Emmanuel Agbo (BUS ‘19) was not initially so passionate about music. Now, however, he is on a love journey with musical instrument, the clarinet. Emmanuel talks about his music journey as well as its challenges in this interview with Ochuwa Edioye (ECO ’19).
Did his parents support his passion at the beginning? Does he plan to be a full-time artiste? Let’s find out.
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Agbo Emmanuel. I’m a Business Administration graduate from Augustine University, Ilara. I live in Lagos, Nigeria.
At what age did you realize you were in love with music?
Sincerely speaking, while growing up I never fancied music. Ican vividly remember my siblings blasting music from the speakers all day long, so I had no other alternative but to listen. This cycle continued until I turned 16. When I attended a Christmas carol in my church, Holy Cross Cathedral, it was in that very moment I fell in love with music.
Why the clarinet?
I was drawn to the clarinet at the Christmas carol. On that day, I was fortunate to witness a full orchestra playing, and to my amazement I saw someone playing the clarinet; I had never seen a clarinet prior to that day. I was dumbstruck with the unique sound the clarinet produced. I guess you can say it was love at first sound (laughs).
What is the story behind the name “Emmycheez?”
The story behind the name isn’t so noteworthy. My friends in secondary school coined the name to boost my chances of getting girls, silly right?
Growing up, was your family supportive of your passion for music?
Growing up in an African household with African parents, Nigerian to be precise, it wasn’t inconceivable that most parents will not support such profession. Surprisingly, that’s not my story. My family gave me their unwavering support under a condition that I acquire a bachelor’s degree in a relevant course, which I am proud to say I did. My sister, Blessing, got me my very first clarinet.
Who are the artists that inspire you?
There are a lot of amazing artists that inspire me, but to keep this interview short, I will name a few. Abiona Babajide, Eddie Daniels, Evan Christopher, Damola a.k.a. Demola the Violinist, Kenny G inspire me a lot.
You recently started sharing your clarinet covers for different songs via social media. What made you realize it was time to share your talent with the rest of the world?
I decided to embark on this journey when I noticed that asides classical and jazz music, which the clarinet is mostly used for, I have never heard other genres of music being played with the clarinet. So, I took it upon myself to try out other genres and to pass a message across that it is possible with a clarinet.
Do you plan on being a full-time instrumentalist?
I will be lying to you if I say I am not considering it, but for now it is just a side hustle.
As a young instrumentalist, what are the challenges you’ve encountered so far?
There are countless challenges associated with being an instrumentalist. My personal hurdles are trying to balance work with music, finding a location to rehearse without disturbing others, and most importantly the “HUNGER” after rehearsing (laughs).
What’s that advice that has stuck with you and helped you on your journey so far?
The best advice I have gotten so far was given to me by both my peers, and mentors. They always kept saying and I quote “EMMANUEL, NEVER STOP PLAYING NO MATTER WHAT”.
Music aside, what other thing are you passionate about?
Sports- football to be precise. It has always been my lifelong dream to play football professionally.
What are your social media handles so we can keep up with you?
Instagram: @emmycheez_clarinet
Business account (IG): @Trilling_surprise
Tiktok: @emmycheez_clarinet
YouTube: @emmycheez_clarinet
Facebook: @emmycheez_clarinet