Kevin Olusola ’06 specializes in simultaneously beat-boxing and playing the cello, a talent which became a viral video and started his career with Pentatonix.
Kevin Olusola ’06, also known as K.O., is an American singer-songwriter and the beatboxer of the a capella group Pentatonix. The group recently performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; they have numerous accomplishments, including having released 11 albums, selling over two million records, and having over two billion views on YouTube.
Olusola joined Andover as a new Upper before attending Yale University for his undergraduate studies. During his time at Andover, Olusola participated in many musical programs including singing for the Yorkies, Andover’s all-male a capella group. Olusola discussed his journey into becoming a part of Pentatonix after graduating from Andover and finding opportunities to combine his love of cello and beatboxing.
“I was studying music because I absolutely loved it. Never thought I was going to make it a career, but… certain things happened in my path that led me here. In my Senior Spring Semester at Yale, I had a video that went viral of me playing cello and beatboxing at the same time, and my bandmates found me from that video,” said Olusola. “I got an opportunity to join what was being formed as Pentatonix for the TV show ‘The Sing-Off,’ and we won. Since then, we’ve had this really beautiful, illustrious career with multi-platinum albums and three Grammys.”
Olusola highlighted the evolution of Pentatonix’s goals throughout their career from a newly formed group to one of the most successful groups in a capella.
“In the beginning, our focus was trying to see how we can make the most innovative music that we could with our vocals. For all intents and purposes, we wanted to be a pop group that people knew out into the mainstream. I think we [accomplished] that. Now things have changed,” he said. “The goal is ‘how do we go into other verticals of the music industry that are exciting to us outside of putting out albums and touring… to make the Pentatonix magic have a more widespread reach?’” said Olusola.
This past February, Pentatonix were honored as the first a capella group to join the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Olusola highlighted the achievement as part of the group’s efforts in creating songs with touches of musicality and creativity that make Pentatonix unique.
“The Hollywood Star was such an unreal experience and opportunity because we still feel like we’re very young in our career… I think things have really changed. We went from just purely doing a cappella to now we’re actually interested in how [we] add instrumentation in a tasteful way that still elevates what people love about Pentatonix, which is our iconic vocals and our iconic harmonies,” said Olusola.
Though Olusola has gone on to become a part of one of the most well-known vocal groups of all time, he thinks back on his days at Andover as a critical part in helping him develop and understand his identity before applying it to music.
“I came in as a new Upper. Those were the formative years that truly made me into who I am and formed my idea of how I show up to challenges and obstacles…because if you really want to be the best that you can be, you don’t only bolster your strengths; you really bolster your weaknesses, and Andover gave me an opportunity to have the grit and the tenacity to desire that… I think that Andover gave me an opportunity to really realize the uniqueness that I have in music and pair it with all the other skills that I learned to really give myself a fighting chance to be the best that I can be every single day,” said Olusola.
Evan Curtin ’25, Co-Head of campus a cappella groups Yorkies and Keynotes, described how Olusola and his accomplishments with Pentatonix serve as an inspiration to a cappella singers at Andover, and how Olusola’s legacy opened his eyes to the diverse talents that each student has.
“I can really see the talent it takes to be not only a beatboxer but a part of the a cappella group [with] the blend and the harmony, and I think that’s required to create a beautiful piece and so I would say that would be my connection with Kevin. It’s really cool that he went to Andover and we get to share that piece of history. It really makes you wonder how much talent is at this school. It’s so inspiring, like there are so many other Kevins in the world, and… it really makes you think at this school kids aren’t just doing their classes and getting good grades, they’re actively doing other things like dancing, singing, or playing a sport,” said Curtin.
Olusola elaborated on Andover’s culture as one that challenges and helps students realize their potential. Reflecting on what he would have liked to know when he was a student at Andover, Olusola advised students to remember that everything they do is part of their personal journey of growth.
“I really miss the nurturing community that pairs nurture with development. What I mean by that is that the teachers will love you and challenge you to be at your best… That’s why you’re at Andover. That’s why you got admitted: because they see the world in you and they want to prepare you to be leaders of your generation. To have Mr. [Peter] Cirelli or at the time, my orchestra teacher, Mr. Thomas, they really challenged me musically, but it’s because they say ‘I can see something in you that you’re not seeing,’” said Olusola.
Olusola continued, “If I could tell an Andover student anything [it would be] that Andover, as beautiful as it is, it’s the start of a journey, and it doesn’t start and end there. For example, college admissions and all these other things that I’m not going to say are not important, they’re important, but it’s just the beginning of the journey.”
