BY ADA
DIKE
Over 40 graduating students trained under MTN
Foundation-MUSON Music Scholars Programme performed at a concert, a night
before their 8th Graduation Ceremony at Agip Recital Hall of the Music Society
of Nigeria last Monday evening.
The concert, organized by MTN Foundation and the
Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON) which attracted people from all walks of life
was an avenue the students used to showcase their expertise in playing
different musical instruments such as; saxophone, piano, talking, pot, drum, trumpet, double bass and so on.
They thrilled the audience with classical music,
opera with their renditions in a mellifluous manner.
The concert reached its crescendo when about 44
cutely and stylishly dressed graduating students returned to the podium and
entertained guests with songs in both English and Nigerian languages such as; “Love
Changes Everything”, “Iran Lowo Mi” (My Helper) and ‘Teta’ (Wake up).
Speaking at the event, the Director, MUSON School of Music, Mrs. Marion Apata, extolled MTNF’s gesture at investing in the lives of the youth in Nigeria.
She described the graduating students’ performance
as ‘awesome’ and advised them to utilize the skills they have learnt from the
institution to make impact in people’s lives.
The Executive Secretary of MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny
Ugboma, in her speech said the scholarship under the MTN Foundation, the
corporate social investment vehicle of MTN, Nigeria’s leading information and
communications technology company, would continue to empower people in Nigeria
to be productive in their fields of endeavours. “In the last couple of years, MTNF/MUSON
Scholars programme which began in 2006 with the aim of giving opportunities and
support to students with talent in music but lack the financial capabilities to
achieved their goals has continued to empower young Nigerians. The foundation
will not relent in achieving its aim. This is one of the ways MTN is giving
back to its host communities,” she added.
Notable Nigerian singers performed
as guest artistes at the event. Sound Sultan performed one of his tracks, ‘Area’
followed by Nigerian music producer, singer and writer extraordinaire, Cobhams Asuquo, who mounted the
podium and commended the MTN Foundation for collaborating
with the MUSON School of Music to assist the students. He also charged the
graduating students to “Empower somebody to tell the story”.
The audience was thrown into frenzy when the Chief Executive Officer and Head of Productions of CAMP (Cobhams
Asuquo Music Productions) played a piano and in a
sonorous voice sang “You Raised Me Up”, a song originally composed by the duo Secret Garden, written by Secret Garden's Rolf Lovland
and the lyrics by Brendan Graham, but popularized by
the Irish band, Westlife.
Initiated to equip students with skills in music, over
200 students have benefitted from the MTNF/MUSON Music Scholarship Programme,
which covers tuition, books and so on.
The students were awarded with a MUSON Diploma in
music.
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