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When Abisola Edun resigned from her well paying 9-5 job to pursue her love for music, not everyone could understand the decision, but that dream became a reality as she became one of the beneficiaries of the MTN Foundation Scholarship for the 2-year diploma at the MUSON School of Music which eventually to becoming one of the most outstanding students to graduate from her set but for her it was beyond the accolades, it was all about impact.
The voice major who registered for the two-year diploma programme started her journey in music as a means to teach members of her home choir how to properly sing. “I chose to learn music because I come from a sect where we don’t have many people that are musically literate. I kept seeing some things that I knew were not right, and I didn’t want to flow with the status quo. I wanted to get knowledge to teach them because I believe that they have a lot of talent that is untapped,” she told Netng during an exclusive interview with her on July 27, 2023.
Her passion for teaching, coupled with her love for her religious sect, led her down a path to success. Soon, the Computer Science graduate from the Federal University of Technology Abeokuta(FUNAAB) resigned from her 9-5 job as an office manager at an architectural firm to follow her dreams to study music in order to impart knowledge and most importantly perform as a performing artiste.
Abisola, who has been an ardent member of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church (C&S), Ayo Ni O, Surulere, had been part of the choir before she could even remember, and on her way to work every day, she drove past the place of her dreams. Until she eventually summoned the courage to apply for MUSON after researching about the institution, but why MUSON?
“MUSON was the only place in West Africa I could attend, and apparently there was a scholarship. Apart from that, MUSON has a reputation for good musical knowledge. It’s the only place I could attend at that time,” She said.
For years, MUSON has been creating an ecosystem where they have trained budding artistes while pushing them to the frontiers of the industry and teaching them all they need to know while rewarding them for their immense work. In collaboration with the MTN Foundation, up to 30 students receive scholarships yearly to complete their diploma course while getting monthly stipends to foot their bills as they attend the school.
A reward that students like Abisola feel incredibly grateful for. “I wasn’t expecting it, I was shocked, not that I didn’t work hard, but I didn’t think that I was going to get that award, and I got.” The award which does not only validate the talent and hard work these students have put into their craft, but it also to a great deal shows their commitment to their roles in the academic setting, and in this instance, Abisola was an acting exco serving as the Welfare Secretary in addition to her tasking voice major classes.
“It meant a lot to me that my effort has been rewarded, my integrity is not hidden, and the values that I possess are not hidden. It made me feel like I can continue on this path, I can do better,” she added. Not only did this award serve as a point of pride, but the scholarship in itself made Abisola feel seen as an artistes living in Lagos, Nigeria, and as a young Nigerian vying to make her dreams come true.
“If I could multiply that thank you, it will keep going on and on and on. They didn’t only invest in my musical career or my hunger for music they made me meet amazing people. There are some people that I met in MUSON apart from my classmates, also people that were before me, alumni, and even the teachers. There are some people that I’ve met because I had an opportunity to study at MUSON, all because of MTN. It has left a very big mark in my life, and until now I still hold them dear.”
Beyond the exposure a young child could get from her neighbours who exposed her to Western music and the influence of their family in general, considering the fact that they were all musicians in varied capacities, Abisola Edun had gone on to find artistic influences in vocal powerhouses like Styl-Plus, Westlife, Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Don Moen and more. At MUSON, she sharpened the skills she learnt over time as a music lover.
“I can’t put this in one word. MUSON is like a bundle of so many things. It was challenging, it was amazing, it was adventurous because it was a space that I had never been into. Classical space was a new space for me.” In between all that knowledge acquisition and new information, she discovered herself. “MUSON was a place of discovery, finding who I really was, what I really wanted to do with music. It was emotional, and at the same time, it was a moment of discovery for me. Apart from my musical progress, I discovered my true self because I was able to even work in capacities that were not academic – I was an exco – It made me discover my true nature, and it also made me see my weaknesses.”
In between performing the Cavalleria Rusticana, an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, and numerous recitals, Abisola made some of her unforgettable memories at the School of Music, singing classical tunes while infusing African element. She said, “Every time I stood on that stage was memorable for me because it was a point of delivery, you owe the audience a proper delivery, you can’t deliver less. Every time the audience showed excitement it was fulfilling for me.”
Like Abisola, other young music enthusiasts also stand a chance to benefit from the two-year Diploma in Music scholarship program by the MTN Foundation at the MUSON School of Music. Call for entries has commenced, and opportunities for young music enthusiasts to become well-rounded musicians who can qualify for direct entry into a university to fulfil the remaining requirements for an undergraduate music degree.
When we asked Abisola what’s next for her as an artistes she revealed that her conservative nature and mindset would seep into her music as she intends to do more operas, inspirational music and probably do some Broadway shows while impacting music enthusiasts willing to learn about her expertise.
For Abisola, the decision to leave her 9-5 was not one that she regretted. Despite the challenges and responsibilities she had, she believes that she was truly meant for the stage and the fact that she got to discover the evolution and the changes that come with music feels like a blessing for her. In her words, “Music will not run out of relevance.”
The post Abisola Edun: The Muson Graduand Who Quit Her 9-5 In An Architectural Firm For Music appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
