It’s now 12 years since Esom School of Music was founded by award winning Entrepreneur and CEO Daniel Kiyega. It is also coming to 8 years since it was incorporated as a music school, shop for music instruments and recording studio as well.
The year 2018 has started on a high for the institution as its founder was one of the runner ups for the recently concluded Pakasa Entrepreneurs awards adding excitement to the mood at the institution as they plan their anniversary celebrations.
The anniversary celebrations will be held at the school later this month and some of the milestones that will be celebrated include the fact that the school’s alumni have surpassed over 500 students since its inception. Some of the school’s leading alumni, staff and students will also walk away with special accolades this time round as part of the celebrations.
Prominent among these is celebrated music Producer Bless and artiste Maro who have gone on to become big names in the industry after leaving the school.
The school’s courses have also increased from just piano and guitar while starting out in 2006 to include sound engineering, vocal training, deejaying, videography, sound production, vocal training, violin, key board to mention but a few.
Having started out with a single student, then two with in the first week of operation ESOM music school based on Rubaga road near former Pride Theatre currently boasts an enrollment of 300 students plus and the numbers are likely to rise even higher according to the Institute’s founder and CEO Daniel Kiyega.
Enter the band
As part of the celebrations for their anniversary this time round, ESOM School of music is going commercial with its band project that was launched in 2014. This is aimed at giving more room for talent with in the music school to shine but also talent from outside the school to take the band to a new level.
Previously the students would perform in their students band doing noncommercial gigs and the audiences always loved it so they would ask how much they charge and where they are located. This forced Kiyega and his management team at the school to set up a commercial band.Recruitments have been taking place externally to boost the band’s talent pool where it has been found wanting to ensure it comes out as one of the best.
The band will officially be launched any time from now and preparations are already under way for that too.
What makes it special?
The kind of music genres the band performs that include world music, afro jazz, inspirational, Ugandan contemporary and co temporal African fusion are some of the band’s unique strengths. All these are done live and well planned by a team with long time developed stage art.
These bands could benefit from band management software (Mike, for instance) or an agency that can put in place effective strategies and systems to attract the best talent and retain it, thus getting maximum value out of it.
That being said, the band of ESOM School of music, apart from having a good marketing and management team, also plans on recording their own original compilations of music that set them apart from the competition.
Keeping high standards, good time management, effective communication, integrity and transparency will ensure the band keeps delivering to the expectations of audiences and stand the taste of time as well.
The band will be performing at several top hangouts regularly around Kampala and negotiations on the details are still being concluded with these venues after which a comprehensive list of which places you can find the band will be released.