Brooke Murray holds her award check from the New Venture Challenge with Director of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music Jeffrey Nytch and Nigel Sharp, CU Global Entrepreneur in Residence.
Brooke Murray credits music with giving her her life back when she was a child.
鈥淚 was attacked by a dog when I was 6 years old. I missed a lot of school as I recovered, and when I did finally go back to school I was bullied by the other kids because of my scars,鈥� she remembers.
鈥淭hen I started singing. Choir gave me back my confidence and my grades started going up.鈥�
The native of the Aspen area says she knows firsthand what music can do for a person. And as she prepares to graduate this month, she wants to make sure that no one is ever denied that life-changing relationship.
Making a connection
The day before the, Murray was close to giving up. She wasn鈥檛 sure her pitch for her non-profit organization Sing It Forward had the legs to stand up in the final round of the startup competition.
鈥淢y practice round didn鈥檛 go well at all. I decided to switch up the whole pitch at the last minute.鈥�
Up against four other student entrepreneurs with ideas like beekeeping technology and smart farming, Murray brought to the event her passion for equal access to music and wowed the judges. Her idea鈥攁n organization that uses the pay-it-forward model to fund voice lessons for low-income students鈥攇rew directly from her personal experience with the power of singing. She wore that experience on her sleeve during her presentation.
鈥淚 had left my story out of the pitch the first time. This time, it had more impact.鈥� 听
Even though Murray didn鈥檛 win the top prize, she finished as runner-up, winning $1,000 from the competition.
But it鈥檚 what happened after the awards were handed out that Murray says was truly overwhelming.
鈥淥ne of the judges came up to me afterward and told me that he had been in an accident himself鈥攈e was paralyzed鈥攁nd music was the only thing that got him through it and helped him begin to recover.
鈥淗e said, 鈥楤rooke, I have a surprise for you.鈥欌��
The judge, venture capitalist Jason Mendelson, offered Murray $5,000 in seed money to get Sing It Forward off the ground. An angel investor in the crowd followed suit.
In all, she went home that night with $14,000鈥攁nd a renewed passion to bring her organization to life.
鈥淪o many people said they believed in the idea and they believed in me. It put a fire back in it and made me really want to make it happen.鈥�
Finding inspiration
The idea for Sing It Forward鈥檚 payment system came from a story Murray heard a couple of years ago about a pizza parlor named in Philadelphia.
鈥淵ou can go in and buy a slice for yourself, then pay $3 more to buy a slice for a homeless person. It just seemed so simple that I thought, 鈥榃hy wouldn鈥檛 that work for voice lessons?鈥欌��
During her first music entrepreneurship class, Murray started to give the idea more thought.
鈥淚f a parent pays for a month of their own child鈥檚 lessons and puts down a bit more for another student鈥檚, then eventually those lessons would be paid for,鈥� she reasons.
With the help of Jeffrey Nytch, director of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music, Murray started gathering advice and support ahead of this year鈥檚 New Venture Challenge.
鈥淚 met with music teachers and people in the community, and they were excited about the idea,鈥� she says.
Murray suspects the idea is resonating with people because they see the benefit鈥攅specially now鈥攐f making music accessible for all children.
鈥淢usic education programs are being cut from public schools across the country,鈥� she says. 鈥淟ow income students who don鈥檛 have the resources outside school to get that music education are being left behind.
But music shouldn鈥檛 just be for the elite. It鈥檚 for everyone.鈥�
Taking the next step
As she prepares to graduate with a BA in music, a minor in business and a music entrepreneurship certificate, Murray is committed to seeing Sing It Forward through.
鈥淚 applied for, which is a business accelerator program at the end of the summer,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t pairs you up with mentors and other resources as you move your idea into the prototype stage.鈥�
Murray is also talking with Denver Public Schools about a partnership that would test the Sing It Forward model in mixed-income neighborhoods where Murray suspects it would have the most success.
鈥淚 reached out to teachers to see what they think, and many have been supportive of the idea. They see its potential.鈥�
She says no matter what the future holds, her experience in the New Venture Challenge reignited her passion for the program.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a whirlwind. It鈥檚 one of the toughest things I鈥檝e ever done, but it鈥檚 something I really want to do.
鈥淢usic brings people together and empowers us to overcome obstacles. It shouldn鈥檛 be a privilege. It鈥檚 a fundamental right.鈥�
