What a Music Director Does in a Nutshell w/ Kojo Samuel (Stormzy, AJ Tracey, Jessie J)

To those not familiar, a Music Director can be a puzzling role within the live music industry. In this video, we demystify what exactly a Music Director does with our returning guest, Kojo Samuel.

With an extraordinary musical heritage, Kojo Samuel was raised on music; his mother being legendary soul singer PP Arnold and his father being a bassist for Crosby, Stills & Nash. Kojo spent ten years producing, songwriting and remixing, as well as working on music for both TV and film. After returning to the UK, he toured with iconic UK pop group the Sugababes before becoming their Music Director. Since then, Kojo has worked consistently with chart-topping artists, created dynamic shows and performances worldwide and helping sell out international tours. Kojo has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including iconic UK acts such as Stormzy, AJ Tracey, Jess Glynne and Jessie J.

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In this video, Kojo breaks down what it means to be a Music Director for the live music industry. The end goal is to transform a recorded piece of music into a live piece of music specifically for performance. This can be challenging as the Music Director needs to adapt the music according to what the artist needs it for such as an award show, concert or even sporting events. It's their job to curate the songs and create edits in order for the artist's performance to flow smoothly from one song to another. He also talks about his experience managing the mental state of an artist and making sure they're in the right headspace to perform, as well as adapting sets to the limitations they may be facing.

In addition to this video, Kojo Samuel has also done a masterclass with our students at Point Blank. If you'd like to view the full video, check out our free masterclass archive on our website where you can stream the entire event.

Want in-depth insights into music production or DJing, singing, songwriting, music business and more? Then check out our London, Online and Los Angeles programmes. Plus, get 25% off selected London, Online and LA courses before our offer ends on 31st August with the codes: LONDON25, ONLINE25 and LA25.