In this interview with The Voice Coach UK and founder of The Ultimate Gospel Singers Boot Camp, Uncle Ade, he highlights the importance of his latest music project.
The Ultimate Gospel Singers Boot Camp is a one week intensive training program designed to improve the singing technique and singing IQ of artistes at a very affordable rate.
Uncle Ade gives detailed information on the inspiration, affordability and impact of the forth coming event slated to hold in March, 2020.
Excerpts;
The Gospel singers boot camp, tell us more about it?
The Ultimate 1 Week Gospel Singer Boot Camp is 1 component of my Ultimate Training portfolio. Another part is the Ultimate 1 Day Gospel Music & Business Academy, which will follow on from the GSBC, and conclude the week of training at House of God, in Surulere.
But essentially the GSBC is an intensive program designed to give singers a detailed insight into the essential technical and practical elements that must be present, to help a singer achieve excellence in their craft.
Unlike the kind of information that students typically learn at university and college, my teaching approach, and therefore content, have been developed to ensure that my students experience ‘career defining training’!
What inspired such a project?
Initially my observations as a university lecturer in the UK, forced me to see how much music students suffer to pay off university fees, during and after study. And how little they get back, in terms of real value, and career development.
In the UK I started a scholarship scheme to help put students through university, and graduate debt free. And the more I saw the truth of student debt, the more I was moved to work for a change.
I strongly believe that there is no justification for a music student to be in full-time education for 3 years. Especially where that education has them sat in lecture theatres 5 days every week.
So I decided to design courses that helped to foster music, and music business excellence. And to a timescale that is a more honest reflection, of the interdependent manner in which Creatives learn.
My mission statement is “Career Defining Music Training, Without The Student Debt”.
Why gospel singers?
The Ultimate Training Series is not just a Gospel Music vision. I’m a business man first, and foremost, so I teach ‘all’ singers and music business practitioners, who want to be the best version of themselves.
However, my work in Gospel music is something I have an overwhelming calling for! God is undoubtedly leading my work in Nigeria right now. Our original plan was to run a secular camp and a Gospel camp. We started planning in October, with 2 venues for the secular camp and absolutely no start-point for the Gospel camps.
In December I sent out a group message to former clients, with some marketing messages. A customer of my Video Tutorials responded to that message with excitement. He was a 52yr old, who had learned to sing using my video tutorials. And in 4 years had recorded 2 albums, won awards, and was invited to sing around Africa. In turned out that he is a Head Music Pastor for an entire province of RCCG. His name is Pastor Tony Zino, and there and then he graciously offered me his venue for the Camp.
Out of 600 past customers who received that group message, it turns out that he was the only customer from Nigeria! He bought my tutorials 4 years ago, and we had up until that point NEVER had a conversation! God sewed that seed 4 years ago, amongst a field of 4000 plus clients, from all over the world. And at my hour of need, he pops up out of nowhere, and has the answer to my prayers!!!
The mathematical odds of that are unfathomable, and no imagination could have made such a prediction. It can only be by the power of the one and only Mighty God!
Pastor Zino has partnered me at every stage of the planning for the camp. And without his help and support this would not be possible.
We also wanted to stage camps in Abuja, but again since October were not able to manage to find a single venue to accommodate us. 2 days into our sponsored ad campaign, I received message of support from Pastor Sam Oye from Abuja. Within 24 hours he had offered us his church venue in Abuja, and we are now staging 2 Gospel Singers Boot Camps in April.
In all this time both of our venues for the secular camps have fallen through!
There is no greater indication to me that God is in control! This trip is all about Gospels Singers, because that is God’s will!
Who are your main target audience?
If you are a Gospel Singer using your voice to rejoice about the Glory of God, you are welcome to register for the Gospel Singers Boot Camp.
Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced! The program is structure in a manner that will give all levels greater insight, understanding and a solid foundation on which to develop their voice.
We do also welcome none Christian singers, because technically exactly the same principles apply. But be warned this space will be filled with the holy spirit, all week.
What are the participants expected to take home?
Valuable take-away’s are an essential component of the mission statement! The participants of the Gospel Singers Boot Camp will come away every day with invaluable insight into the singing techniques, tricks and tips of some of the best singers that have ever recorded.
They will also take-away a personalised roadmap for their own vocal development, and a daily regime to ensure they achieve in technique, through the right type of practice! VIP’s get Private Lessons, Stagecraft Classes, and Career Consultancy.
Those who attend the 1 Day Gospel Music & Business Academy will take-away a wealth of knowledge and insight into the business practices, and thought processes of some of the most successful practitioners in the African music industry!
Every Artist, Producer, Manager, Song-writer, DJ, PR person, Marketer etc will also walk away with a career development road map, that will help them plan the next 15 years of their career! VIPs get 6months of Career Consultancy!
And of course every attendee will walk away with new friends, new contacts, a bigger network, and of course a certificate of attendance or certificate of graduation.
How affordable is it?
We have tried to make this as affordable as possible, without it costing us money to deliver. The affordability factor for most musicians in Nigeria is pretty low. So we have added a VIP layer, which includes some excellent additional benefits like Private Vocal Lessons, Stagecraft Lessons, and Career Guidance.
And the extra revenues from VIP packages is being used to subsidize the fees for the standard package.
We also have a half scholarship scheme as well, to try and accommodate those that are really finding it difficult to engage.
RCCG have also pledged to subsidize attendance for some of the members of their own Praise & Worship teams, which is amazing!
I do have to point out thought, that it would be next to impossible to stage these camps, without the generosity of RCCG and TTC, in accommodating us. We are extremely blessed, and extremely grateful!
RCCG are also sponsoring some of their choir members for the camp. I am hoping we can get more churches to do the same.
I am also hoping we can encourage some successful artist to join our Scholarship Program by subsidising some places financially.
For further details, and registration go to: thevoicecoachuk.com/gsbclagos or
thevoicecoachuk.com/gsbcabuja
Someone had asked if children below 10 are invited. And you said no, what are your future plans for the children section?
I feel like I’m being stalked! LOL
I was very tempted to have a special under 18’s day during this camp. Unfortunately, the logistics wold not allow it. Also as the camp is day time, during the week, anyone under the age of 16 will be in school.
We do plan on coming back later in the year (during the summer holidays), to run a junior camp. After all, they represent the future of the church, and will sing for the soul of the earth. Real change will happen, in our future generations. So we wait on God!
Do you think the Nigerian gospel music industry is ready for this huge step?
The question is not whether Nigeria is ready for such a huge step. I believe Nigerian Gospel Music has been waiting to take this huge step. And God has positioned me in places, to learn the best practices, and now blessed me with the opportunity to contribute, and to direct future torch bearers in Gospel Music Ministry. He was making me ready for this huge step!
I have had the most unorthodox path to life as a music coach, and have achieved things with no real explanation of how they were possible, with such little formal guidance. But one thing I have learned is that God doesn’t call the qualified, but he surely qualifies the called!
He knew 56 years ago, before I was conceived, exactly where he needed me to be, what he needed me to experience, and what he needed me to learn. And he knew when the time came, that I would hear his voice, and answer his call!