All Soul: Warren Charleston

A melancholy yet strong howl of the alto saxophone rings throughout the assembly hall and marks the iconic beginning of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.” An ensemble of horns join the alto sax after the pickup of the song, and the drummer accompanies the band with crashes and the bass drum. And at the center of the stage, senior Warren Charleston stands with a microphone gripped in his right hand, ready to begin the last act of the annual Exeter Association of Rock (EAR) assembly.

Throughout his years at Exeter, Charleston has been an avid muscian and a performer. His passion for and devotion to music—aspects of Charleston well-known to his peers and friends—began with middle-school musicals.

“The drive was musicals. I did a lot of musicals in middle school. I was the second lead in ‘Newsies,’” Charleston said. The musicals gave him singing roles, and soon he joined his school choir. On a whim, he decided to learn jazz piano. “I learned a lot of jazz standards and listened to a lot of music, and I started learning how to improvise as well,” Charleston said.

One of Charleston’s defining traits is his versatility. Not only can he play the piano, but is also a self-taught guitar player. “It was in ninth grade that I decided I wanted to play guitar,” Charleston said. He asked his mom for a guitar, but was unable to acquire lessons. Undeterred, he decided to teach himself, starting with a few chords at a time. “I kept going. I went on Youtube and learned as much as I could.”

After coming to Exeter, however, Charleston was able to explore his passions more in-depth. He furthered his guitar education through lessons with music instructor Bob Squires. He has also become an important member in Exeter’s all-male a cappella group Exeteras. Senior and co-head of Exeteras Scott Hermenau said that Charleston has evolved into someone who is “confident, realistic and slick,” serving as a leader for his section.

Senior Marcus Polk, a good friend of Charleston, added, “I think Warren’s greatest talent is his humor and attitude. He knows how to relax and enjoy himself when the people around him are a little too high strung.”

One of Charleston’s proudest moments as a musician here was during an EAR concert over winter term. Backed by a large band, he performed “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and by the end, everyone was on their feet, cheering. “It was the first time at an EAR concert that I had seen a standing ovation. I think that was the moment that it actually struck me,” Charleston said, “It was a proud moment for me but also for the band. It’s really hard to bring musicians on campus together to achieve that high caliber of music. Being able to perform that well was probably my favorite moment here.”

In addition to all the work he does on campus, Charleston also takes inspiration from other artists. “For piano, it’s a lot of the old school jazz musicians like Thelonius Monk,” Charleston said. “He incorporated a lot of bebop for me. That’s in terms of my improvisation.”

At the beginning of the year, Charleston took up photography as a new art form that he had not previously explored. He started in Photo 1 in the fall term and Photo 2 in the winter. This term he is working on an Art 444 project in photography. Using two different techniques, HDR and polaroids, Charleston hopes to explore topics that he was unable to in class. “I’ll be shooting scenes that are on the theme of cultural exposure,” Charleston said.

Similar to his piano idols, Charleston admires some photographers and some of the methods that they incorporate in their artistry. “James Ellis does a lot of black and white photos, which I’ve found I really like,” Charleston said.

His passion in art is not only apparent to his friends and colleagues, but also his teachers. Art instructor Steve Lewis described Charleston as “engaged and expressive,” noting that “he explores a concept and manages to find new, creative visual solutions.”

“He works with diligence, care and confidence,” Lewis added.

Former art instructor Gene Howard described Warren as “low-key but very energetic and passionate.”

“He likes to experiment with new ideas and techniques [regarding his photography],” Howard said.

Warren has enjoyed an excellent artistic career during his time at Exeter. When he heads home for the summer, he will be working at an art camp and perform with some of the bands there. For the future, he is hoping to do more local activities. “I hope to play in local stores and stuff in college,” Charleston said. He’s not sure where art will take him, but he knows that it will be with him for the rest of his life.

As Charleston reflects on his time at Exeter, he has tips for those rising musicians to help them along their way.

“You have to listen to a ton of music. That’s how you get your ideas, how you get your own type of style,” Charleston said. He also believes that the greatest resource on campus is the other students that you are exposed to at Exeter.

“Don’t be afraid to get to know other people at the school, there are many amazing musicians here.”