Today we’d like to introduce you to Raphael Price.
Hi Raphael , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Over two decades ago, I graduated from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a dream of being a professional jazz musician.
I wanted to move to New York because I loved the jazz scene there and knew that was the preeminent destination for serious musicians from all over the world.
Moreover, I was heavily influenced by Wynton Marsalis, then (and current) director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra who I was introduced to by Professor Rodney Whitaker, director of the Jazz Studies Program at Michigan State University.
When Wynton performed at Orchestra Hall in Detroit one year (I was in high school at the time in 1996), I met him backstage after his concert. Rodney made the introduction and I’m grateful to him for doing that.
Fast forward to my senior year at Michigan (2001), I saw Wynton & Rodney play at Hill Auditorium and Wynton invited me on stage to join the band for an encore. We played the blues.
If you want an idea of what blues on the violin sounds like with a jazz quartet, Google Raphael Price Jazz Violin & Straight No Chaser on YouTube. If you like blues, you’ll dig it. Legendary Detroit jazz pianist, Buddy Budson was my accompanist.
So naturally, having that experience with Rodney, Wynton, & the LCJO left an indelible impression on me.
As I was planning to move to NY, the tragedy of 9/11 happened.
Like the entire country, I was numb with shock and horror. I decided to pray and see what my next steps should be.
I recalled a beautiful time after my senior year at Cass Tech spent in sunny Southern California at California State University Long Beach studying music with the late Jack Elliot at the Henry Mancini Institute’s inaugural month long summer program in June 1997.
The memory of my time there as well as having visited Bishop Charles Blake’s West Angeles Church of God in Christ impressed me to relocate to L.A. in September 2004.
I enrolled in a graduate music program at California State University Los Angeles, and you would say the rest is history.
Except, things didn’t go quite as I planned then to!
Nevertheless, The Lord was merciful to me and allowed me to enjoy life as a single, young, freelance musician for a few years. Wynton even flew me to N.Y. to perform with his band for the grand opening of the Rose Theater, the world’s first theater created just for jazz at the time!
Prior to that, I had been hired to do a jazz musical, Nat King Cole & Me, written & directed by Grammy winning jazz vocalist & composer, Gregory Porter. The show took place in Denver, Colorado in April-May 2004. I enjoyed that experience immensely.
It’s amazing that I have worked with many great artists including Stevie Wonder, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Marvin Winans, Kirk Franklin (BET Celebration of Gospel), and dozens more. The Lord even allowed me to have roles in some television shows and the 2006 Warner Brothers feature, Poseidon.
But one evening, while practicing in the music school of CSULA, I felt so empty and uninspired. I couldn’t even practice. I had absolutely no desire to play music at that moment. I felt like God literally took all my joy and desire to play music away and I felt horribly empty.
At the time, I didn’t understand what was happening. But now I understand that God was intervening in my life to rescue me from eternal destruction. What I mean is, had I continued to enjoy success as defined by this world system (making money working with famous artists and musicians), my soul would have been eternally lost. I was in danger of being eternally separated from God! But like many musicians, I thought as long as I use my gift in church and volunteer in several ministries at church, I was pleasing God.
In reality, I was pleasing my self.
So God flipped the script (after He flipped the switch🤣) and sent me packing for cold Michigan.
Although I began teaching in Michigan, I was still trying to satisfy my artistic predilections and it proved to be a futile effort. I had played at the Detroit Jazz Festival, worked with jazz luminaries like Marcus Belgrave, Donald Walden, Gerald Wilson, Marion Hayden, Buddy Budson, Ursula Walker, and Regina Carter. Ultimately, God won and I’m much more at peace with my life because I’m doing what God created me to do.
I currently serve as a pianist at my church and preach there as needed. So my focus has shifted from pursuing music solely for artistic satisfaction, to using music as a medium to worship God & lead others to worship Him.
Today, I’m a full time school administrator at a middle school in Detroit.
What I love about being a school leader is having the opportunity to inspire emerging leaders who can transform our city and nation. As a youth, I didn’t have a mentor or teacher who inspired me to reach my potential in school or life so I am very passionate about inspiring the youth because I understand how important that is for their holistic development success.
I’m also a REALTOR and love helping people buy and sell homes.
If I could go back to school (and if it wasn’t so expensive!), I’d study architecture and interior design. I love mid century modern design and have featured Michigan’s largest mid century modern furniture & art gallery (Le Shoppe Modern) on my Premier Insights
Podcast.
Viewers can watch the full interview of the owners & curators of Le Shoppe Modern on my YouTube channel (Raphael Levon Price Real Estate @pemierinsightspodcast) and also find streaming platforms to listen to it. A complete list of streaming podcast channels is included in my YouTube description.
As a husband and father, I value the responsibility I have in providing security, stability, and leadership in my home and community. Of all the things I do, this is the most important because every day, I’m planting seeds for how I would want to be remembered by those who I love most and those who love me the most.
As my mentor and supervisor at Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Tim Morton) would say, family comes before all these other roles and if we get family right, everything else falls into place.
This leads me to say a word about the value of FCA in Southeast Michigan.
FCA is the largest sports ministry globally. Thus, it has great impact and reach in communities in need of strong mentors, not only for coaches and athletes, but families who need support for children who otherwise might not receive mentoring and support as I alluded to earlier.
I’m blessed to be FCA’s Field Ambassador for Detroit and we are seeking more mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and leaders to partner with us to enrich the lives of our youth through sports.
Having a background in ice hockey, martial arts, football, tennis, swimming, and weightlifting, I know the power of sports to inspire confidence and hope in youth to strive for excellence in life
Consider partnering with FCA in your local school to help re-direct youth who are hungry for attention.
Thank you for reading my story. I pray that you are encouraged to seek The Lord for His unique plan for your life and use your talents wisely to glorify and honor Him!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I grew up in Detroit in a well-known family so there was a lot of pressure on me to succeed in everything. Especially being the oldest of four children and the only male.
One thing I had no control over, I skipped the third grade. Because of the nightmare social and academic experiences that ensued that decision, I do not advocate parents promoting their children abnormally like that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a licensed REALTOR at Five Star REALTORS in Troy, Michigan and I work with a wide range of clients.
I’m most proud of helping an elderly client buy a condo she was initially rejected a loan for by her lender. I connected her with my preferred lender and he helped her not only get approved for the loan, he made her some fresh cinnamon buns!
Moreover, the Homeowners Association at the condo also initially rejected her application because she didn’t meet all of their requirements.
My client had been through severe trauma in her life and these latest rejections by the HOA triggered an episode leading her to nearly attempt suicide.
With the submission of a personal letter I wrote on her behalf requesting exemption to the HOA bylaws, as well as a professional letter from my client’s therapist, I was able to get her application approved and accepted.
Today, my client is happily enjoying her new condo!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I would say one’s threshold for taking risks in most cases depends on their age and career.
For example, in financial investing, most advisors say that older clients are less willing to make riskier financial investments than younger clients.
But the opposite may also be true for a seasoned neurosurgeon like Dr. Ben Carson when deciding on a risky procedure in the middle of an operation when the stakes are a matter of life and death.
As a lifelong entrepreneur I’ve always been willing to take risks. And as a musician, every time I sit down with other musicians the risk is always there. You can’t predict or control what will happen musically. But, I’ve learned to surrender to The Lord in that process. That’s the key to a successful musical encounter after you’ve prepared adequately and are well-rested.
Jazz musicians will agree that one must surrender to the music and be willing to take creative risks. The late great Donald Walden would often say, ” in jazz, there are no wrong notes” when explaining why one shouldn’t fear making mistakes while improvising. He’d go on to say something like,”you just need to know how to use the notes you didn’t intend to play”.
Johann Sebastian Bach said, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul”.
So personally, I have been a risk-taker. Moving to Southern California was risky. Freelancing as a musician was, too. Playing football for the first time at age 34 for the Football Club at Oakland University in 2014 was a HUGE risk. Everyone told me not to do it. My wife thought I was crazy! But I played defensive end and special teams and we won the NFCA National Championship that season! My team voted me to be the team president following that historic run.
I think anything one wants to do in life has risk embedded in it. My faith in The Lord Jesus allowed me to overcome the perceived risk of failure that others cautioned me about in these, and other, instances in my life.
If we want to fulfill God’s calling and our potential in life, risk will always be there. But for me, faith crushes risk, allowing me to achieve what impossible for me to attain in my own ability and power.
In the coming months, we will see and hear more testimonies of God’s power helping athletes, musicians, and other people accomplish extraordinary things that seem “risky”, even impossible, to non-believers. I believe these things will happen as signs of God’s soon return to earth in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I would ask the readers this: are you willing to risk losing your eternal life for temporary pleasure?
If you really think about that question, you’ll realize how foolish it is to live life on your terms.
That’s one risk I’ll never take.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://raphaelprice.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/raphael.price.2025/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-levon-price-2b1906329
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@premierinsightspodcast?sub_confirmation=1
- Other: https://raphaelprice.book.live/hp-biz-card-book
