Recording artist talks to students about his years working with the stars
Music students had the chance to ask industry experts all about the business when a legendary recording artist held a masterclass in the Black Country.
Dexter Wansel has many strings to his bow as a singer and composer and has worked with stars such as the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder.
So he was "overwhelmed" with the enthusiasm from music students when he hosted a masterclass at Resonance, a music institute in Dudley.
Dexter gave the students advice on the music industry alongside CEO of Digital Jukebox Records, Mark Anthony, and recording artist Damon Williams.
Mark Anthony said: "The students found it very informative, it really concerned them to hear about the state of the music industry.
"Dexter was overwhelmed, he was so happy to be speaking directly to students, he found it absolutely fantastic.
"We even went for lunch after the talk with some students and we even answered questions then."
Dexter was honourably discharged from the US army in 1970 and launched his music career by playing the keyboard and synthesiser.
He went on to have a star-studded career, co-producing the Jackson 5's 11th studio album and creating hits for recording artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, and Ariana Grande.
On top of that, Dexter was best friends with Stevie Wonder and his mother was best friends with Billie Holiday.
However, the music industry has evolved over the years, and Mark Anthony believes it is more of a minefield than ever before.
Mark added: "I loved the questions the kids asked and it's really important because the recording industry is a mess at the moment. The kids wanted to understand.
"Artists now are confined to social media, whereas back in the day we had vinyl, CD, and live performances. Now the kids are in a digital world and it's restrictive - if you're not popular, you won't get heard. And many skilled and talented musicians aren't being heard because they're not popular."
Dexter Wansel and Mark Anthony will host another talk and masterclass alongside Damon Williams at Wolverhampton University's Performance Hub in Walsall, at 11am on Tuesday.
