This is the bass line in tonic solfa of “You raise me up” by Josh Groban. Make sure you share the video and don’t forget to subscribe for more interesting tutorials.
Bass Line of “Majesty” by Michael W smith
This is the bass line in solfa notation of majesty by Michael W smith. Don’t hesitate to share this tutorial with your friends.
Watch the video below for better understanding of the tutorial.
Find the chord progression of “majesty” by Michael W Smith here
King of Glory by Todd Dulaney (Bass Line)
Bass Line of “You raise me up” by Josh Groban
Bass Line of “Majesty” by Michael W smith
Bass Line: “It all belongs to you” by Deitric Haddon
“You are God alone” Bass Line by William-McDowell
Get our ebook of progression of over 150 Nigerian praise and worship songs for bass guitarist.
How to make money online as a musician
[This article is written by full-time independent musician, video creator, and blogger Jessica Allossery and it originally appeared on diymusician.cdbaby.com]
I’ve been earning a full time income online for nearly two years now and I’ll admit it, it hasn’t always been a walk in the park. BUT, if you combine your online income plus your merch sales and live shows, you’ll be a comfortably living musician in no time.
Here are five ways that you can start earning an income as an online musician that you can set up in as little as one day:
1. Patreon
I’ve put the subscription based crowd-supporting platform called Patreon at the top of the list because every single musician out there should already know about it. Not only that, but every single musician out there should already be ON it, actively.. errday!!!
Patreon is one of the most amazing platforms I’ve come across, because it’s like every musician’s dream! It provides a way to rake in a steady stream of monthly revenue on the basis of sharing your art and giving rewards. They’ve built the site to provide a sense of community and filled that gap between artist and fan. It’s beautiful, and I can’t rave about it enough.
If you’re not on Patreon yet because you’re not making videos regularly, you’re honestly missing out. Get on that train and collect the donations that you fans WANT to give you, asap!!
2. Online E-concerts
I love this idea! Yet another way to generate income as a musician without having to leave the confines of your cozy artist space. I use a platform called ConcertWindow, and there are a couple others to choose from like Stageit and Gigee. There are some different tools available for use in all the platforms but something to keep in mind that I’ve found effective with Concert Window and Stageit is having the option to collect tips and give ‘rewards’ to your best tippers. It’s a wonderful incentive and a great way to really connect with your audience in a concert-type setting, without having to leave the cozy confines of your living room.
3. Private Skype shows
Similar to online e-concerts, but these are privately held events. This is something that you could set up on your online store as a gift option. A fan could buy the gift of a private one-hour Skype show for his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. Then, you serenade the two of them and give them a very special and unique experience that they wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else.
It’s another beautiful way to earn coin while still connecting deeply with your fans to create a memorable experience and a more engaged community of people who will adore you and support you forever!
4. Tip jar on website
If you’re anything like me, I had A LOT of trouble asking my fans for help, especially when I was just starting out as a musician. I didn’t want to have to put my tail between my legs and feel like that annoying poor artist who’s always begging for money. But I learned that asking doesn’t have to be that way. It might be a stigma that asking for money is a sign of laziness, but YOU know in your HEART that you’re a damn hard worker, and you deserve to get paid!
Honestly, it’s all in the ask. Be vulnerable with your community. Tell them your struggles. A lot of times, fans actually DO want to support you monetarily, but they don’t know how, OR there isn’t a means to do so. By providing a tip jar page on your website, people can freely take a look, and if you’ve truly given them something of value, something that has touched their hearts deeply, they will give, and often they will be generous.
Try it out by setting up a paypal.me address and adding it to a new page on your site. It takes less than five minutes to set up, and could be worth so much value to your yearly income online. And hey, you might be surprised at the greatness that can come from just asking.
5. Write custom songs for fans
This technique has been around for ages, but for some reason a lot of musicians aren’t putting it into action. Your fans love you. They love the music you put out, and the videos, and the photos… The list goes on! Now, imagine if you could make something unique, custom, and personalized. Something JUST for them.
I put this idea into action last year and have received a tremendous amount of support from my fans. Custom songwriting has been this new found glory because it’s a win-win situation. You get to earn money, while writing a song (which you have to do anyways), while giving a gift to someone who appreciates it more than you know. It’s an amazing feeling and has really transformed my views on songwriting, and what it means to be an artist. We are here to make a difference with our art, after all. So why not use this to your advantage and REALLY make a difference by touching the hearts of those who will value your music the most? Give it a shot. It will be great, I promise. 
And that’s that! Five amazing ways to earn income as an online musician. I hope these have sparked your imagination and have given you a bit of creative inspiration to try out a few for yourself. Today as a musician, you can’t JUST earn a living off live shows and touring… Well, maybe you can, but what’s the fun in that?! Rather connect with people locally AND worldwide by extending your services online where fans who love you in different countries can still support you and enjoy the services you have to offer in a digital way. We do, after all, live in a digital world, so we might as well take advantage, earn some extra cash, go with the flow, and see where it takes us. 
Need help growing your audience?
I’m a DIY Musician on a mission to help others on their own musical journey. Find out the 5 Must-Have tools that have changed my life as a musician right HERE and stay updated on a new coaching program and e-course that I designed especially for artists like you and I. Can’t wait to share allllll my knowledge and skills with you, if you’ll let me. xo
xoFive schools that offer scholarship to study Music in the USA
This post Originally appeared on college.usatoday.com
Tuition is often the most expensive part of college. It can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over $50,000 a year.
While you may know that full-ride scholarships exist for the occasional outstanding student or athlete, did you also know that a number of colleges cover most or sometimes even all of tuition for admitted students?
Here are five colleges that offer many full-ride scholarships for admitted students who meet specific qualifications.
1.) ALICE LLOYD COLLEGE
Imagine paying no tuition just for being from the right place.
Alice Lloyd College, a small private college of under 1,000 students in Pippa Passes, Ky., guarantees no out-of-pocket tuition costs for qualified full-time students from 108 Central Appalachian counties, spanning Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Students are still required to pay room and board, but if they are admitted (around 10% acceptance rate according to U.S. News & World Report), they can choose from over 30 undergraduate degree programs from a school ranked 40th best regional college in the south by U.S. News & World Report.
2.) CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC
You may be able to avoid being a starving musician if you land a full-tuition scholarship at this small private music college in Philadelphia. Well, by doing that and actually being very good at playing music.
According to its website, Curtis Institute of Music provides “merit-based full-tuition scholarships to all undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their financial situation.” For non-tuition fees, like room and board, you may also land funding from the school or outside the school.
Students must audition to be considered for admittance, and the acceptance rate is slightly below 7%, according to U.S. News & World Report. Students who gain admittance are considered to be “exceptionally gifted” musicians by the school.
3.) WEBB INSTITUTE
If you’re a U.S. citizen or Green Card holder and admitted into Webb Institute, you’ll get a full-tuition scholarship covering four years.
Located in Glen Cove, N.Y., Webb Institute has received several notable rankings from The Princeton Review, including: No. 10 college where students study the most, number three for most accessible professors and No. 12 for best career services. Not to mention, this engineering school grants you an impressive 146-credit bachelor’s degree for cheap or even free if you find a way to get your other non-tuition fees funded.
4.) BEREA COLLEGE
If a school offered you a full-tuition scholarship as long as you worked on campus, would you take it?
That’s the case with Berea College, a private school located in Berea, Ky. ranked No. 76 for national liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report. Every admitted student gets a four-year tuition scholarship, according to Berea’s website. You may have to pay for dorms, though, which most students are required to live in.
But you’ll still save money in tuition while majoring in one of over 25 degree programs and possibly participating in one of the school’s 50+ campus organizations.
It doesn’t get much better than that, folks.
5.) MACAULAY HONORS COLLEGE AT CUNY
In New York City, everything is often more expensive. Not Macaulay Honors College.
According to its website, all Macaulay students receive:
- Full undergraduate tuition scholarship (not including fees)
- A laptop
- Cultural passport to different art and cultural venues in New York
- $7500 Opportunity Fund to “pursue global research, study, service, and internships”
You get all that in arguably the greatest city in the world, to study all sorts of interesting topics, like religion and public policy, the future of New York City, entrepreneurship management and much more. This liberal arts honors college sure does it right.
Earning a degree regardless of how it affects your finances can be a wise decision, professionally and personally. But why not earn one for free or cheap? May as well try to score all the financial resources you can by filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Whether you go to a college where you don’t have to pay for tuition or go somewhere where you do, applying for scholarships and grants makes sense.
If you are interested in any of these intriguing schools, contact them directly to determine if you qualify for reduced or free tuition.
Best music schools in the entire world
This post originally appeared on careersinmusic.com
1. The Juilliard School
Location: New York City, NY
Founded: 1905
Notable Alumni: Barry Manilow, Yo-Yo Ma, John Williams
The Juilliard School, or simply Juilliard as most people call it, is known as the most prestigious performing arts educational institution in the world, according to a number of rankings doled out every year. The college teaches students in a number of verticals, including dance, acting, and, of course, music, which it is perhaps best known for. The school is attached to the similarly prestigious Lincoln Center, which plays host to some of the best live music performances to be found anywhere, with a focus on all things classical and opera. This option is best for those who one day would like to compose or perhaps play in an orchestra, but it probably isn’t ideal for anyone looking to create more contemporary popular music.
2. Berklee College of Music
Location: Boston, MA
Founded: 1945
Notable Alumni: Melissa Etheridge, Quincy Jones, John Mayer
Unlike many other music programs all around the world, Berklee is focused on churning out artists who go on to top the charts and own the pop culture conversation. Many of the most successful alumni aren’t in orchestras or crafting classical compositions, but rather, they have squarely focused their musical efforts in pop, rock, and other modern genres. Berklee produces more hitmakers than any other school in the world so if you want to make it big in the Top 40 world, this is where you need to go. Boston is known as a college town and Berklee is simply one of the best in a crowded area.
3. University of Southern California Thornton School of Music
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Founded: 1884
Notable Alumni: Herb Alpert, James Newton Howard, James Horner
Founded just four years after the university itself, the Thornton School of Music is one of the oldest musical institutions in America and it benefits immensely from more than a century of knowing what it takes to craft a truly wonderful musician. While the organization focuses on styles like jazz, classical, and earlier forms of music, the school also has a celebrated program for those looking to work in the music industry but who may not be musicians themselves. Even if you want to be on the more creative end of things as an artist, taking classes to teach you what’s happening in the business can only benefit you and this is a great place to receive such a blended education. Aspiring Music Business majors should take note of this school. USC also has strong connections to the film music industry.
4. New England Conservatory of Music
Location: Boston, MA
Founded: 1867
Notable Alumni: Neal E. Boyd, Aoife O’Donovan, Vic Firth
Yes, of course, another Boston college makes this list! With so many schools in such a relatively small area, it’s impossible to avoid including more than one institution from the city on any ranking of great universities. While Berklee does get a majority of the music-focused collegiate attention when it comes to Beantown, there is plenty of room for the New England Conservatory of Music, as the two don’t overlap very much. Where Berklee is focused on creating hitmakers and pop stars, the NECM keeps its eyes (and ears) on helping those with a passion for playing become some of the best in the world on stringed, woodwind, and brass instruments.
5. Yale School of Music
Location: New Haven, CT
Founded: 1894
Notable Alumni: Marco Beltrami, Michael Daugherty, Matt Brubeck
Yale needs no introduction, but sadly, many people overlook the music school as the other programs receive the majority of attention. The legendary university’s musical wing is world-renowned and not just because of the name. It has truly earned its stellar reputation and it lives up to the Yale brand, producing many incredibly accomplished musicians. New Haven, Connecticut is a relatively smaller city without all the flash of (fairly) nearby NYC but it will be worth it when you get out of school and have Yale on your resume.
6. Curtis Institute of Music
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Founded: 1924
Notable Alumni: Leonard Bernstein, David Brooks, Lang Lang
While not specifically known as one of the better music cities in America, Philadelphia does have at least one hidden gem everybody considering going to college to study the craft should look into: The Curtis institute of Music. The school, which is coming up on one hundred years of age, has been quietly producing some of the most accomplished musicians in the world for a long time. While you might not have heard of it, everybody in the opera field (the school’s specialty) certainly has! It is notoriously difficult to be accepted to, as it agrees to take on less than five percent of all applicants, so you’re going to need to show them something really special if you want to go here.
7. The Royal Academy of Music
Location: London, UK
Founded: 1822
Notable Alumni: Elton John, Annie Lennox
If you’re looking to travel overseas when you take up your musical studies, the Royal Academy of Music may be exactly what you need. The school accepts students from dozens of countries so you certainly have a chance of going but you’re going to need to be really, really great to be included in the incoming class -— this is one institution that can afford to be picky. The college is also connected to the University of London which can come in handy if you’re looking to study something other than music (in addition to becoming a serious artist, of course).
8. Royal College of Music
Location: London, UK
Founded: 1882
Notable Alumni: Andrew Lloyd Webber, James Horner, Vanessa-Mae
Speaking of London, if you don’t get into the Royal Academy of Music, there are other options in that great city and the second one on your list should absolutely be the Royal College of Music. The two similarly-named universities are part of the ABRSM (the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), four wonderful educational institutions in the U.K. dedicated to teaching the art of performance. Only two of the four are located in London, which is where you probably want to live if you’re moving to the country for college. In addition to actually helping people become better musicians, the Royal College of Music does a lot of research into all things related to performance, which further influences teaching methods and how live events are staged and buildings are created.
9. Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University
Location: Bloomington, IN
Founded: 1921
Notable Alumni: Joshua Bell, Carl Broemel
It may not be quite as impressive as some other schools on this list and it doesn’t carry the same reputation to one day help you get noticed by employers simply because of a famous name but the Jacobs School of Music, which is based at Indiana University, offers the greatest chance of acceptance for many up-and-coming artists. Many of the universities I’ve already mentioned only admit a small group of new applicants every year, while the Jacobs School has almost 2,000 students at any given time. As a public university, this option is often offered at a lower price than many private choices, especially for those from the region.
10. Mannes School of Music
Location: New York City, NY
Founded: 1916
Notable Alumni: Burt Bacharach
Another New York City school, I know — but there’s a reason why so many of these colleges are located in the Big Apple! While it may be difficult to make a go of being a professional musician in America’s largest metropolis, it also happens to be where the majority of the music industry is focused. Students at the Mannes School of Music benefit not only from excellent Professors who typically have decades of experience, but from being just a subway ride away from countless opportunities for internships, jobs, and places to perform whenever they like. New York City is to music what Los Angeles is to acting — you’ll be just a small fish in a big pond but at least you’re in the right pond to begin with.
Best cars for a gigging musician
This post was compiled from www.contracthireacar.com & www.arnoldclark.com
Having worked in the music world for some time now, I’ve had many vehicle-related conversations with musicians over the years, from orchestrating logistics when a band member’s car broke down and none of the other musicians had a car large enough for the drum kit.
I want to share with you some typical vehicles that could just be what you need for your musician life-style.
Nissan Leaf
If you play a smaller instrument, such as a violin or guitar, a compact car may suit you perfectly well, in which case a Nissan Leaf is a good choice, offering five doors and decent levels of comfort.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Like the Leaf, you plug this large Mitsubishi in when you want to charge it, PHEV standing for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle.
The Outlander PHEV is a full-size SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) and is powered by two electric motors and a petrol engine. The benefit of the Mitsubishi is that it can travel upto 32.5 miles on pure electricity, which is great.
Honda Civic
Just because I’ve never been a fan of the latest Civic’s styling on the outside or inside doesn’t mean I’m blind to its many virtues.
Honda unarguably makes some of the most reliable, robust cars around, so any worries over something breaking on the way to or back from a gig can be put to the back of your mind.
The Civic is packed with plenty of standard safety features, including the City-Brake Active system, and combined fuel consumption from the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine is cited at an excellent 78.5mpg.
It emits only 94g/km of CO2 meaning the Civic currently attracts zero road tax. The best thing, though, is its boot, offering a class-leading 477 litres. The ‘Magic Seats’ in the rear fold in a number of ways with a single touch and the under-floor storage compartment is big enough for smaller instruments like clarinets.
Fold the seats down and 1,378 litres becomes available, although there is a lip to negotiate, making it less ideal for loading heavy amplifiers and other PA equipment in. The Civic is 1,770mm wide, 1,470mm tall and 4,370mm long, to help you calculate if the boot may be big enough for a double bass or full-size stage keyboard.
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a good all-rounder that hits most of the marks you need to be thinking about. Whilst Hyundai offers a five-seat Santa Fe with a huge load bay, it’s worth forking out a bit more for the seven-seater, due to the two third-row seats that fold up from the boot floor.
Whilst these extra seats might not make the Santa Fe the perfect car for tall people, smaller adults will be fine, and boot space is still huge with the third row of seats up. This is just in the back though, so rest assured there’s plenty of head- and legroom in the first two rows of seats.
Mercedes-Benz E Class estate
The Mercedes-Benz E Class estate is the most expensive car on this list, but it is also unbeatable on boot space.
The E Class estate has almost 200-litres more boot capacity than the Ford Focus, sitting at a huge 695 litres – which is best in class. You can also create a completely flat floor by folding the back seats down, which ups the boot space to 1,855 – 1,905 litres.
Tinted rear windows also provide peace of mind if you need to leave your gear in the back at any point.
Fuel economy is also great considering the size of this thing (on the E300 Bluetec hybrid model). The combination of the 2.1-litre diesel engine with electric motor makes the E Class estate E300 hybrid unbeatable in its class for fuel economy. Saying this, the regular diesel engines aren’t much to shout about on that front.
Ford Transit
We know it might be difficult to take the plunge and become a ‘White Van Man’, but for a trusty classic, you’ll find it hard to beat a Ford Transit.
If you need to fit the whole band, that’s no problem – the Ford Transit has second- and third-row seating options to fit seven adults (and more comfortably than the Santa Fe). If you’ve got more gear than friends, just fold the seats down and revel in the 6.0m3 load capacity of the short wheelbase model, or the even bigger 6.8m3 SAE of the long wheelbase model.
Not only is there a shed-load of space, but there are also innovative features built-in, with transporting equipment in mind. Ford have included a deployable integrated roof rack, a load-through hatch in bulkhead (for tall items), locking check arms that allow doors to be locked in place at 90°, repositioned tie-down hooks and fixing points, easy-clean load floor liner and ultra-bright LED loadspace lighting for those late nights. Phew! You really will be hard-pressed to beat that.
The Ford Transit also has excellent fuel economy, with low CO2 emissions and low running costs thanks to the lighter body and aerodynamic shape.
Skoda Octavia
If you don’t have enough gear to warrant buying a van, but need something with a bit more room, the ŠKODA Octavia estate is a solid choice. There’s ample room in the boot at 610 litres with the seats up, and with the seats folded, it’s nothing short of cavernous with 1740 litres of space.
You have the option of getting a super-green diesel engine that achieves 88.3mpg and 85g/km, not bad for those long road trips! However, do bear in mind that there’s a step in the boot when the seats are folded, so you don’t get a nice flat load area which is easier to move things in and out of.
The Octavia estate was awarded a five-star Euro NCAP rating and comes with an impressive safety spec as standard, including post-collision braking.
Bass Line: “It all belongs to you” by Deitric Haddon
This is the bass line of “It all belongs to you” by Deitrick Haddon. The bass line is illustrated in tonic solfa so it can be easy for you
to follow it up.
Make sure you share this post with your friends so they can also find it helpful.
Meet the One handed drummer of best selling band in the 80’s
Def Leppard is known for it’s monster hits “Hysteria” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” but part of their draw has always been the inspiring story of drummer Rick Allen.
As a 21 year old, before Def Leppard’s greatest success, Rick made a reckless turn in an automobile and lost his left arm in the accident. Following the accident he was in a deep depression because he thought he wouldn’t be able to drum for Def Leppard any longer.
He and lead singer Joe Elliot began to design a drumset that he could play with only one arm. The kit would become not only a staple for Def Leppard, but an innovation for other drummers who are missing limbs. After the innovative new drumkit was finished, Def Leppard went on to be one of the best selling bands of the 80s.
Source: beliefnet.com/
FROM SLUM TO STARDOM – TOUCHING STORY OF A Musician
“It’s not a crime to clean the gutter,” the one-time Lagos-based scavenger says, “but ensure you don’t continue to remain in the gutter.”
His grass-to-grace story resembles that of the star international footballer, Odion Ighalo, the veteran footballer, Taribo West, or the ace musician and Galala dance exponent, Daddy Showkey.
These are stars that were born and raised in the slum of Ajegunle, Lagos. They, however, rose above the stigma of being ‘nobody’ to becoming Very Important Persons (VIPs). Today, their stories have turned out to be something of an inspiring tonic to millions of youths struggling in several ghettos sprawled all over Lagos and even beyond.
Like Ighalo who played on an empty stomach at the notorious Maracana Stadium before hugging the limelight or Daddy Showkey who was a street boxer, Mr. Eric Obuh a.k.a Vocal Slender spent most of his growing-up years as a street urchin mingling with thugs.
But today, the once dirty forager trying to eke out a living in the mire of refuse dumps has morphed into not only a popular musician and thriving entrepreneur-dealer in cars but also a powerful motivational speaker. His story is another testament that dreams do come true when and where you least expect it.
How he got his name ‘Vocal Slender’
Residents living around Prince Fadina Street, Ajegunle, Lagos, are all too familiar with Eric Obuh. He’s a well-respected youth leader in the community. But be warned. They don’t know him by that name. In fact, you could get lost if you walked into the community asking for Eric Obuh. First, you would get a queer stare from members of the community who would, after scratching their hairs, tell you that they don’t know the person you are talking about or that the fellow you refer to by such a name does not live in their neighbourhood. But mention Vocal Slender and watch a three-year-old child excitedly point you to a cream-coloured bungalow, the place of his abode.
Standing tall at 6 ft 2”, blessed with a hulky frame, chubby cheeks and calm mien, Eric Obuh’s look belies his alias ‘Vocal Slender’. “Slender was what they called me back then on the streets because I was very lanky. I didn’t call myself that”, he said with a shrug. “I added ‘Vocal’ to show that I’m out to voice out against the oppression and neglect of the poor and the vulnerable.”
From plenty to penury
Vocal Slender together with his four siblings’ did not start their childhood from penury. They were born in a middle-class home till things went awry for their father. “I was not born in a poor home,” he explained. “My father was an accountant until he was duped, and then lost his job. That was when things started to go bad for us. But before he lost his job, he had separated from my mother. So with no mother to take care of us, and no money to feed us, my father was forced to share out my siblings to some of our relations and friends. He took my three-month-old brother to my aunty at Ibadan, while one of my younger sisters was sent to the village. My father remarried, moved in with his new wife and took my younger sisters along with him. My elder brother and I were left to fend for ourselves. I was six years old then, and things were so tough for us. My brother and I couldn’t even afford toothpaste to brush our mouth with before setting out to school. Relatives that stayed in our house when things were rosy all left, abandoning us to our fate.”
Broke, hungry and abandoned, the future looked bleak for Vocal Slender. But Providence took care of things. “I was living in a swampy area at Ora Street close to New Road,” he recalled. “I distracted myself by inserting vegetable stems into the marshy ground. To my surprise, when I came back a few days later, I noticed that some of the sticks have started blooming into nice looking plants. I was amazed, so I started tending them and nature blessed me because the plants were propagating by themselves all over the swamp. So I became more serious about it, cultivated ridges, dug a well and planted okra, maize and assorted vegetables. I harvested the crops and people were eager to buy from us at the market because our crops were much bigger and fresher. So we made little money, and life became sweet again.”
But during the rainy season, Vocal Slender did not sell vegetables because the swamps become flooded because of the increase in the water level. This prompted them to develop another means of survival. Here again, fortune smiled on them. “We switched over to poultry and built a scrappy cage with wood and planks we picked from the street. We then bought a hen and a cock, and in no time the hen laid 15 eggs and hatched 13. And from that 13, we had 11 hens and two cocks. The 11 hens kept laying eggs till we had countless birds everywhere.”
In the crucible of suffering
Impressed with the resilience of the two brothers, the entire neighbourhood nicknamed them ‘farmer boys’. But sadly, ‘good things’, as they say, ‘don’t last long’. “We got evicted from our house when the rent expired. My brother and I didn’t know our rent was to be paid, so when the notice came, we couldn’t save enough money to pay for it. We got thrown out, and our father took us to go live in church premises at Oyekere Street in Ajegunle. However, living there didn’t help our condition. They weren’t feeding us, so we continued to hunt for food. I started selling water but later started scavenging at Asapo.”
For Obuh, then a 10-year-old boy, scavenging was indeed a brutish means of survival and on March 3, 1993, he nearly paid dearly for it with his life when he almost got killed while sleeping under a shed, after a tedious day. A reckless driver drove against traffic, and, in the process, rammed into the spot where Vocal Slender was sleeping. “I was almost crushed, but I found myself inside the gutters,” he recalled. “I sustained ghastly cuts on my legs and was bleeding profusely. Kind-hearted passersby that knew my sad story helped to carry me to the church and took care of me. One month after, I was still on crutches. At that point, the church got tired of keeping us and threw us out of their premises. We had no place to go so we went and started sleeping at Wilmer Bus-stop.”
Getting kicked out into streets with his injuries opened Vocal Slender’s eyes to how wicked the world is. “I realized that indeed there’s so much wickedness in the world. I wondered at how a church could throw out a wounded little boy like me. I also wondered why my stepmother and father didn’t want to have mercy and take us in.”
The tough gets going
But when the going gets tough the tough keeps going. At this point in time, their friends had mercy and took them in to come live with them at Goriola Street. Goriola is more than the name of a street lane in Ajegunle; it is a notorious habitat of ragamuffins and ruffians. Over there, break-ins, fighting, drugs and muggings were the order of the day, and young Vocal Slender got enough daily doses of the vices.
“At Goriola, we faced a lot of insults, beating and fighting because we had nobody to protect us,” he said as he shook his head. “We kept sleeping from house to house. When I got back on my feet, I went back to scavenging. Life as a scavenger was tough because of the abuses and stigma. We were called names like Kongis, bottle-pickers and Father Christmas. I scavenged up to Badagry into Cotonou. I entered a bus to Agbara and then trek to those areas. Also at Badore around Ajah axis, I encountered snakes and crocodiles severally. Life as a scavenger doesn’t give one much choice about the future because when you get tired of it, the next likely option would be to fall back into crime.”
Encounters that changed his life
But the fear of becoming a criminal spurred Vocal Slender to go into music. Writing songs was an avenue for him to vent his frustrations. Rather than going into crime, he preferred hanging out with his criminal friends. It was in this process that, in 2001, at the age of 18, one of his gangster friends told him something that changed his life for good. “I was in a nightclub with my friends when one of them called Awe took me aside and spoke to me. He asked me why I keep following them; that they are all criminals. He looked me in the eyes and advised me to stop coming to them because I could get killed. He said I’m not a thug and I don’t belong in their group, and that I should rather focus my mind on pursuing my music career. I had goose pimples listening to Awe tell me that. But barely one month after he told me that, he was shot and killed in a shoot-out with the police.”
Those words and his friend’s death made Slender brace up for life. First, he stopped moving with his hoodlum friends. But in order to survive, he hit the streets again and started scavenging till he had another sad experience. “I started scavenging till I ran into my sister at Satellite Town. We were shocked at seeing each other. She called me by name, stood motionless looking at me as tears streamed down her cheeks. I was angry at myself, so I just walked away from her.”
But that encounter made him quit scavenging. He discussed with his brother, and together they rented their own apartment and brought their sisters together again. But shortly afterwards, he went back to scavenging at Ojota, after becoming broke.
Ojota dumpsite or Olusesun landfill is the scavengers’ haven. It is a 100-acre dump that lay on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway entry into Ojota bus stop and nearby Oregun. It is said to be the largest in Africa and one of the largest in the world. Ojota dump receives up to 10,000 tons of rubbish each day. With all that garbage Vocal Slender was back in business.
“I made about N350 on my first transaction at the dumpsite and I was very happy. Ojota dumpsite is like another world on its own. We were about 5000 persons living on the dumpsite. We had more people from the northern part of Nigeria, but we loved and protected one another. Many of us at the site feasted on expired edibles like gala (sausage, snack), bread and oranges thrown out by food companies and local fruit sellers. Whenever I call their attention to the fact that the food is spoilt, they would laugh at me and said, ‘e don spoil but e never rotten’. I settled at the dump, built a house for myself and started saving money to record my song.”
From slum to stardom
With no mentor or guardian to show him the way, Slender found succour in the reading of various books thrown away at the refuse dump site. “All kinds of books and documents were always thrown at the dumpsite, and I read as much as I could,” he recalled. “I read more than 100 different great books. I read books on the Nigeria-Biafra War, encyclopaedias, religious books like Bibles, Koran and deeply spiritual books from AMORC and Eckankar. Reading them really opened my eyes to a lot of things. I learnt the power of imagination after reading, The Flute of God, by Paul Twitchell. It changed my thoughts about life and helped me forgive my father. I developed a positive mindset towards my future.”
As he was yet to release his album, he sang for the fellow scavengers at the site until his songs became everyone’s favourite. “In 2010, I gathered all that I’ve saved and decided to hit the studio. But few days to my record date, I was rehearsing and singing at the dumpsite when some white people walked up to me to say they are from the BBC. We scavengers are used to seeing white men come to take pictures at the Ojota dumpsite. So it was no big deal when they came to me. They asked me questions and they seemed impressed with the answers that I gave. They then said they would love to come observe me doing my recording session. And I gladly accepted.
“After the recording, they offered me money asking for permission to do a documentary on me. I initially declined because I didn’t want my family or my friends to see me in the news and now realize that I live at a dumpsite. But when they told me the programme would be aired in the UK, I agreed because I was sure no one close to me resides in the UK. However, I refused to collect their money. Rather, I gave them a copy of my CD to go promote in the UK. I was still at the dumpsite when I heard that that documentary ‘Welcome to Lagos’ has been nominated for several awards. And before you know it, I was all over local and international media, winning awards and going for music tours in the UK.”
The lessons learnt
Vocal Slender’s life story comes as a living testament to the famous saying of Zig Zigler: ‘Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation’. Looking back, he said: “I imagine if I hadn’t booked for that studio session, the BBC crew could have felt I wasn’t serious. This is why I want to charge the youths that there is dignity in labour. It is not a crime to clean gutters, but ensure you don’t continue to remain in the gutter. You can in that gutter still aspire to be great. If a man wants to change his world, he will need to change his thinking and when you change your thinking, you change everything about you”.
By HENRY OKONKWO
Source: sunnewsonline.com/
Touching story of how Asa got her first recording deal
Growing up, Asa only had one friend; her guitar.
She carried it with her everywhere, plucked on it everywhere, escaped with it into her personal world, and created music. The art was her means of escape, and she chased it to the ends of the earth.
That art has paid off, and we have the mystery and performance juggernaut that we have now. But it wasn’t always like that. Asa had to go through the same route that most artists go through. That route involved sorrow, tears and pain. The emotions from that is what she has infused into her music.
A typical example of how these emotions fuel her music can be found in the story of how she got her first deal. The specifics of this story are not clear, but the singer shared some details during her ‘Asa Live In Lagos Encore’ concert which held on April 29, 2017 at the Eko Convention Center, Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.
The singer shared the touching story as an inspiration. Here it goes:
In 2006, Asa was a student in Paris. She was a regular student, with big dreams about using her music to go places and achieve. And then one day, she found an advert calling for talents to audition for a gig. She had prepared all her life for this, and showed up ready to kill the show with her talent.
But she was ignored. The original band members were rehearsing, and Asa was left to wait. She waited for the first hour, the second hour, the third hour and the fourth. The fifth came and left, and so did the sixth. But Asa persisted. She waited for a total of 10 hours just to audition.
She was tired, hungry, famished and exasperated. She was moved to tears, but held on. All she wanted was to perform.
“I was tired and hungry, and the emotions built up in me. They had completely forgotten about me. It was when they were packing up their equipment that they remembered me and called me to perform.” Asa said.
“I simply just poured all of that emotion into my audition and I got the slot to perform at the gig”she said.
On the day of the show, which was on a Thursday, Asa was given two minutes to perform. After honing her art ever since she was a child, it was a cakewalk. By the time she was done, 5 record labels were fighting for her signature.
She later signed to Naïve Records, and everything aligned until she released her critically acclaimed, multi-platinum selling, self-titled debut album “Asa”. That album is 10 years today.
In the end, everyone has their story. Great artists have a world of stories to share about their rise to stardom. And for Asa, these stories have created enough emotion to energize the music, and the fortitude to stay on the good path.
Source: Pulse.ng