Protests inspire Phoenix musician’s song
Ashton Vaughn Charles didn’t start playing clarinet in the sixth grade by choice. His teacher signed him up to be in the school band.
Despite that forced introduction in middle school, music would later become his passion. Now Charles performs on stages across metro Phoenix with his band, The Color 8.
He is the lead vocalist for the group, but between rap verses, he’ll grab any instrument in sight and play while on stage.
Charles is at his best with a microphone, clarinet or saxophone in his hands. He also taught himself how to play guitar and piano and doesn’t miss an opportunity to jam out with the band.
How protests after George Floyd’s death inspired this art project
Charles is happy making music with The Color 8 but recent events inspired him to try something new.
After attending a downtown Phoenix protest in response to the death of George Floyd, the unarmed man who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May, Charles decided it was time to push the limits of his talents.
He wrote “SKU” a 22-minute song and video to increase awareness of the Black experience. “SKU” is an acronym for “Stop Killing Us” and a reference to barcodes placed on merchandise to purchase.
The project features 19 local rappers, singers and poets.
He felt current events made it necessary to bring people together.
“A lot of (Black people) have feelings that are really heavy because of the weight of the publication of these killings and murders,” Charles said. “When I went out there it felt heavier, but there were people there standing with us to carry that weight.”
When the artist found community in metro Phoenix
The project is unlike anything
Charles has done before, but his desire to uplift his community began at a young age.
Charles was born in San Bernardino, California and spent a few years in Las Vegas before his family moved to Phoenix when he was 14 years old. The move was a culture shock for Charles.
“The part of Vegas were I was going to school I didn’t see a lot of Black people,” he said “When I got here, I went to South Mountain High School. There were a lot of people of color of all backgrounds and it was the most Black people I’d ever seen at school.”
Once the initial culture shock subsided, however, Charles embraced the fact that he was not alone anymore.
“It felt amazing because I wasn’t just ‘the Black kid,’” he said. “It felt great to me because a lot of my friends understood. I didn’t have to explain how things were different because I’m Black.
“As a kid it is important to see yourself and see yourself in others.”
The song was produced by Tru Barz and cinematographer for the visual component is Martez Cornelius.
Between this collaboration of 19 Phoenix artists and 6 Phoenix muralists who came together to paint a Black Lives Matter mural, Charles says Valley artists are putting ego aside for something bigger than themselves.
“A lot of times artists have too much ego to allow themselves to collaborate with anybody that won’t give them a leg up, in my experience,” Charles said. video in three parts, starting July 23.
“We’re done arguing. We have been fighting a war to convince people that we are human for centuries,” Charles said.
“We aren’t doing that anymore. Whether you see it or not is a you problem, it’s been an us problem for far too long, so we are no longer tolerating it.”