Ulysses Owens Jr.
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability in you than you see in yourself and helps bring it out of you.”
– Bob Proctor
Three incredible mentors have changed the path of my life.
The first stumbled into my life as a young church musician. His name was Kevin Sibley and he taught me that I had more talent than I could even begin to comprehend. One of the most important lessons was: “You are talented, but if you stop practicing, your talent will stay here; Regardless of your age, you want your talent to be beyond exceptional.
I met my second mentor, Mulgrew Miller, at the Juilliard School in a jazz improv class.
The moment was unexpected; Miller came over to the drums I was practicing on, took my hand, put it on the ride cymbal and said, “You gotta make the cymbal dance,” followed by, “Once the world finds out about you, the rest will be history.” be .”
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Mulgrew passed away 10 years ago and within a year of his death I was introduced to my next mentor, chef and restaurateur Alexander Smalls, who began his career at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. After graduating, he toured the world, winning a Grammy and a Tony Award for his role in the Houston Opera production of Porgy and Bess.
Because of his ability to charm anyone with his incredible storytelling and delicious recipes, Alexander’s home has long been a favorite of many who come and enjoy his cuisine. In 1994, Smalls opened his first upscale restaurant, Cafe’ Beulah, in New York City, specializing in Southern Revival cuisine that combines Gullah and international cuisine.
Since then, Alexander has opened four more restaurants and an African Food Hall in Dubai for Global Expo 2022. He is also an acclaimed New York Times bestselling author, James Beard Award-winning chef, and television personality.
When I met Alexander in 2014, he asked me, “Ulysses, what’s next for you?” I said I wanted to be Lincoln Center’s next artistic director for jazz when Wynton Marsalis decided to retire. He said, “I think that’s more than you can do.” Smalls then asked me to work with him and mentor me, and together we became a creative team focused on the intersection of cuisine, music and travel.
When I finally returned to Jacksonville from New York City in 2019, I made a commitment to bring artistic talent to my hometown. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be mentored by strong personalities, and now it’s time for me to do the same for the students we see every day at Don’t Miss a Beat – my family’s nonprofit – and for the residents of this great community.
Each year we are committed to bringing professional dancers, musicians, actors, singers and creators, from New York to Los Angeles, to Jacksonville as part of the Visiting Artist Series at Don’t Miss a Beat. The initiative allows artists to nurture their talent and gain valuable experience while our students work side-by-side with performing arts professionals. These artists serve as mentors to our students, encouraging and inspiring them to work hard and believe in their dreams.
In addition, our Academy of the Arts program offers a very specific combination of high quality arts education programs throughout the year. Young people interact with a wide range of artists such as playwrights, composers and choreographers and in turn foster mentoring opportunities and guidance for our students.
Inspired by my own mentors and those we bring to Jacksonville to help our students excel, Don’t Miss a Beat created a lecture series called Conversations with Legends. My Mentor Smalls was launched just this year to celebrate Black History Month and received the inaugural Excellence in Mentorship Award. His close friend, Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard, was in Jacksonville to pay his respects.
Knowing the impact mentorship has had on my life and seeing it firsthand in our students at Don’t Miss a Beat inspires me to bring the best and brightest artistic talent to Jacksonville in a spirit of growth and learning. I hope you join me in celebrating mentors everywhere.
Ulysses Owens Jr. is the Artistic Director of Don’t Miss a Beat, a Jacksonville-based nonprofit whose mission is to use musical theater production and community engagement as tools to educate and activate youth of color.
This guest column represents the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome diversity of opinion.
