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.

Taylor Akin, appeared on Show 363 on November 17, 2018 in Storrs, Connecticut.

Taylor Akin (bassoon) 17, attends Washington High School in Washington, Oklahoma. He studies bassoon with Professor Rod Ackmann at the University of Oklahoma. He has attended programs at Jacob’s School of Music at Indiana University, Tanglewood Institute at Boston University, the Bocal Majority Advanced Double Reed Institute at Pepperdine University, and performed at Carnegie Hall. He has been Principal Bassoonist of the OkMEA All-State Orchestra for two years and is currently the Principal Bassoonist for the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra. He has won the Midwest Double Reed Society Young Artist Competition, OMTA Music Competition, and several concerto competitions. One of his most memorable experiences was performing at the Scottish Rite Temple for the Oklahoma State superintendent at the Arts Excellence Banquet. Outside of music, Taylor likes to race half-scale dragsters and restore classic cars rescued from junkyards with his father. He is very involved with his church, tutors other kids in math, and is currently teaching the next generation of upcoming bassoonists at his school.