Meet Nigel and Desirae Dunn and Brown of Northeast Baltimore

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nigel and Desirae Dunn and Brown

Hi Nigel and Desirae, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
This question always stumps us because Soundtrack has kind of been with us for our entire lives. Desirae and I are both children of Jazz musicians so music has always been a focal point in our households. We each walk around with songs in our heads on a daily basis. Additionally, we both love movies and TV shows. On June 3rd, 2023, we had the idea to underscore our favorite moments from film with our favorite songs. After playing a few rounds we realized that this would be a great card game. Over the next few weeks we listened to thousands of songs and wrote hundreds of scenarios. We created our first prototype in just three weeks. Since then we’ve embarked on an HBCU Homecoming tour, raised over $15,000 on Kickstarter, launched soundtrackthegame.com, and won pitch competitions with Black Girl Ventures and Venture For T.H.E.M. On June 25th, 2024, we were announced as Semi-Finalists for Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Prize. We are humbled by the opportunity to be a part of their community as they provide Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs with mentorship and access to capital.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We are consistently faced with the challenge of staying resilient when opportunities don’t go as we hoped. This is a challenge that we embrace because of our belief in Soundtrack and our belief in our ability to steward the vision we have been given to unimaginable heights. We have become experts in learning from letdowns and failing forward.

Our first experience vending at Howard University’s Homecoming was a difficult learning experience. After an unsuccessful first day we felt defeated. While, our belief in our product never wavered, we had to quickly adjust, figure out what the problem was and show up on the second day ready to make sales. We realized a few things needed to change in our approach. These modifications included identifying our actual target audience, and articulating our idea quickly and clearly. This led to us improving our sales by 700% on the second day.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As teachers in Baltimore City, we hear the music that students are listening to. There are less young people listening to lyrics like, “How you gonna win when you ain’t right within…” and more young people listening to lyrics that highlight explicit content that doesn’t place emphasis on the critical thinking skills we urge students to use both in the classroom and in life. This is why our vision for Soundtrack lies in expanding and educating youth on cultural moments and music that help define generations.

How do you think about luck?
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. We feel lucky everyday to have been given this idea but honestly, we often discuss how everything we have ever done has prepared us for this venture. From the moments listening to our fathers improvise on stage, to visiting my mothers college classes as a child, to both of us leading student organizations as college students. Our experiences and our communities have created an incubator for sequential, concurrent, and coincidental happenings that make way for the success that we help to facilitate. Ultimately, we feel lucky each day that we get to wake up and work on our dream.

Pricing:

• Soundtrack The Game – $29.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.soundtrackthegame.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundtrackthegame