Singer/Songwriter Ola Onabulé, is one of the finest vocalists and contemporary artists of our time, and as a performer, he has gained worldwide critical acclaim as a singer, songwriter and producer,

He truly understands that the modern musician and artist is faced with many opportunities arising from the digital world and many challenges from these new frontiers. Creatives are required to be masters of social media platforms, become content creators and yet at the same time create music that is authentic and original. A very tall order indeed!

With diminishing revenue from the infrastructure that the music industry now relies upon, artists have to find a way to create unique careers that build year upon year. Invest in their live shows, their recordings, their songwriting and build tangible assets with their catalogue. If an artist is true to their original intentions and is willing to put their life and soul into their music then their live career remains the best way of creating a sustainable income. With the right vision, planning and team it is possible to build a long-lasting and fulfilling career.

To this end, university students, performance arts institutions, music colleges, jazz instrumentalists, vocalists and songwriters are the perfect target audience for Ola’s classes. The purpose of his masterclasses is to illustrate to artists and performers that there are many ways to have a career. To provide them with real examples of how it is possible to have ideals, dreams and goals that are less mainstream and more independent thinking.

Ola will discuss how to build a team around the artist - including a designer, a photographer, a social media person, an agent and a manager. In days gone by 'the team' would most certainly have included a record label plus a top lawyer and accountant. These may not feature at the top of a modern artist’s list now. However what was true then and is still true today is that the artist must have something to say in their music and have a sense of how they wish to say it.

Additionally, Ola can be accompanied by a pianist and describe his writing process and show the process of taking an idea through to the recording process and finally the performance in different settings - from a small band to a larger ensemble with two or three different bands performing alongside Ola. Moderated discussion with a student and faculty audience is also a popular option, focussing not just on Ola's music but on his cultural life journey, with one foot in the UK and the other in Africa.

Masterclasses can culminate in a concert performance at the end of the week in the theatre of the university with a big band or orchestra, featuring musicians studying at the university performing arrangements from Ola’s catalogue.

Over the years, Ola has forged an international career via his relentless program of recordings and concerts. Ola’s music has been synchronised to film, and arrangements of his songs have been performed all over the world with Big Bands, orchestras and choirs. Ola appears with quartets, quintets, large ensembles and sometimes even acapella. These wide-ranging live opportunities have introduced his music to audiences around the world who enjoy a wide range of genres including world, jazz, soul and even classical music lovers.