adults, which is called Wednesday sings. And every Wednesday they come together after work. I mean, listen, people. They're taking care of their parents, they're taking care of their kids, they're taking care of the boss, they're taking care of the job, and what are you doing for yourself. So some people come because it's a date night for them and their wives or girlfriends and some people come just to get rejuvenated, to be energized. And that's what music can do it very, very powerful for the person who's singing it and for the person who's receiving it. Agreed. And so and then we did some programs for just a week. It's the School of the gospel jazz and r&b. And we teach music as art. It's an art form. So listen to the composition, listen to the voice, and what is gospel? What does gospel mean? And and, and so we need to teach people. I wrote a book called, this is my song. And I asked 100 different people, I got 100 different answers about what gospel is, wow, what gospel is the sound of music? You know, it's how you sing the song, how you turn the phrase, the way you sing it from, you can be singing Old MacDonald had a farm, but you can sing it in it in the style. So it's a body of music, and a style of music. Amazing.

Amy Loewenberg: 15:43

Amazing. What about your graduate program? What's this?

Vy Higgensen: 15:48

Oh, so here's what happens. This is an evolution here. Okay. So when young people come into the program, they start as freshmen. And then we give them the basics to build a confidence is self esteem, their vocal ability. And if you don't use it, you use it. So it's a muscle, so you have to exercise it. So early on we that's what we do in the freshman class, then they move to the advanced class. And then the degree of difficulty becomes more, and the repertoire of music is expanded, then they move into performing before live audiences. Now get this, Amy, let's face it, if you don't do what you have learned, then you can unlearn it. So we weren't performing before live audiences. Let's go out and sing what we just learned. So we can make sure that we retain it and have it. So we did those three programs. But now, we found that young people didn't want to stop. They wanted to keep going. But now they're older. And they're in college and they're in the workforce. And so the you know, the the graduate program, gives those people who have gone through those three programs and opportunity to continue to sing, because we say never stop singing just don't stop.

Amy Loewenberg: 17:08

Yeah, don't stop ever. That's amazing. And and then you also have private lessons and workshops.

Vy Higgensen: 17:15

Oh, yeah. Oh, it's important because sometimes people want a one on one. And so you know, a Maya Noel, the artistic director, and program director, you know, she's in charge of that she knows every voice every sound and when, when vocal training is needed on a one on one basis? Yes, we do offer it.

Amy Loewenberg: 17:36

Well, I have heard her sing. And let me tell ya, I can appreciate that. She'd be an amazing instructor.

Vy Higgensen: 17:43

Yeah, the powerhouse. This sure

Amy Loewenberg: 17:45

is a powerhouse. That's perfect word. All these programs sound absolutely amazing. And now that we know more about them. I'm also aware that all the proceeds from sing Harlem events and performances benefit these training programs which are provided to the Harlem community to tuition tuition free, is that accurate?

Vy Higgensen: 18:05

That is accurate it is, I just feel that it's important for that child, who may not be able to afford a vocal lesson that they would get the same level of excellence they would if they had paid for it, the important set then save the music and save the child. Nurture, encourage and fine tune. It's so important, because and I chose the teenage years, because that's the most difficult time. Sure. That's when kids got to make bad choices. But if you give them things to do places to go and people to meet, Hey, I got a brand new kid, and then likely to make a better, better choices.

Amy Loewenberg: 18:52

Wow. You are just helping develop your community from the age of being able to crawl and saying all the way all the way you're not stopping, though. And along the way you also have sponsorships because sponsorships are vital. And they help give back to the community and help these deserving students. So talk us through your different sponsorship programs and how they make a difference to your very deserving students that benefit from them.

Vy Higgensen: 19:24

Yes, it's so important. You know, I insist that the program is free. We may be the only music school that offers free programming. But in order to keep the program free, we have to do you know sponsorship for our young people, you can adopt a young student and pay their tuition. You can sponsor the entire program. And we get funding from individual people who make donations folks who see us and hear us and understand our mission and want to supported, so individual donors, but we also have donors that come from the National Endowment of the Arts and, and the cultural arts and New York State Cultural Affairs, for example. So we are supported, but it's not enough, you know, you need more so you can do more. And you can have, you know, more young people come by. So,

Amy Loewenberg: 20:26

so what I'm hearing is that anybody can help the mama foundation at any level in any manner.

Vy Higgensen: 20:33

Exactly. No donation is too small. No donation is too small or too large. And, you know, sponsorship is really key. If you get a sponsor, that we can endorse the product and we go with each other, and we help each other do a positive thing and build positive images in our community and outside,

Amy Loewenberg: 20:59

well, just how rewarding for the person who's not singing but helping somebody else to saying, Yes, I mean, I can only imagine how good that would make me feel. So I will be checking out your website and seeing what I can do to sponsor a student just telling you that,

Vy Higgensen: 21:12

I'd love that

Amy Loewenberg: 21:13

love, obviously saying it publicly. So I will definitely following through on it by no worries there. This has been crazy enjoyable. But we are so not done. Because we also can't end before we talk about your one sauce. So please share what that is. I want to hear the story behind it. I want to hear what famous chef has been your biggest fan. And then I also want to hear where Can this be found? Oh,

Vy Higgensen: 21:42

I love it. I thank you so much. Because we want to keep up program free. And we ask people to write a check, you know, just write a check and we produce this product where portion of the proceeds go back to the program to keep it free. Now, my family has lived on the same block in Harlem for almost 100 years. Amy amazing. And and so when I think of my memories of Harlem, I think of my mother. Mm hmm. I was raised by a single parent. My mother by father died when I was an infant. So we lived in the brownstone right here on the same block. And after my father died, who was a minister By the way, my mother had to turn the house into a rooming house in order to take care of the four kids and to take care of the building so we didn't lose it. Now, people who came as rumors to Harlem back in that day, they came from the south looking for opportunity. They came from the Caribbean, looking for opportunity. They came from East India looking for opportunity. In a brownstone, there's only one kitchen. So very often they would request from my mom, can I cook in the kitchen, my favorite recipe. And my mother would permit that. And they would make their dish. And they would make enough knowing that my mother had these four kids. I'm the youngest of the four, they would feed everybody. And after we ate we sang, though my memories are of these wonderful foods. And, you know, I come home from school, Amy, and the house would be smelling of flavors and aromas and seasoning and you'd wonder, you know, what are we going to eat tonight, you know, and that memory is so strong and so vivid. That you know I expressed it in my partners and I we came up with the combination of the food that express those emotions and those feelings in celebration of my mother and Harlem and this block. So music and food. That was like an important so that's how mom is one source for all foods came about. And mom is one source for all foods at Whole Foods. And we're in 33 stores

Amy Loewenberg: 24:35

now. Fantastic. Yes,

Vy Higgensen: 24:37

thrilled, and I I am delighted by the response of the people who taste and they say because it's a little bit of Harlem in a bottle comes in in three flavors. It comes mild, spicy and fire. It never loses its flavor. It's never too hot that it's burning. Your mouth up, but it just embellishes that everything. So when we say one sauce for all foods at Whole Foods, we mean that goes on vegetables and shrimp and chicken and salads and so you don't need a one sauce for all foods. It makes everything tastes better.

Amy Loewenberg: 25:20

Okay, well, I cannot wait to try it myself because now I'm

Vy Higgensen: 25:24

gonna and you know what? The Iron Chef Marcus Samuelsson who is just the Red Rooster King here in yellow. Yeah. This year he selected mamas one source as the best 20 gifts for 2021 in People Magazine, and it's just fantastic. I was blown away cuz I was so you know, grateful that he loved it. And so we love it. And we're grateful.

Amy Loewenberg: 26:00

Okay, that is just one amazing story you just shared. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe you're also in exhibiting New York now vendor for your one sauce. Am I correct? Oh my god,

Vy Higgensen: 26:12

I am so excited. By being in New York now.

Amy Loewenberg: 26:17

I mean, not only can our listeners which I'm going to mention later, go on and listen to the choir, but they can also acquire your one sauce right here. You

Vy Higgensen: 26:29

go ahead me.

Amy Loewenberg: 26:30

One Stop Shop girl one stop shop. I love it. Oh, no. Okay, so now we know your history, and we know your present. So what's happening in the future?

Vy Higgensen: 26:43

Well, as we are sitting in a pandemic, we've had to go electronic, you know, virtual. Um, I don't know whether that's going to continue, I'm sure some form of that. But our biggest audacious idea is to have a location in one place that will house all of our programs. And so that we can be a headquarters for gospel jazz r&b, as we can be destination Harlem, we can create the next generation of artists and writers and producers and backstage and onstage young people in the arts, and to continue to restore Harlem as an entertainment Mecca in the world. And I that's, that's my vision. That's my thought. That's what I am working toward with a whole team.

Amy Loewenberg: 27:43

Well, it is a an amazing vision, and I support it. And hopefully anybody who's listening right now, who has any sort of ideas, help or input provide, we will also provide her contact information, because that is one important vision to come to fruition, don't you think? Oh,

Vy Higgensen: 28:03

I love it. And I thank you and we are open to receive the divine blessings of the universe.

Amy Loewenberg: 28:11

So then, how can somebody provide these blessings of the universe to you? How do we contact you? What's the best way to connect with you?

Vy Higgensen: 28:19

Well, you can connect with this in two ways. One, through mamas one source.com through our website, or through the mama foundation for the odd.org. And of course, I'm an old telephone girl, you can call us.

Amy Loewenberg: 28:41

Or What's that?

Vy Higgensen: 28:43

What's that? Right, exactly? 212-280-1045.

Amy Loewenberg: 28:48

There you go. She even knows her phone number people. Remember, I remember my phone number when I was seven. So I get it, I completely get it. Yellow phone hanging in the kitchen with a big long cord that kept getting twisted up.

Vy Higgensen: 29:01

And you'd run when the telephone rang.

Amy Loewenberg: 29:05

Or we run totally right for that.

Vy Higgensen: 29:08

Now that we're in a pandemic, we're doing auditions for young people between 11 and 19 years old, virtually. So they can send us a one minute song of their choice. And they could be part of our virtual choir. So if there's young people who want to sing, we can give you virtual lessons and you can audition and be part of the mama foundation for the arts music.

Amy Loewenberg: 29:38

Incredible, absolutely incredible. So I want to repeat something you said earlier that mama equals nourish, encourage and fine tune, foundation equals educate, experience, access to opportunity. These are all extremely important attributes for providing musicals, concerts and education in Harlem, everybody. I want to thank you So much for sharing your story with us today. Hi, thank you so much.

Vy Higgensen: 30:04

Oh, Amy, thank you so much. We are so proud and excited to be part of New York now.

Amy Loewenberg: 30:14

Well before we end Finally, I want to remind everyone to go to the New York now market agenda tab and listen to the gospel yourself from this incredibly talented sing Harlem choir. And of course, on their website, the mama foundation.org. And please remember, your gifts can change a young person's future. Thank you so much for joining us today. Bye. Thank you so much for sharing with us. We will talk again soon and I will see you at the digital market.

Vy Higgensen: 30:41

I'll be there, cant wait. Thank you, Amy. You're welcome. Bye bye.

Dondrill Glover: 30:47

Thank you for listening to the New York now podcast. Make sure to tune in weekly for engaging and insightful conversations, touching on the most relevant topics facing our community today. Is it New York now.com to learn more about our market and how you can join in on the conversation