Making it in the Music Business with Manny Ebokosia, True Cadence

Manny Ebokosia is a multi-genre and multilingual recording artist, songwriter, and the founder of music business social enterprise, True Cadence.

You can't push a natural born leader into working for someone else, he says. So True Cadence provides learning, mentoring and artistic development to young people from under-resourced communities.

Manny launched True Cadence when he realised plenty of programmes gave young people access to recording and music-making facilities – but there was little access to music-specific business skills development.

He tells Heidi how music was his own escape when growing up, but to really make it, people need to know how the industry works and develop those sector-specific entrepreneurial skills. That's where True Cadence can help.

Through its tailored music business training and engagement activities True Cadence supports people one note at a time.

Everyone connects to music differently, says Manny, and developing music business skills  has numerous positive outcomes for young people – for their mental health, self-worth, confidence and ability to contribute to the economy.

And the social enterprise has adapted to address 2020's lockdown restrictions. Its "Kidz Create" programme has helped children to virtually create and record songs during Covid-19.

Manny also describes how True Cadence seeks to grow its impact, why he sees Heidi as the "queen of impact" and his other future plans in this, the first episode of season three of the Make An Impact podcast – which will feature interviews with a range of young social entrepreneurs.