Today we’d like to introduce you to Kofi Boakye. Him and his team share his story with us below.
Kofi R. Boakye is a 21-year-old Emmy-Nominated pianist born in Akron, Ohio. Kofi has gathered musical experience from myriad venues across the United States. At the age of 15, Kofi was accepted into the University of Akron School of Music’s Jazz Program, making him the youngest African-American pianist to ever be accepted into a collegiate-level jazz program at the UA. While music remains at the core, Kofi’s accolade extends beyond the big stage. In 2014, President Barack Obama and the White House awarded Kofi with the “President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence”. In 2018, Kofi joined the ranks of Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, R&B songstresses Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and American Actress Jada Pinkett-Smith in winning the Silver medal in the NAACP ACT-SO National Competition; making him the first person from Akron to ever win. In 2019, Kofi received an Emmy Nomination for his film “Kofi: Made In Akron”, a short-film documentary created in co-production with Pritt Entertainment Group. Currently, Kofi is a newly minted graduate of the University of Akron and now attends Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Growing up in my hometown of Akron, OH, I was always in the search for a passion. I tried a number of activities like karate, baseball, tennis, etc…you name it, I did it. But music ended up being the thing for me. Ultimately, I was able to start at the age of 8 and never looked back.
I remember my first piano lesson. I HATED it. It was a big group class with a bunch of small five years old kid in there. At the end of the class, I looked over at my mother and told her “I don’t think this is gonna be the thing for me”. Right when I was about to leave the room, the piano Instructor (Tricia Thomson of the Ohio Conservatory) pulled me aside to talk to me. She glanced at my hands looked up at me and told me something I’d never heard someone tell me before —“Kofi, I see something in you.” She was adamant that music was for me. From that moment on, I committed to music. Instead of the group lessons, we took private lessons. Within months, I went from beginner’s music books to advanced music books.
Simply put, music saved my life. It was something that I always gravitated to no matter the mood I was in. Most importantly, It connected me to myself during a time when I needed it most. Growing up in the inner cities of Akron, OH in a single-parent household with a father that left out my life at age eight and told me and my two older brothers (Kwame Boakye & Andre Bland) that we wouldn’t amount to anything and be homeless; music kept me focused and determined to not be a product of the negative environment I was in.
In my teen years, I took music very seriously. It was my way out. As I progressed in music, I reached goals within four years of what I initially thought would take 40 (because it usually does!). I always remember sitting in class in my middle school (Miller South School for Visual & Performing Arts) daydreaming about the idea of playing with an orchestra, headlining my own show in big theaters in my hometown and always having my dreams shot down by others who didn’t believe I could do it. But I never stopped persevering.
Subsequently, it’s lead me to where I am right now—being a 2nd-year student at Berklee College of Music, a finalist in “Showtime At The Apollo” (2019), winning an award from President Obama & The White House (2014) and garnering an Emmy Nomination for a documentary that I produced (2019). I’d say music has been pretty good if you ask me.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Well God, firstly. Without Him, I wouldn’t be doing any of this. But ultimately, the accolades must go to my mother (Carolyn Bland-Boakye). The sacrifices she made early on to ensure the successes of not only myself but my older brothers as well is something that is too great and valuable to be overlooked. If it wasn’t for those sacrifices, we wouldn’t be doing this interview right now.
Mama if you’re reading this, thank you for everything. I hope I continue to make you proud! Love you always.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KofiBMusic.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kofibmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KofiBMusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kofibmusic
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/KofiBoakyeTV
Image Credit:
Shane Wynn Photography, Wilder Lens Photography, LSqaured Photography, Noir Creative
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