Some men choose their craft; others are chosen by a sound older than their name. That is the case of a musical instrument technician. People call him the Horns Engineer but Adeyemi Adeola is not just a technician, he is a vessel of honour in the vineyard of God. He is a prophet of sound, fusing art with engineering, worship with workmanship. From escaping a cult initiation by divine interruption to becoming Nigeria’s foremost brass engineer, his story is a melody of survival, calling, and of course, the grace of Almighty.
I invite you to sit back, read slowly as we enter into the workshop of destiny because the story you’re about to encounter will challenge your definitions of music, purpose, and calling.
Q: Who is Pastor Adeyemi Adeola and how did “The Horns Engineer” begin? 
A: I studied automobile engineering because my father wished it, but music pulled me elsewhere. Eventually, I realized I could merge both worlds, that is, my engineering background and my love for brass instruments. Repairing horns suddenly became my second nature after some years on the instruments. That fusion birthed my identity that people know today; The Horns Engineer.
Q: When did your journey with instruments begin?
A: My journey started around 2009. After losing my mother, life became rough and I drifted. A cult group almost initiated me. But on the very day of the initiation, my uncle, an organist, called to teach me music. That lesson rescued my life. From keyboard to trumpet to sax, music became my escape and my direction.
Q: Why brass?
A: The saxophone gave me identity; the Boys’ Brigade gave me discipline. Brass instruments combined both the sound, the structure, and the sense of belonging.
Q: Did faith influence your path?
A: It didn’t start as faith; it started as survival. But as I ministered with the sax, God turned my hustle into a calling as I discovered myself in the Lord then, music became ministry.
Q: How do you define your calling, artist, engineer, or minister?
A: I am a minister. A prophet through using music as his rod unlike in the case of Moses. Engineering and artistry are tools in the assignment because even God loves the brass tunes..
Q: What does your regular day look like?
My mornings are for devotion and family. My workday is unpredictable; repairs, content, clients, emergencies. We are building the entire system from scratch, patiently. God is helping us
Q: What repairs are most common?
A: For brass: stuck valves, jammed slides, dents. For woodwinds, it is pad issues, misalignment, balancing and general overhaul.
Q: Why is maintenance important?
A: A well-maintained instrument is easier to play, lasts longer, and allows the musician to minister without struggle. Even the bible admonishes us to play with skill.
Q: Playing or repairing, which do you prefer?
A: Wow! Both are part parts of my ministry and they have great effects on my eventual output. Fixing an instrument feels like restoring someone’s ministry. It’s my own way of preaching and I meet a lot people through it and ministering directly to them becomes easier that one could have imagined. Playing on the other side is like pouring the grace of God upon me into people. You see why both are key.
Q: Your most complicated repair job?
A: None. I research, learn, and approach every job with confidence. Nothing is impossible with God.
Q: How do you merge faith and profession?
A: My ministry and craft are intertwined. I preach through my work, my content, and my service. Christ is my strength and the foundation of all I do.
Q: Do instruments minister spiritually?
A: Yes. The sax and trumpet shift atmospheres. Biblically, the trumpet was a weapon of war and a signal of divine moments. These instruments still carry spiritual authority. So also is the Piano and other musical instruments
Q: Any spiritual encounters while playing?
Yes. When I play the sax, I encounter God deeply. It’s my fastest doorway into His presence. I’ve had special encounters while playing instruments though not while fixing them. In fact, if I want to hear from God quickly or feel His presence, the first thing I do is pick up an instrument. Most times the saxophone. As I begin to play and shift my focus from just performing to using the sound as a means to connect with God, He always shows up. It becomes more than music; it becomes a divine experience.
Q: How do you mentor young technicians who are believers?
A: I mentor by example and with intentional teaching. What we do is beyond fixing instruments, we are called to be a tool to fix life. God uses the combination of our technical excellence with spiritual strength for His purpose. Spiritual and secular discipline plus constant learning will make a peculiar social media appearance that what we see every time. When they see their leading a balanced life then the message is well passed.
Q: What role do brass instruments play in worship?
A: Instruments like the trumpet and saxophone are voices and weapons; they announce victory and saturate worship with God’s kind of energy. I’ve personally seen atmospheres shift when the saxophone is played under God’s anointing. In worship, they are not just instruments, they can are tools to break spiritual barriers and announce divine moments
Q: What common mistakes do churches and musicians make with their instruments?
A: Poor maintenance, buying low-quality instruments, waiting for total breakdown, and not understanding the technical basics. Non acknowledgement of the fact that the purchased instruments are God’s tools and non-sensitive use has implications
Q: Your Advice to musicians who don’t understand the technical side?
A: Learn the basics. Emergencies happen. Technical knowledge will always save you.
Q: Maintenance vs anointing, how do they work together?
A: (Laughs) Both matter. God is not an author of confusion. A faulty instrument can hinder a powerful ministration. Impartation is made easy when excellence and anointing meet.
Q: Do you have instruments you dream of building?
A: Sure, I have two: the saxophone and the keyboard.
Q: What keeps you going when things get tough or business is down?
A: The vision. I want to build Africa’s biggest music hub, so help me God. Even without resources, I keep pushing because I trust the process.
Q: Your greatest inspirations spiritually and musically?
A: My General Overseer’s, (Pastor Joseph Oyeyemi Babatunde), passion for Christ helps in deepening my faith. The leadership style of Pastor Sam Adeyemi helps in clarifying my vision daily. Pastor Olakunle Shoriyan inspires me a great deal with his way of connecting powerfully with people.
This one will shock people; my greatest musical inspiration is Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1). Although we are of different faith, his creativity, consistency, and evolution over time has great influence on my creativity. He infused strings into Fuji music and he has constantly reinvented his sound. I see my creative drive in him a lot.
Q: Where do you see Where do you see the “Horns Engineer” brand in 5 years?
A: Africa’s biggest musical hub, manufacturing accessories, running an accredited music institute where musicians can earn diplomas, degrees, and even PhDs in specific instruments, hosting a global music podcast, and running an NGO that empowers the less privileged through music. That’s the future I see God’s grace.
Q: What legacy do you want to leave?
A: That Christian creatives can dominate globally without losing their faith. That Nigeria can build world-class instruments. That excellence and spirituality can coexist.
Q: If you had 60 seconds to speak into the life of a young Christian creative, what would you say?
A: Your creativity is intentional. Start where you are. Stay rooted. Let excellence guide you. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Build even when no one is watching. You’re not called to make noise; you’re called to make an impact.
In all, OpenLetter deduces from the words of Horns Engineer that faith doesn’t support mediocrity. For more inspiring posts , stay here with us.
