From the Top alum Kevin Olusola – beatboxer, cellist, & member of the Grammy-award winning Pentatonix – met 16-year-old Ifetayo Ali-Landing on the “Where Music Lives” series.
For today’s Daily Joy, we’re revisiting the time they “celloboxed” some Vivaldi.
Chicago, Illinois Ifetayo performed February 11th, 2018 on Show 349 in Boston, Massachusetts.
At 16, Ifetayo appeared on From the Top’s series Where Music Lives with Kevin Olusola. Check it out!
Her bio from 2018:
Ifetayo Ali-Landing (cello), 15, lives in Chicago, Illinois where she has studied at the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute and with Hans Jensen at Northwestern University School of Music. Ifetayo was the 2017 Sphinx Competition Junior Division First-Place Laureate and performed as soloist with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall in Detroit. She has also performed with the Wilmington (NC) Symphony, New World Symphony, and Detroit Symphony, and her favorite musical experience has been performing at the Gateways Music Festival in Rochester, New York. Ifetayo also enjoys fashion, computer coding, soccer, acting, and creating video content.
Owensboro, KY Kevin Olusola is best known as the beat boxer of the a cappella quintet Pentatonix. The three-time Grammy® Award-winning and multi-Platinum-selling group has sold more than 10 million albums and performed for fans at their sold-out shows across the globe. Their YouTube channel boasts 19 million subscribers and yields over 5.1 billion video views.
Kevin has performed at Carnegie Hall twice as a soloist on the cello and saxophone and has appeared on NPR’s From The Top. On March 10th 2015, Kevin released his first solo album, The Renegade EP, courtesy of RCA Records. The album debuted #1 on Billboard Traditional Classical and Classical Crossover charts, in addition to staying #1 on iTunes classical albums for weeks as it featured classically reimagined versions of popular songs like “All of Me,” and “Stay With Me,” as well as Kevin’s original composition “Renegade.” In 2020, Kevin released the “Don’t Let Me Misunderstood” EP which included his covers of “Time in A Bottle” (remixed by 5&Dime) and “True Colors” via RCA Records.
Kevin’s history with From the Top
Kevin Olusola appeared on NPR’s From the Top, Show 144, recorded in May 2006, at age 17.He was featured in From the Top videos: Beatboxing Bach with pianist Kadar Qian, and “Sugar” with violinist Kate Arndt.
He currently serves on From the Top’s Board of Directors.
Visit his website.
Music has the unique ability to bring joy to our lives – especially in the hands of young people. Daily Joy is a reminder of music’s power to uplift, inspire, and unite.
Daily Joy is a project of From the Top. It began in the very early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and continues today to offer a much-needed respite from the anxiety and worry that we encounter in the world.
From the Top is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the stories and artistry of young musicians through media and leadership programs. Learn more.
From the Top is grateful to the Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation for their generous support of Daily Joy.
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Daily Joy is a program of From the Top, an independent non-profit organization that relies on support from individuals. Your support will help ensure From the Top's work of celebrating the joy, talents, and stories of extraordinary young musicians.