Even more than the city's stunning architecture and iconic landmarks, it’s the people who make Chicago what it is. From musicians to artists to business owners and beyond, Chicagoans help define the city through their own unique stories. And in Believe Chicago, these stories come to life in thrilling ways.
“Soulful.” This is how multidisciplinary artist Corey Wilkes describes Chicago. “Soulful.”
“No matter what creative medium, there are some really soulful people [here] that are grounded spiritually in the process of their practice,” Wilkes says. “They’re not so technical and you can just feel that in the air.”
Wilkes is an award-winning trumpeter, producer, composer, actor and born-and-raised Chicagoan. His accolades include collaborations with some of jazz’s biggest names, a recurring role in Fox’s Empire, a regional Emmy Award for scoring the Ida B Wells: A Chicago Story Special documentary and a Grammy nomination for his work with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.
With such a successful artistic career to his name, it’s hard to believe Wilkes nearly followed another path.
“I was really into sports,” he says. “I first thought I was going to be a professional athlete because I was really good at wrestling and football.”
But music was also a consistent passion. After dabbling with the keyboard and guitar, Wilkes picked up the trumpet at age 10 and everything clicked. He tried to pursue sports and music simultaneously, but his grades began to slip. In high school, his father sat him down and said he had to choose.
“It was a no-brainer,” Wilkes says of the decision.
Following his musical passion paid off, and he was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston following high school. Wilkes became a sought-after touring and recording artist after graduating college, and the rest is history.
These days, Wilkes is known for blending jazz, electronic music and soulful vocals into his projects. Chicago’s bluesy, avant-garde sound may have shaped Wilkes’ style, but the creative veteran is still finding new ways to discover his home. He recently took his music to new heights while filming FlyOver’s Windy City experience.
“It was really cool to be able to be on the top of the Tribune Tower and not have my stunt man,” says Wilkes, who performed atop the 36-storey building for a high-altitude shot in Believe Chicago. “It was a new experience, working with drones, a smaller crew off-site, various locations — just not your regular shoot going into a studio.
“It’s not a controlled environment so you never know what you’re going to get sometimes.”
Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and culture of the city aboard Believe Chicago, showing for a limited time at FlyOver Iceland.
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