Eric Niyonkuru, a student who enrolled into Kepler in 2019 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree, said that life events inspire him to write music. The student better known by his stage name, Ric Noir, broke into the music industry three years ago. 

Niyonkuru said he makes use of prioritization and scheduling tools to maintain a balance between his musical passion and academic career. 

He said that his educational experience at Kepler has helped him to gain entrepreneurship, communications, and technology skills, and believes that this is going to help him excel in his career and passion for music.

Niyonkuru said his time at Kepler is helping him to learn how to manage his art.

“Managing art, that is, knowing when and how to strike with my art, setting smart goals with my sound and directing it to the right audience is what I acquired from Kepler in a nutshell,” he said.

Even though he wants to follow his passion for music, Eric believes that acquiring a degree will help him to open new doors of opportunity.

“A degree through Kepler will unarguably help my art enter rooms it couldn’t get into without it,” he said

Niyonkuru’s musical expression cuts across genres. Whether it’s afro-pop, R&B, or funk influencing the sound, his self-assured personality and sharp songwriting tie the music together. 

Niyonkuru recently released a phenomenal EP and multiple singles that have revealed that he has a bright future in the music industry. 

“Sitting down and putting out my views on whatever subject I like in the form of music is the best thing I could ever ask for. I really enjoy the whole process,” he said.

Inspired by everyday life, Niyonkuru’s lyrics remain unabashedly honest and resist platitudes with each verse. 

“I’m mostly inspired by my life events but I’m slowly learning to get inspired by other complexities around me,” he said. 

You can stream Eric’s latest Ep here: Blacknificent