Motivation Through Music (or some better title)

I’ve written a series of children’s books tentatively called ‘Motivation Through Music’.

(I say tentatively because the publisher I’ve been speaking with has told me quite plainly that he hates this title.)

The purpose of the books is to teach children in grades 3-5 motivational techniques such as the power of positive thinking and using perspective to find the good in situations,  using music as the vehicle.

 

Why am I sharing this?

 

No, it’s not a shameless self-plug (though, in full disclosure, I’d consider it if the books were currently in print/for sale). I’m sharing this because the motivation behind writing these books came from my life experiences-both in the topics themselves and in the lessons to be learned in each book.

 

Allow me to explain…

 

When we decided to go the nonprofit route with MCB, I knew I had to make some personal changes. I don’t have a MBA, I’ve never taken a single academic business class and every degree I hold is in music. I knew that entering such a new world-one with so many rules and regulations-could very easily become overwhelming and, if I wasn’t careful, I ran the risk of crashing and burning on a mental level.

 

So, I started reading.

 

I read any and every book that was recommended to me or I found interesting, from business books to financial planning to nonprofit management. What I found is that the ones that made the biggest difference in my life were the ones focused on the self-help side of business.

Now, let me stop here and tell you (ok, admit) that I used to have a bad habit of assuming I knew facts before I checked them out for myself (There, mom, I said it out loud. Teenage Rachel apologizes). As a more recent example, I made a massive amount of fun of any friend who read the Harry Potter books-assuming they were little kids’ books-until someone bought me one, therefore guilting me into reading it and becoming hooked on the series (ok, still slightly embarrassing to admit but, come on, they’re awesome).

Needless to say, I would be the first to consider any book by Napoleon Hill, Jack Canfield or Anthony Robbins to be ‘fluff’.

 

But, desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

People I greatly respect recommended these books and, if I wanted this organization to reach its full potential, I needed to be in the mindset to handle all that was about to be thrown my way.

 

Putting my ego aside and attempting to turn off that little voice in my head that felt the need to make fun of the opening ‘cheesy’ paragraph of each new book, I read…

…and I learned.

 

I learned how to talk to myself like a kindergartner, telling myself that if I didn’t know the answer to something yet, that’s ok and I’d learn it in time. I learned to stop ‘shoulding all over myself’ (my favorite ‘cheesy’ expression of which I would have once made oh so much fun), creating negative self-talk of all the things I ‘should’ be doing or ‘should have’ done (something I find musicians, for some reason, are exceptionally prone to…guilt of never being able to practice ‘enough’…?).

Slowly, but surely, my mind-and my life-changed drastically. I no longer had to consciously talk to myself like a four-year-old because I knew the moment something seemingly overwhelming happened that I could deal with it and move on. I no longer had to remind myself not to ‘should on myself’ because I thought about what I would like to do and what would be beneficial to do, rather than what I ought to do.

 

Because of these changes-and only because of these changes-I am able to help MCB grow and flourish every day.

 

Now, why am I telling you all this?

 

Before I answer that, let me digress with one more story…

 

I often get in somewhat heated debates with friends over the responsibilities of professional ball players. (Side note: I’m a diehard Mets fan and thereby have a deep-rooted hate of the Yankees. Bring it.) I have a firm belief that-like it or not-with the job description of professional baseball player comes the responsibility of being a role model.

Now, I understand the argument: A-rod (insert horrible comment against the Yankees here) signed up to play ball, not to set an example for children. I understand this argument, but I don’t agree with it. When you become a movie star, you go into it with the understanding that you more or less just gave up your personal privacy. It may not be easy and it may not be ideal, but it comes with the package. It is my belief that when you sign up for the MLB, you sign up with the understanding that millions of little boys and girls are looking to you as an example of who they dream of being when they grow up.

 

So, back to the books…

 

I believe we all have a responsibility. Whether your field is law, medicine, science or music, you, as a human being, are responsible for more than the 8-10 hour days you put in at work. You have a responsibility to those around you, those you influence both willingly and unwillingly, knowingly and unknowingly.

 

With that responsibility comes the power to teach-both by example and by blatant communication.

 

There are life lessons that, I believe, are more important than memorizing state capitals and what year the president was born.

 

There is a mental power to life that is almost completely ignored in the public school system.

 

In most, if not all, public schools, it’s primarily about memorizing facts and taking standardized tests, never about the power ten minutes of focused visualization could have on your next performance or how we can look for the good in every situation to turn a challenge into an accomplishment.

It’s primarily about talking at children-telling them what they ‘should’ be doing (wonder where that adult habit develops…?) rather than encouraging them to find ways to work together for the greater good.

 

These are the true areas that run our world and they’re blatantly being ignored-by both children and adults!

 

At MCB, we teach children about music from other cultures. But if that were the end of our mission, we could easily plug in a DVD and show them a concert of music from around the world.

 

MCB does something far greater and far more important: we interact with these children from all walks of life. We show them that they can be whatever they want to be, that they can do whatever they want to do and that they can be positive and uplifted-and uplift others-all while having fun in the process. We teach them that there are billions of people from all walks of life with cultures and music completely different than those with which they’re familiar, but we can all come together through

One Language and One Love.

 

It took me until years after graduate school to fully understand (if one can ever fully understand) how to live a peaceful, motivated life through the power of positive thinking and seeing the larger picture in all things. It took me until my adult years to fully grasp the concept of living a life based on One Love.

 

Children need to be taught these ever-important lessons at a young age.

 

Whether your vehicle is science, art, math, medicine or music, we can all empower our youth to create a better, more loving world.

 

6.8 Billion People * One Language * One World

 

…the title Motivation Through Music may get the thumbs down, but, at MCB, we believe the message is timeless.

 

 

Rachel Phillips

Founder and Executive Director

Music Crossing Borders

One Love

A few months ago, I was zig-zagging my way through the crowded streets outside of Grand Central Station, heading to a MCB-related meeting. With my head in all things MCB, I was filled with that warm-tingly feeling I often get when I take the time to get my head out of the day-to-day logistics of running a nonprofit and remember to look at the larger picture of why we’re doing what we’re doing.

 

In this state of bliss, I decided to download Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’ on my iPhone.

 

As I simultaneously attempted to weave in and out of the crowded building I had by then entered, walk in heels (have we met?), dodge oncoming people and download a song from iTunes (why is this unacceptable when other people do it but not considered a problem when you’re the one attempting?), I somehow managed to download the ringtone version of the song instead of the regular mp3.

As hilarious as I found my current duck quacking ringtone to be (come on iPhone users, you know it’s hilarious), I decided to give it a try and let Mr. Marley have his turn.

 

I’m fairly confident now that that mishap was more than a simple case of the iPhone buttons being too small…

 

I wear many hats throughout the day (people who know me are now giggling because, though this was not intended to be yet another bad pun, the fact remains that I am a big hat person. But I digress…). I am a freelance musician, bandleader of two bands, a part time music teacher and I run both the administrative and co-lead the musical side of MCB. None of that is a complaint. I love every aspect and every side of everything I do. But I’ll admit that there are times when it can be…overwhelming.

Many is the day when I’ll be on the computer chasing after partnering schools for a contract we were supposed to have received two weeks ago, when I’ll suddenly get an email that my teaching for the next day needs to be rescheduled, followed by an email that a member of my band can’t make the wedding gig we have in three days.

 

One thing undoubtedly happens in this moment: my phone rings.

 

Now, in an effort to keep all accounts on this blog to solid facts, I’m not going to pretend that I don’t have moments when my phone ringing in that instance isn’t treated by a simple turning the phone to silent and putting it in the other room (why both need to occur I can’t say-out of sight, out of mind I suppose). But, nine times out of ten, something…peaceful…occurs.

In the midst of what feels like twenty not-too-life-changingly-important-but-still-managing-to-be-overwhelming-when-they-happen-all-at-once issues, Bob Marley’s voice rings out singing of One Love, One Heart…

 

…and then…

 

Peace.

 

Now, all cell phone users can agree that once you’ve had a ringtone for too long, you invariably cannot listen to that song anymore. I have made this mistake with many-a-classic: The Mexican Hat Dance, Stevie Wonder’s Superstitious (thank goodness after a break I was able to love the song again) and Brick House (come on, that’s just hilarious).

But there’s something different about this song. Each time my cell phone rings, it’s become a reminder: All these little daily activities, goals, trials, accomplishments, etc. are all important and necessary, but they’re not the big picture.

 

MCB is about bringing people together through the power of music. It’s about teaching children of all ages and backgrounds-regardless of their upbringing, class or income-about music from cultures they otherwise might not have access to…

 

It’s about using the Language of Music to create One World.

 

Each time Bob Marley sings those words, it’s a reminder to look up–we’re working for a bigger purpose and that is the meaning of it all:

 

6.8 Billion People * One Language * One World

 

…I’m sure Mr. Marley would agree.

 

 

Rachel Phillips

Founder and Executive Director

Music Crossing Borders

 

What Made YOU Get Started…?

People always ask me: ‘What made you get started in music?’

My honest answer: ‘My brother started getting in trouble in school (sorry, Jason!) so my parents made him join the band in an attempt to keep him out of trouble. When they saw it worked, they told me: ‘Pick an instrument-you’re joining too’’.

Such an unromantic story, right? I used to almost feel as though I was letting my questioner down with that answer. People want to hear an inspiring story about how you knew at the age of three that music was your calling. They want you to tell them that before you could even talk you were picking out songs on the piano. They want to be amazed at hearing that you used to conduct Beethoven’s Ninth using only your sippy cup and a silver spoon. But a parental plot to keep a ten-year-old child from getting in with the wrong crowd at an early age? Not quite so romantic.

But wait, it gets worse.

This question is almost undoubtedly followed by:

‘Oh…well, once you started, did you always know you wanted to be a musician?’

(Brace yourself)

‘Nope…I actually wanted to quit music in seventh grade because I hated to practice’

…Still not done…

‘So what made you stick with it?’

‘My parents made me…plus, they forced me to practice’

Oh holy sacrilege of the music world! It’s a miracle I ever held another interview again!

 

Now, before you entirely write this off as the most pathetic excuse for an inspiring life in music, read on…

 

I’ve thought about this path quite a bit as I’ve gotten older, more established and-most importantly-come to understand the true power and importance of music.

 

Music has the power to heal, to express our emotions, to vent out feelings we don’t even know we’re experiencing. But there’s another level to music. There’s a level of discipline that every musician can attest to, and it’s a trait learned in very few other areas of life.

 

No horn tooting intended (all puns intended, however), I’m what you would consider a ‘go-getter’. I love doing things in life that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable because I know in the end I’ll develop a skill that will make the next task seem like child’s play.

 

Where did this come from? I attribute it to two areas: parents who wouldn’t let me quit and the tenacity to succeed in music.

 

In eighth grade, my new band director told my parents that he saw talent hidden beneath that twelve-year-old girl who never practiced. He took them aside and told them that if they got me to practice an hour a day, they would be amazed at what happened. Six months of constant fighting with my parents later, and I was winning county-wide competitions. Fast-forward a year to a freshman year of high school consisting of waking up at 5am to practice for an all-state competition in which I went on to win first place. Not bad for the girl who wanted to quit two years before.

I don’t tell you this to brag by any means-this was my childhood and people my age have gone on to do much bigger and better things in the performance world than I have or aspire to do.

 

Here’s the point:

 

We know that music feels good. We know that music expresses our inner feelings. We even know that music drastically increases intelligence and academic performance (well, you should know that if you keep up with our blogs!). But here’s something you may not have considered:

 

Music serves as a form of discipline and training for children that builds a work ethic that will remain for life.

 

I can tell you with certainty that any tenacity I have in my life-be it running an organization, working long hours, running long distances, giving my all to people and projects I believe in-stems 100% from those days of practicing an hour a day when I wanted to hang out at the mall, waking up at 5am because the goal of all-state outweighed how tired I was before high school and spending the majority of my college years in a practice room instead of frat parties.

Yes, this story may sound quite unromantic. I have musician friends that cannot relate in the slightest (my best friend actually was playing the piano at three years old and can’t remember a single day in her life when her parents had to ask her to practice). If you find a child with that gene/talent/love, stick an instrument in his/her hand and give him/her every ounce of encouragement in the world. But, if the child is like I was-hasn’t yet found that inner love of music that would only come in later years when the hard work has paid off-don’t give up on their ability to one day do great things and discover that love of music.

 

I can’t think of a better vehicle to teach our youth about the value of hard work than through the beauty of music.

 

 

Rachel Phillips

Founder and Executive Director

Music Crossing Borders

To Blog Or Not To Blog

Attaching a blog to a nonprofit website is a question we struggled with for the first year at MCB.

Like all businesses–for profit or nonprofit–we work hard behind the scenes to smooth out any kinks and only show the public the final polished end result of all our endeavors, without the burden of what it took to get there.

Lately, however, it’s been recommended by many supporters in the media world that we take the plunge. Blogs have obvious benefits to offer that websites simply can not, a large one being the close relationship one feels when reading the blogger’s voice, rather than a generic website.

To include this as an integral part of MCB does, in fact, make sense:

6.8 Million People * One Language * One World

…our slogan and mission are based on this concept of oneness: the greater good of mankind and the coming together of people of all ages and backgrounds–though in the case of this blog, the written word is the vehicle rather than music to bring our lives closer together.

So, away we go…MCB’s new blog! We hope you will take the time to follow us in what is proving to be an overwhelmingly exciting year:

 

We have formed five new partnerships with schools throughout NYC for the 2010-2011 school year

 

Our June 2011 Gala is in the works, with smaller events throughout the year leading to this summer capper (stay tuned for dates)

 

And…drum roll please (music pun intended)…

MCB’s 2011 Tour of Africa is underway!

 

MCB has teamed with Flying Kites Global and Positive Planet to bring MCB’s six-member band to schools and orphanages in Uganda and Kenya for a two-week music and love filled tour in the fall of 2011.

 

Find out how your company can become a sponsor of this life-changing event with our MCB Sponsorship Opportunities or how you can personally get involved.

For more information: Info@MusicCrossingBorders.com

So, follow us here, become a fan on Facebook and join us on Twitter to stay in the loop. Our website is in the process of being overhauled–please keep checking back for a new, easier to navigate site coming in December!

We have many exciting plans in the works, a few more bad puns to lighten the mood and, most of all, lots of love and inspiration to spread around.

All the very best,

Rachel Phillips

Founder and Executive Director

Music Crossing Borders

 

Music Crossing Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your generous donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.