Episode 01: Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips: Saxophonist Extraordinaire - Jordan Brand Influencer - Father - Golf Enthusiast | Interviewed By Rashad Floyd
My name is Mike Phillips. I'm from “MONEY EARNING” Mount Vernon. I’ve toured with Stevie Wonder, Prince and worked with Michael Jackson. I’m the first non-athlete, to sign with Brand Jordan. The correlation between music and sports; they feed each other. It’s important to remember your technique. practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. If you put the proper things into repetition, it will increase the chances of you doing it right when it's most needed.
It’s November 3rd and my Mother would've been 86 years old today, she was born in 1934. This day is important, not just because it's my mother's birthday, but it's election day. How many things that existed in 1934 are still with us today?
I’ve been looking for a particular horn for 15 years and I finally found it. I’m getting it fixed on my mother's birthday. It’s the purple logo edition which is my mother's first name, Violet. It symbolizes a lot. I reflect on this day, thinking about my mother; She had a “roll up your sleeves” mentality and always taught me to look out for opportunities. That mindset lives with me forever.
The reason why I play sax is none other than to fulfill a mission statement to make people happy and full of joy through the gift of music. A saxophone is an inanimate object, so it’s my spirit that gives it energy. Being a musician, you have to really understand that it's a ministry. Wherever I am, whatever headspace that I'm in when I feel happy, when I feel joy, the instrument is nothing but a translator of what you're going through, and people will feel it.
To change the pads on this instrument you have to understand what's not working. I think the analogy I can make is, election day is a day that we can change out some pads. If you look at the sax it is a pretty intricate instrument. Every key has a relationship with another key and if you mess one thing up it throws the whole alignment off. That in itself is where America is right now. I think America does have the opportunity to be fixed, but we got to do what that saxophone tech did with my new horn, see what's wrong first. And here we are on November 3rd, we get to choose what will bring America back into alignment.
I see the future as something that if we progress towards love and understanding, it'll be a better place for the generation that comes up next. The patience, the discipline, the understanding of things happening in progressions; where you respect time, you understand the process, and you have discipline sewn in all around it.
I’m Mike Phillips and this is my Expression.
