Arts in Corrections NYS

Annie Reynolds (00:02): This is Annie. I'm on tape here with Wesley on October 23, 2023 in Franklin Correctional Facility to do an oral history interview as part of Arts and Corrections New York State. And, you just finished, um, this drumming class with your instructor, Chris. I'm really looking forward to hearing about it. Could you introduce yourself please?

Wesley Petit-Homme (00:29): I'm Petit-Homme Wesley, and I've been in this drum program for 12 weeks, and I really enjoyed it, and I >represent Haiti.

Annie Reynolds (00:41): So, I'm curious, Wesley, um, why did you sign up for this program? What compelled you about it when you first heard about it?

Wesley Petit-Homme (00:52): At first, when I signed up for this program, it was like, I ain't gonna lie, I was being tired of just being in a- in a dorm in a house, so this is like a extra activity to get out the dorm. And, sometime I like doing other things, not just being around the same people all day, you know. But, you- like, I feel like- but bef- really, though, I felt like- like I could learn from this, 'cause I also make music in the town. So, like, I know how to make... and I write. I make beats. So, I know like- I feel like this is gonna help me like add a extra, you know, pizzaz to it when I go home. You know. See what's going on, see where that's gonna take me.

Annie Reynolds (01:29): You mentioned, uh, you know, that you wanted to meet other people, and I'm wondering if you could tell me a little bit about the other people in this class and sen- maybe a sense of who was in the room with you, if there are people you already knew, or otherwise what the sense of community that you had in this class for the past 12 weeks was like.

Wesley Petit-Homme (01:57): Um, it's not like I wanted to meet them. I already knew them. I just wanna- 'cause the people that's in here is like everybody got their own talent making music, so I just wanted to see where they music was at, you know, 'cause when I hear the people music, it's- I just wanna see like if they're nice enough so I could step up my game. I like a little competition, you know. That's really it.

Annie Reynolds (02:27): Competition. Maybe collaboration?

Wesley Petit-Homme (02:30): Collaboration. That's also good, yeah. I'm very friendly, you know.

Annie Reynolds (02:40): I'm curious to know how you saw yourself as an artist entering into this class, and if that's changed.

Wesley Petit-Homme (02:50): How I see myself as an artist. I ain't gonna lie, I've been seeing myself as a artist in a- when I was home before this, but I just never took it serious. There's a lot of distractions out there. So, I got distracted. That's why I'm here. But, I found myself, though, you know, and, I don't know. Like, I feel like- I feel like I could be better than who I am, you know. Like, go out there. First of all, I'm doing this for my country, so when I go home, I'm gonna make the music.

(03:24):

I already have people that's like in the industry and stuff like that, so I'm gonna use them, you know. And, I make songs, like I sing and all that. So- so, I'm heading with this where I could just- I'm doing this for my country, everything for my country. I was a- I'm not American. I wasn't born here. So, I'm trying to just make my people proud. That's it.

Annie Reynolds (04:00): Can you tell me about, um, one of your favorite memories in this class?

Wesley Petit-Homme (04:07): My favorite memories in this class when I first came. I say that because, like I said, I really think new people 'cause, you know, you see them every day going to programs, vocation , and stuff like that. I just wanted to meet these guys, see where they heads at, 'cause, you know, a lot of people I'm around, it's like they head is not like, it's- I don't- like, it's not there. Like, they don't think how I be thinking.

(04:30):

Like, I think for the future, like I think to see where I'm gonna be at five, 10 years. Other people, they just think for the moment, do a lot of stuff that's not gonna help them in life. So, came to really see like... Really, my first day, though, see where everybody head in here at, you know. I don't like being around people that's don't have a right mi- or like right mindset, you know. You know, so.

Annie Reynolds (04:55): What did you learn on that first day?

Wesley Petit-Homme (04:56): First day?

Annie Reynolds (04:58): What did you learn? What did you see? What did you hear?

Wesley Petit-Homme (05:01): I learned that our teacher is mad cool. You know? And, the first day, we just really introduced ourself, you know? See like... I like everybody, though. Everybody in here is, you know, calm, like good vibes. Really.

Annie Reynolds (05:17): You said you like to think about the future and, um, think about where you might be in five to 10 years. Is there any image that comes to mind? Like, what's something that appears in your mind when you look forward?

Wesley Petit-Homme (05:45): Yes. All right, so the vision- the vision is when i go home, I'm gonna get into the mu- I'm gonna take music more serious. You know what I'm saying? And, I be visioning, but while I vision, I also manifest. 'Cause, I'm not in any type of religion or stuff. I believe there's a God, but I believe in love attraction. So, I manifest and I visionize, you know. My vision is I see...

(06:12):

All right, look- before I say the vision, I see a lot of people in here that's like they 40 years old, 45. I don't think, you know, you not supposed to be in jail in that age. You know what I'm saying? Like, you- that's- it's for the- the young people, the 18, 19, let them grow into it, and then when they come home, they- they see, they learn. You know what I'm saying?

(06:28):

So, I see myself 40s being on a yacht with all the kids running around on my yacht. You know? I like jewelries. You know. You know, just enjoying life, be whoever I'm with. You know? That's it. That's where I see myself. Have a foundation, establishment, you know. So, my kids and kids, kids, kids, whatever. Could be healthy, could be good. Everything. That's my future.

Annie Reynolds (06:54): I really hear that you see as part of your future music and the arts.

Wesley Petit-Homme (07:01): Yes.

Annie Reynolds (07:03): And, how do you... Well, first of all, have you been part of any other kinds of arts programming in the past, and do you-

Wesley Petit-Homme (07:12): No. I never actually been, but I have a childhood friend I grew up with, and you can go on YouTube and see him. Like, he has- he gets some views, like four million, five million views, whatever. I- I- that's my childhood friend, though. He's actually signed to Atlantic Records. So, before here, being in New York, I was actually living in New York for a few months doing music and, you know. I never been in no program, but I always been into music, though. I always been making, I just never took it serious until now.

Annie Reynolds (07:54): I was also curious if you- if you plan to, um... Hmm. I guess my question is about, uh, like how you plan to integrate this class in the future, if you imagine that you might wanna participate in more arts programming in the future.

Wesley Petit-Homme (08:22): Hmm. It's- it' sad to say, I'm not gonna be in any more programs in the future. You know. But, what I learn in here, I'm gonna use it music-wise, though. That's what, you know. Like, I make beats. So, whatever you tell me how to do, that's how I'm gonna make it. If you want it a soul beat, or you want a electronic beat, or you want a- something else that's called [inaudible 00:08:54] rapping. You know. Everybody not might hear of if, but you hear it, it's [inaudible 00:08:58] rapping. I like drip songs. Drip, that mean I like talk about what I'm doing for the day.

(09:04):

I like to talk about I'm going shopping, or jewelries and, for me, different things like make people what the world hears. But, it's like I'm just gonna use the drums that we do, like in here, how we playing the drums, I could just put that in my beats now. So, that just, you know. I'm gonna try that, though. I never tried it before, but I'm gonna try it.

Annie Reynolds (09:42): What else did you learn in this class? I mean, whether it's about... It could be about music itself, you know, the drumming rhythm, or, you know, you mentioned the instructor being mad cool.

Wesley Petit-Homme (09:55): (laughs)

Annie Reynolds (09:56): Maybe you wanna talk a little bit more about that. Uh, I'm just curious, what else you'll take away.

Wesley Petit-Homme (10:03): I actually learn- I actually learned how to work together. Before this, I wasn't really people's person. Like, now that I've been here, and I- even if I'm in- I'm here right now, but it's like to me this is networking, 'cause I'm meeting people in different boroughs and things like that. When I was home, I didn't see anything past Brooklyn, 'cause I was just stuck in that city. You know what I'm saying? So, now that I'm networking and seeing shit- I mean, seeing stuff, excuse my language, seeing stuffs, it's like I don't know, man. like, I learned how to work together. I learned how to be a team now, like how to put the people around you with the same mindset you got, anything- anything could go- anything could go from there, you know? Your mind's your strongest power. So, that's it.

Annie Reynolds (10:50): Was there, um, any particular example of that in the class, working on a song or?

Wesley Petit-Homme (10:58): Yeah, so, so, one day we practicing, and- and one of my fellow, uh, inmates or associate, um, I couldn't get the- the beat down right, 'cause I never really played drums with my hands. I don't- I mean, you know, we have the app on our phones so we do Garage Band and stuff like, but I never really played it so, but, that's when I knew like- like, now, for me, like working with people that's- is good, 'cause even if you don't know something, you could learn from somebody else. You heard, is not- it's not just one way you heard, so, he told me how to get a thing down pat.

(11:32):

You know, I- took me a few couple minutes, but I got it down pat. 'Cause of him, I actually know how to do the whole thing. You know what I'm saying? So, an example. One of my memories.

Annie Reynolds (11:47): See, there is that collaboration again. Even if it's a, you know, about learning a drum part, I really hear that.

Wesley Petit-Homme (11:53): Yeah.

Annie Reynolds (12:01): Is there anything else that you wanna share about your time in this class?

Wesley Petit-Homme (12:09): I just wanna say people that 'aint sign up, they missing out. It's really a good class. You could learn something from it. You might wanna do something else being in this class. You know. I just wanna say to everybody to sign up. (laughs) It's a good class, you heard. That's what I gotta say.

Annie Reynolds (12:29): Well, thank you, Wesley, for this interview.

Wesley Petit-Homme (12:33): Hmm.

Annie Reynolds (12:33): I learned a lot, since I wasn't able to take this class myself. I wish I could have. Sounds really great.

Wesley Petit-Homme (12:39): Mm-hmm.

Annie Reynolds (12:40): So, thank you.

Wesley Petit-Homme (12:40): You're welcome.