THE Reality of Our Music is a music conference, otherwise known as a knowledge transfer session aimed at enlightening gospel music artists on different aspects of the music business, like branding, songwriting, music publishing, the use of social media, etc. It was hosted on the 16th of April by PITA at the Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Speakers at the conference shared their experiences and insight on areas of life and how it affects ministry. The CEO of Inspiro Consulting, Jimi Tewe, who is also the Senior Pastor of KingsWord International Church Lekki, talked about Social Media as a tool for music ministry.
Pastor Mildred Okonkwo, wife of the Senior Pastor of David’s Christian Centre, Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo, talked to the participants about the value of marriage and family in music ministry. She stressed on the importance of marrying the right person, stating that one’s money and ministry is tied to who they marry. She also encourages music ministers to develop themselves so as to attract the right kind of people.
Adebola Williams, popularly known as Debola Lagos is the co-launcher of Red Media. He is also one of the brains behind Future Awards, YNaija Magazine and Rubbing Minds TV Talk Show. He spoke at length during the conference about the value of PR in the music industry. He expressed the need to remain humble and cultivate goodwill with other media practitioners as a PR advantage.
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Wale Adenuga, who gave the gospel world such songs as “Today O, “Ka bi o si” is the Pastor of Jubilee Christian Centre, a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos, Nigeria. He taught the audience on Music Publishing, Copyright and Finance.
Timi Dakolo is now known for much more than being the winner of the first Idols West Africa Competition in 2007. He is currently a judge on The Voice Nigeria, and with an impressive music career, has gone on to become a certificate songwriter from the prestigious Berkeley School of Music USA. He talked about The Stage, Singing and Songwriting at The Reality of Our Music Conference.
The attendees include some very notable individuals in the gospel music industry Patricia Uwaje-King of Midnight Crew, Asuquo Cobhams, Nikki Laoye, Olaitan Dada, Babs Carpenters, Joe Praise, Nathaniel Bassey, David Nkennor, Okey Sokey, Tosin Martins, Rotimi Akinfenwa, amongst a whole lot of others. Everyone who attended got a chance to network with others in the industry, including producers, journalists, songwriters as well as other gospel music artists. It was a refreshing time, and a lot of people went home with a CD of another gospel music artists work, as Pita bought a number of CD from the artists who brought their CDs and shared them to other artists, in a bid to help the networking experience amongst artists in the ministry.