We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Phillips and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

I believe risk is essential to moving forward. At 23, I took my biggest risk, by moving from my parents house in suburban Melbourne, Australia where I grew up, to the middle of New York City.

I arrived with a suitcase, my saxophone and 3 nights booked at the YMCA hostel in the middle of winter. I knew nobody, had no job, and very little money to my name. I could write a book about my first few years here – I subletted numerous apartments with total strangers and worked some of the craziest jobs you can think of to pay my rent and keep myself here amongst the greatest musicians in the world. I took lessons, I practiced, and soaked it all in which made all the hard work worthwhile and kept me motivated.

Those experiences and challenges definitely shaped who I am today and lead me to a life and career that for many years felt impossible. I now own a property in NY where I live with my amazing fiancé, and my work involves traveling around the world with 4 of my best friends playing incredibly fun and challenging music – what more could you want? None of this would have been possible without taking risks, putting myself out of my comfort zone and making it work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a saxophonist, I struggled for many years to label myself. Was I a jazz player? Was I a classical player? Was I more suited to theatre and doubling? I had studied classical saxophone repertoire at college, then moved to NY to pursue more jazz education, I studied flute and clarinet on the side and just took whatever opportunities came my way. I may not be the greatest jazz alto sax player, or the greatest orchestra clarinetist, but I have really enjoyed the variety of work that has come from this, and have realized the label is not at all important. I am a musician and that can take many forms.

In 2014, I was introduced to Joel Pierson, a pianist and composer who had just moved to NYC. He had a fantastic idea for a band playing all the crazy and zany music found in cartoons and was looking for a clarinet player. At that point I was not super confident on the clarinet, but saw the opportunity and excuse to start practicing it. Today that band is The Queen’s Cartoonists, and together we travel all of the US and abroad playing in some of the most spectacular venues.

In hindsight, I am glad I didn’t try to pigeon hole myself into a label or category. My versatility on numerous instruments and in numerous styles is the aspect of my playing that I believe has lead me to the best opportunities and a successful career.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The jazz scene in NYC is second to none – small underground jazz clubs, world class musicians playing in restaurants and bars and even on the street. I think a night out in NYC can take you in many directions and sometimes its best not to plan too much!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve been fortunate to have had some wonderful teachers and mentors over the years, going all the way back to my first piano teacher as a child. Each one inspired something in me and helped me reach the next level. There are too many to name, but I am very thankful to them all.

Website: www.mtpmusic.com

Instagram: @markphillipsmusic

Image Credits
Lindsey Thoeng Jamie Jung

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.