Michael Kiwanuka planned to teach guitar in schools because he didn’t think he’d ever land a record deal.
The 32-year-old British singer/songwriter always doubted whether he would fulfil his dream of being a recording artist and so he made alternative plans to make a living from his musical talent by instructing youngsters how to play the guitar.
Speaking on BBC Radio 2, Michael explained: "I was getting to grips with playing in bands, so I thought maybe I could play guitar for singers and then I could teach guitar in schools or in the evenings.
"That was my thing, but deep down I knew … I wanted to do my own music but it was never going to happen."
From his teenage years Michael knew that he wanted to make it is a professional musician but he had no idea how he would ultimately fulfil his ambition.
He said: "My ambition was to become a musician in whatever way possible. I knew from 13 years old that music is what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know how that could happen.
"When you say to people you want to be a musician it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s very hard,’ and it is."
The ‘Rolling’ singer released his third LP ‘Kiwanuka’ at the end of 2019 and he has been nominated for two BRIT Awards, Male Solo Artist and Album of the Year.
Despite his plaudits, Michael likes the fact he has not achieve mass notoriety and aims to stay out of the limelight.
Michael explained: "It’s a dream [to go unnoticed]. There was no master plan, it just happened.
"I find that if you just make your music and not worry about much else. You can go under the radar and have some amazing experiences, but at the same time you can chill out at the pub and no one bats an eyelid."
Michael Kiwanuka planned to be a guitar teacher
