(upbeat funky music) (upbeat funky music continues) - [Narrator] Coming up on "Ocean State Sessions."

Chase Ceglie.

(mellow jazz music) ♪ Oh, oh, uh, uh ♪ ♪ G Honey ♪ - [Narrator] And G Honey La Jefa.

♪ Show me what you got ♪ ♪ Ain't no need to fret ♪ ♪ Let's get intimate ♪ ♪ Just drive it and listen, we don't get ♪ (drum loop plays) (mellow R&B music) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) ♪ All my fault, I do this every time ♪ ♪ When things were just getting better ♪ ♪ You call my phone up, answer every time ♪ ♪ Every time ♪ ♪ They know, watching ♪ ♪ I'll go on and on and on again ♪ ♪ All night, chasing love ♪ ♪ Get off my mind ♪ ♪ Wasting time ♪ ♪ Close enough but was it worth it ♪ ♪ Get off my mind ♪ ♪ Facing time ♪ ♪ I don't wanna, but I know I gotta keep it ♪ ♪ Off my mind ♪ ♪ You're thinking of me ♪ ♪ I want your love, but this is hurting ♪ ♪ Get off my mind ♪ ♪ Off my mind ♪ ♪ Off my mind ♪ (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) ♪ Thought I found it out, but you pulled me back in ♪ ♪ And I held you closer than ever ♪ ♪ All my fault, I do this every time ♪ ♪ Every time ♪ ♪ Crazy, baby ♪ ♪ I can't go on and on and on again ♪ ♪ All night ♪ ♪ Chasing love ♪ ♪ Get off my mind ♪ ♪ Wasting time ♪ ♪ Close enough but was it worth it ♪ ♪ Get off my mind ♪ ♪ Facing time ♪ ♪ I don't wanna, but I know I gotta keep it ♪ ♪ Off my mind ♪ ♪ You're thinking of me ♪ ♪ I want your love, but this is hurting ♪ ♪ Get off my mind ♪ ♪ Off my mind ♪ ♪ Off my mind ♪ (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music continues) (mellow R&B music flourishes) (audience applauding) (solemn synth music) (solemn synth music continues) ♪ In my life, it's always you ♪ ♪ Shooting stars ♪ ♪ And we're all trapped in a life ♪ ♪ That's meant for ♪ ♪ Two ♪ ♪ In my life, it's always you ♪ ♪ Beautiful like fire in ♪ ♪ My eyes ♪ ♪ My eyes ♪ ♪ And I looked for love ♪ (tender R&B music) ♪ In all these places ♪ ♪ I walked alone in an empty town ♪ ♪ And all that I found were empty faces ♪ ♪ And it always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ (tender R&B music continues) (tender R&B music continues) (tender R&B music continues) (tender R&B music continues) (tender R&B music continues) ♪ And I looked for love in all these places ♪ ♪ I walked alone in an empty town ♪ ♪ And all that I found were empty faces ♪ ♪ And it always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ ♪ It always was you ♪ (tender R&B music) (tender R&B music continues) (tender R&B music continues) (tender R&B music continues) (no audio) (audience applauds) - Good.

- Chase, welcome, buddy.

How are ya?

- Thank you.

Thanks for having me.

I'm good.

How are you?

- Can you list the instruments that you are proficient in?

- To be honest, I feel like I'm really just a, like, I'm a saxophone player.

Mostly, that's the instrument that I have the training on, so saxophone is the instrument that I feel like I play actually, and then everything else that I play, piano, bass, guitar, drums, sing, blah, blah, blah, are just instruments that I can get by on to kind of like actualize the music that I'm writing.

So I just never took a drum lesson or piano lesson or a guitar lesson or bass lesson.

It was just kind of like, "Oh, I'm hearing something in my head."

You know, how do I get that done?

But saxophone is my main instrument.

- What's your background with music education?

How did you learn?

- Fifth grade, I had the chance to pick an instrument and I picked the saxophone in elementary school in Newport, and I had an amazing teacher from, like, elementary school all the way to high school, and I'm still homies with him.

Like, he's my guy.

I took private lessons with him, and then just public school system, and middle school, high school, and then I went to college.

I went to Berkeley College of Music, studied saxophone, a little composition, a little, like, just trying to figure out how to write music, 'cause I think it really became my passion somewhere around, like, late high school, college, where I was like, "Oh, I actually wanna write music."

And then by I think my third year at Berkeley, I became a tutor for incoming freshmen and sophomores that were either like, you know, struggling or almost failing classes and stuff.

So I would kind of come in as the tutor to help save them a little bit and relieve them from failing a little bit, and so that was a really good challenge for me, especially as like a 20-year-old, trying to figure out, like, how do I explain this big concept?

And then now I teach through the Newport Festival Foundation.

I teach at the Met School.

I teach at an internship where the kids basically learn how to play music in a band from the ground up, and by the end of the year, they perform at the Newport Folk Festival.

- What emotions do you feel when you're able to teach students?

- I feel like I have the ability to read the room really well and I think that that's what makes a good teacher, and so for me, it's always like, the feeling I'm always trying to go after is, like, not really a hierarchy between student and teacher, and I also am always looking for, like, the moment when clarity is felt with a student, and so trying to explain things from a bunch of different angles.

So, like, that's what I feel really comfortable doing, and I think as a teacher too, I mean, I've learned so much as a teacher, even about songwriting, trying to figure out how to explain what I'm trying to do so that when I actually am faced with, like, problems in my own process, I can kind of tell myself, "Oh, well, what would I tell a student in that moment?"

And then it helps me.

- What's been the biggest take-away for you as an artist and teacher?

- I think the biggest take-away that I have, the creative process is so confusing, and it kind of, like, it exists and it doesn't exist at the same time, and I think that I really have learned that trying and working are two different things, and, like, the only thing that matters is showing up.

That's it.

It's just, every day, you're doing something.

You're making music part of your daily routine and you're documenting.

You're not trying to create something.

So you're just working.

You're doing the work every day.

You're finding a low-stakes situation to make music instead of, "Oh, I have to make this amazing thing," 'cause as soon as you have that thought, you're gonna make something probably not that good.

So, you know, I think that that is like a huge, profound concept that I've, like, I'm working with that applies to everything in my life, but it really is just about, just every day, just showing up a little bit, and you don't know the process until you're out of it, until you can look.

When the dust settles, you go, "Oh, I made this thing."

Like that, and then now, maybe in five years, it'll explain how I was feeling then, but for the most part, yeah, the creative process is very confusing.

- Well, thank you very much for coming out, Chase.

We really enjoyed your music and we look forward to seeing you in the future.

- Thanks so much.

I really appreciate you having me.

This was fun.

- Thank you.

(lively hip hop music) ♪ G Honey ♪ ♪ Oh, oh ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, uh, uh ♪ ♪ G Honey ♪ ♪ Show me what you got ♪ ♪ Ain't no need to fret ♪ ♪ Let's get intimate ♪ ♪ Just drive it and listen ♪ ♪ We don't get this far without it ♪ ♪ He came to me looking like he wanna taste my sweets ♪ ♪ He heard I'm G Honey ♪ ♪ He put me against the wall ♪ ♪ Instantly, we connect ♪ ♪ And he wanna stick to my honey ♪ ♪ Let's crash the road ♪ (G Honey sings in foreign language) ♪ Let's slide this (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Meet me in the (indistinct) ♪ ♪ We can (indistinct) up a pill bag ♪ ♪ And you can look at my butt 'til you drop ♪ ♪ Show me, show me what you got ♪ ♪ Ain't no need to fret ♪ ♪ Let's get intimate ♪ ♪ Just drive it and listen ♪ ♪ We don't get this far without it ♪ ♪ I'ma do you right ♪ ♪ We can last all night ♪ ♪ You look strong, give me all your might ♪ ♪ You turn me on like a light ♪ ♪ It's lit, really ♪ ♪ Ooh, I love the way you get me ♪ ♪ Let's crash the road ♪ (G Honey sings in foreign language) ♪ Let's slide this (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Meet me in the (indistinct) ♪ ♪ We can (indistinct) up a pill bag ♪ ♪ And you can look at my butt 'til you drop ♪ ♪ Show me what you got ♪ ♪ Ain't no need to fret ♪ ♪ Let's get intimate ♪ ♪ Just drive it and listen ♪ ♪ We don't get this far without it ♪ ♪ Vibe with me, rock with me, bend your knees ♪ ♪ Getting between my knees, you make me scream ♪ ♪ We can wind out time ♪ ♪ We got an audience but we don't mind ♪ ♪ Just keep on the grind, shining on the dance floor ♪ ♪ Get it, get it, get it ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Hey, we gonna get it popping ♪ ♪ Get it, get it, get it ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Show, show, show me what you got ♪ ♪ Ain't no need to fret ♪ ♪ Let's get intimate ♪ ♪ Just drive it and listen ♪ ♪ We don't get this far without it ♪ ♪ Show me what you got ♪ ♪ Ain't no need to fret ♪ ♪ Let's get intimate ♪ ♪ Just drive it and listen ♪ ♪ We don't get this far without it ♪ (lively hip hop music continues) (lively hip hop music continues) (G Honey chuckles) - [Audience Member] Yeah!

- [Audience] Woo!

(audience applauding) (gentle hip hop music) ♪ G Honey La Jefa ♪ (G Honey singing in foreign language) (lively hip hop music) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) ♪ G Honey ♪ (G Honey singing in foreign language) (G Honey continues singing in foreign language) (G Honey chuckles) (audience applauding) - [Audience] Woo!

- [Audience Member] Yeah!

- [G Honey] Hey, everybody.

- Hey.

How's it going?

- Good.

How are you?

- Pretty good.

- Feeling pumped.

- How did you feel about the set?

- I felt really good.

It was a good crowd, good vibes, and it was fun.

- Tell me a little bit about the songs that you played.

- "Addicted," it was like an emotional song because I was putting my emotions, how I felt, like with my negative and positive thoughts of things and conversations I had with people, like things people have said to me and made me feel hurt inside, but I had transformed it to a positive song to where you could overcome, I could overcome what people are saying and show up for myself to advocate for myself, support myself, and be okay with who I am and where I'm from basically, but there's always a way out.

- And "Vibra Buena"?

- "Vibra Buena" is so much fun.

I love that song.

I originally made it in Puerto Rico.

I was having a good time.

My family and I was visiting my grandma in Puerto Rico for her birthday, and then at some point, they, you know, left, but I stayed and me and my grandma still had a good time.

So I was having time to myself, journaling, writing music, listening to music.

It was a hot day in Puerto Rico and I was just feeling the vibes.

- Do you rap a lot in both English and Spanish?

- I rap more in English, a little bit in Spanish.

That was me practicing getting to my Spanish roots, 'cause people have told me to tap in more into my Spanish side, that that's another market that I could conquer and stuff like that, and, you know, I'm still getting up there on the English side, but, yeah, it was fun to just shed light to my people and spread positivity, get people tuned and connected, wanna hear Spanish music.

It's fun.

- Tell me a little bit more about where you get inspiration, where you draw inspiration from, whether it's, like, life experiences, or, you know, other artists.

Where do you draw inspiration?

- Essentially, it's from experiences that I go through, that I've seen someone go through, and just living life, you know?

Appreciating life and being real with life.

Like, accepting the reality of life, basically, the good and the bad, but bringing it together for the greater good.

I overcame challenges.

"You can too" type stuff, or like I overcame challenges and I didn't let it turn me into a bitter, negative person.

I used it to be more empowering, uplifting, and more loving, basically.

- If you collaborate with certain people in terms of, like, people who make the beats, you know, how do you, yeah, how much collaboration is there there?

Do you find a beat then write something to it?

Do you work with someone to, like, write something kind of together that is in the vibe that you're going for?

Tell me a little bit about that.

- Yeah, so with the beats, I have met a few producers.

They make beats, so they have sent me beats and stuff that I can work with, which is nice 'cause I don't have to buy it, which I've also bought beats from some producers or I leased beats.

YouTube has free beats.

I know a gentleman, he just dropped like two albums just using free YouTube beats.

So he blew my mind with that because I'm here, stressing, trying to buy beats when there's also still beats available I could use.

So that's one way I can gain access to beats, and I have a few beats that was made for me from producers.

So I have taken time to collaborate with other engineers, producers, other songwriters, but, you know, I like to write my own stuff because then it's more sentimental for me.

So when a person is listening to it, they're getting a raw, authentic story behind the scenes of my life that I'm sharing with them.

- G Honey, thank you so much for talking with me today.

- Thank you, Mareva, for having me today.

(upbeat funky music) - [Narrator] For more "Ocean State Sessions," visit RIPBS.org or tune in to The Public's Radio at 89.3 FM.

(upbeat funky music continues) (upbeat funky music continues) ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ What should I do ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ My mind is set ♪