Entrepreneur Interview: Rachel Phillips of Music Crossing Borders

Business Name:
Music Crossing Borders

Website URL:
www.MusicCrossingBorders.com

Year Founded:
2009

Business Partners:
Currently teaming with:

Flying Kites Global (http://flyingkitesglobal.org/) and

Positive Planet (http://www.positiveplanet.net/)

to bring MCB’s programs to schools and orphanages in Uganda and Kenya in the fall of 2011.

Partnering Schools Within NYC for the 2010-2011 School Year Include:

PS 146: Bronx
PS 306: Bronx
PS 59: Brooklyn
PS 14: Bronx
MS 228: Bronx

Number of Employees:
2

What does your company do?
Music Crossing Borders is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission and passion is to teach children of all ages and backgrounds about music from cultures around the world.

Our programs are unique in that they provide the perfect blend of performance and interaction to keep students engaged, excited and having fun, while teaching them about music from cultures they might otherwise not be exposed to.

Our mission is carried out on a local community level through interactive performances for grades K-12 in partnering schools throughout the five boroughs. This year, MCB has teamed with five NYC public schools throughout the Bronx and Brooklyn for a yearlong partnership of bringing music from other cultures to these students.

Internationally, MCB will be traveling to Africa in the fall of 2011 to bring our programs to schools and orphanages throughout Uganda and Kenya. MCB has teamed with two other nonprofit organizations-Flying Kites Global and Positive Planet-to form partnerships in bringing music education to these deserving children.

Was there a specific turning point when you realized your business was moving to the next level?

The response to MCB has been overwhelming! We set a goal to partner with five schools for the 2010-2011 school year and literally filled all of our spots within a week and a half! We, unfortunately, had to turn down schools because we currently do not have the funding to support more than five schools at a time. To be in that high of a demand was an eye opener of how huge this organization will be in a few short years.

Additionally, our Tour of Africa for the fall of 2011 has lead to some very promising collaborations in other parts of the world for coming years, as well as potential long term partnerships within the areas of Africa to which we’ll be traveling.

What processes or procedures have you implemented that have helped grow your company?
Coffee!

…not even so much in the ‘keep me awake’ manner, but in terms of sitting down and speaking with anyone and everyone that seems like a potential and worthwhile partner, sponsor, volunteer or simply wants to learn more about MCB.

The beauty of Music Crossing Borders, and the nonprofit world in general, is that it’s not about ‘looking out for number one’ and ‘getting to the top’ in terms of building our business as a get rich scheme. It’s about using music to create One Love in the world through the Language of Music.

When you approach your business-and your life for that matter-from the standpoint of uplifting others and the greater good of mankind-especially children of all backgrounds-you quickly find a world of like-minded people wanting to push your cause further. It’s a beautiful world in which to live and do business.

What is most rewarding about running your business?
Living my passion.

Music has been the focal point of my life since grade school. I love to teach and to perform. MCB allows me to not only do both of these, but to inspire children daily.

I have very strong beliefs in the importance of educating children at a young age about the power of working together to create a greater good. All too often, the public education system is focused on standardized test results. Children are hindered in their creative outlets, as well as learning powerful life lessons, such as the power of positive thinking and visualizing their tasks at hand.

Additionally, we all know the unfortunate situation that is going on with budget cuts in schools. The arts are typically the first to be cut.

I have taught in many schools throughout the country and all over NY and I’ve found one disheartening fact nearly everywhere: even the schools that are fortunate enough to have arts programs often are not giving their children a well-rounded musical education. Playing Mary Had a Little Lamb on a recorder for 45 minutes a week isn’t tapping into the full benefits music can offer a child.

MCB puts me in a position where I get to teach children of all ages and backgrounds about music from cultures around the world, creating a larger lesson about the power of coming together, using the Language of Music to create One World, while providing them with knowledge about music they might otherwise not be exposed to-all while having a great time!

I feel blessed every day of my life to have been the founder of something that has grown to be much larger than myself and will continue to grow for years and generations to come.

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
I know in my mind where I want MCB to be in five years.

In the beginning-and still now to some degree-I wanted to do everything right now. I wanted to reach out to every contact, partner with every interested organization and bring our program to every interested school.

Because of the success we’ve had so early on, I’ve had to learn to pace myself. We’re a start-up nonprofit and do not currently have the budget to hire enough staff members to support twenty schools within NYC and three international tours a year. We will soon, but not at the moment.

I’ve learned to continue to think ahead (I believe that success comes from seeing clearly what you want to achieve), but to focus on the steps we need to take in this moment to get there.

If you were starting over today, what would you do differently?
I believe in jumping off the cliff and building your wings as you go.

While of course there was a TON of research and foundation upon which MCB grew, we’ve also learned as we’ve gone along. There isn’t any situation I can think of that I would consider to be a ‘mistake’ or want to redo.

What advice do you have for other business owners?
I have a favorite, somewhat cheesy, expression I learned from one of my favorite books (see next question):

‘Stop shoulding all over yourself’

This goes beyond business owners to human beings in general.

The biggest change I’ve made in my personal life once MCB was founded was to stop all negative self-talk of what I ‘should have done’ or ‘should be doing’.

This ties in to the question about doing things differently. Of course there were/are moments when we make a decision and realize a different path may seem to have been more beneficial. In that moment, you have two choices: beat yourself up about what you ‘should have done’, or find the positive in the path you chose.

Learning to encourage yourself seems almost silly at first, as it requires you to talk to yourself as a kindergartner in the beginning (in your head, hopefully!). In time, however, you learn to do it automatically and it is the single best thing I have ever done for my own well being and, by extension, for MCB.

Please list any favorite books, tools or resources (software, website, etc.) you would recommend for others:
The Success Principles, Jack Canfield

Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve never taken a formal business class. Every academic degree I hold is in music.

Unrelated, but a fun fact:
I am very into health and fitness but, paradoxically, have a goal in life to find hot wings that are too hot for me to eat. I’ve come close, but haven’t found them yet…

Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you’d like to learn how you can support Music Crossing Borders’ Tour of Africa 2011, or how you can get involved, please feel free to email: Info@MusicCrossingBorders.com