The Music Business Academy for Africa resumed for its third module on the 6th of August and brought an end to it on the 14th of August 2022. This module is in partnership with Music Managers Forum, UK. In the words of the academy’s students, this has been one of the most interesting modules so far. Module three, titled Management and A&R/Music Development had its first two classes in the previous week. It focused on artistic management and roles of managers and A&Rs. Sounds pretty interesting doesn’t it? You can read up on the highlights here.
The final two classes (three and four) wrapped up module three with some exciting guests. Let’s look at some of the highlights.
Highlights from Class Three: Talent Discovery, Assessment and Development.
The faculty guests for this class were:
- Preye Crooks – A & R, Sony Music and Co-founder of Strawberries and Cream Festival.
- Hakeem Stevens – Founder AAA Seminars/USM Media Group & Music Business Lecturer at UWL.
More details were given on how special the work of an A & R is… seeing the vision of an artist even when there is no apparent vision. This was just one of the tips among so much more. Additionally, another detail the class focused on was having an artistic assessment and development plan as this is the bedrock for an artist’s success. If you are an aspiring A&R, this is definitely one module you need to be a part of.
This class expanded on how artist discovery doesn’t just stop at discovering the artist. There are so many things that go on behind the scenes to make an artist that is known and loved by his fan base. Ever wondered about the workings behind discovering talents? After they are discovered, how should they be assessed in a way that leads to their development and the maximum optimization of their talent? This class answered those questions and more.
Highlights From Class Four: Artistic Identity and Establishing a Core Audience.
The faculty guests for this class were:
- Nikita Chauhan – Founder of TranslateNC, a Talent Management and Strategic Marketing Hub.
- Kwame Kwaten – MD, Ferocious Talent Company, Artiste Manager, Music Consultant.
- Gilbert A-Q Bani – Founder and Leading Partner, The ConnectHead.
With the moderator as Kimberly Kaunda – A & R Consultant for Nvak Collective.
This class was about developing the identity of an artist in a way that builds an audience that will fall in love with and follow the artist as a brand in its entirety. Another take away from the class was in changing and developing the identity of the artist from time to time, but maintaining a brand promise that the fan base will always love.
In addition to that, a genuine fan base will always be more valuable than faked numbers. The students were taught that establishing a core audience cannot be overemphasised. Without an audience, there would be no artist.
While this brought module three to a close, the program is still on with five more modules to go. You can still register here to catch up and join the MBA for Africa wave.
When you register for the program, you will still have access to all the previous classes and live sessions you missed. MBA is here to give you the full experience. Still in doubt of how impactful these classes have been? You can hear it from some of the students themselves.
You can download the complete MBA for Africa Curriculum here as well.
The MBA for Africa 2022 Program is in partnership with Creative Industries Initiative for Africa & Music Ally, and is officially sponsored by YouTube Music.
Catch up with more exciting news on The Music Business Academy for Africa here.