“Cole Blakely’s ability to tell an extremely thorough and emotional story through his own composition of various songs, along with expressive choreography, amazed me every time I stepped into the UBCO Beats’ rehearsals. It was always easy to see the dedication that Cole had when it came to creating something that everyone could connect to. The strong 5-part harmonies, to the subtle whispers in the background, you could tell that every single detail was included with intention. I’m very proud that I was part of such an amazing group, and I owe a lot of that to Cole’s passion for his art.”

- Taylor Soloy, Soloist/Alto, The Trill Seekers 2018-2020

“Cole is an absolute blast to work with. His passion and drive for music has been amazing to both experience and learn from. He has an amazing ability to take control of the stage, and bring your attention to him and the story he is sharing with you.”

- Logan Clarke, Trebled Acaholics Musical Director 2023/2024

“Cole’s leadership and organizational skills, which I witnessed during our time in our university a cappella group, highlight his remarkable talent in coordinating performances and engaging audiences effectively. His approachable nature and relatable sense of humour complement his approach to the art of performance, showing versatility as both a visionary leader and a loyal team player. Cole has always delivered great results, balancing his creativity with a practical execution in every project he is part of.”

- Jason Van Zyl, Trebled Acaholics Musical Director 2019/2020

“Working with Cole in a performance setting was truly enriching as both a performer and a creator every time. He is a tireless worker and has boundless creative energy. Working alongside him has been an honour and a pleasure. Much of my own creative work still takes cues and inspiration from his arrangements.”

- Bradley Mitchell, Basic Pitches Musical Director 2019/2020

“Cole is incredibly passionate, enthusiastic, and creative about his work. Cole has excellent communication and organization skills. It was effortless to collaborate with him on projects and performances - working with Cole was a great pleasure.”

- Himmet Singh and Geneviève Dubuc, Northwest Collective Co-Musical Directors 2021/2022

“Cole is an immensely talented, passionate, and dedicated person who puts his heart and soul into everything he does. His ideas and creations never fail to surprise me, and I am always excited to see what he does next.”

- Diba Bogzaran, Mezzo, The Trill Seekers 2018-2023

“Cole has been an inspiration to me and an incredible mentor. His knowledge of music and talent makes him stand out from his peers by a large margin. I met Cole in university and had the pleasure of experiencing his talent and being coached by him. He is charismatic and musically gifted as well as a great performer!”

- Saumya Johri Alto, The Trill Seekers 2018-2021

“Cole is a versatile and dynamic musician. He has a strong work ethic and is passionate about the projects he participates in. My experience of working with him was in 2019-2020, during which he composed and directed the setlist that won the best setlist award at the ICCA Quarterfinals, and demonstrated all the qualities above, plus strong team building and leadership skills. He is a pleasure to work with.”

- Sam Allcock, Tenor, The Trill Seekers 2019/2020

“Cole is creative, meticulous, and tenacious. He gets it done and supasses your expectations. If you want a genuine and ingenious professional, Cole is your man."

- Natasha Elliot, Former UBCO Beats President; Soprano, The Trill Seekers 2018-2023

“Cole isn’t your average leader - he’s a real motivator who knows how to connect with people through genuine words. His dedication and passion are truly special, driving him and his team to go the extra mile until they reach their goals. Beyond the enjoyable a cappella experiences, Cole would always put effort into organizing unique bonding activities, adding a creative touch to our environment and making it both fun and educational.

- Marina Ragimova, Alto, The Trill Seekers 2019/2020

“Cole’s outgoing personality makes him very easy and fun to work with. He shows up well prepared and his technical knowledge makes the whole process very smooth as he is able to effectively communicate his creative needs to our technical team.”

- Ludovic Lambert, Freelance Audio Engineer

“I worked with Cole on one of his original songs while we were audio engineering students. During our first pre-production meeting, he presented several concepts and immediately impressed me with his initiative, preparation, and professionalism. Over the course of the project, I observed his strong work ethic, his extensive creative and technical skills, and the high level of respect he treats his collaborators with. It was an excellent experience and I learned a lot from Cole’s process.”

- Hanni Shahatto, Intern at the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Engineering

“I had the pleasure of working with Cole Blakely on “The London Tapes” in July 2023. Cole’s meticulous preparation was evident well before the shoot. His proactive approach ensured that all equipment was sourced and in optimal condition, contributing significantly to the overall efficiency of the project. Beyond his technical proficiency, Cole’s ability to maintain a positive and collaborative environment on set was commendable. His approachability made him not only a valuable team member but also a resource for anyone with questions. The impact of Cole’s contributions was tangible, leading to a seamlessly executed shoot and ultimately enhancing the quality of the final product. Without hesitation, I would rate my experience working with Cole 5/5 and look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with him again.”

- Jakob Traynor, Freelance Audio Engineer

I can tell you from personal experience that Cole is a jack -of -all -trades artist whose dedication to storytelling through relatable lyrics and innovative melodies is unparalleled. His writing consistently weaves intricate narratives, shining light on some of the most specific, hard-to-put-words-to feelings of being a twenty something human in 2023. Though obviously a captivating performer, his charm and commitment to excellence extends well beyond the stage— his exploration of the creative process is often collaborative in nature, frequently showcasing both his project management expertise and ability to connect with teammates in a truly profound way. Cole is already well known in the arranging and audio recording community as one to watch out for - whether sculpting harmonies that season an already existing song or crafting his own story from scratch, his musical attention to detail is truly exceptional. His passion for his craft is infectious, inspiring everyone, myself included, to achieve the most true-to-vision product possible. Selfishly speaking, I would include him on every project of my own if I could - working with Cole has been one of the most inspiring professional relationships of my career.

- Hannah Flores, Award-Winning Musical Director, Furmata A Cappella 2018-2022

Having worked with Cole for the course of nearly 4 years, I can assure you that he is often one of the most hardworking people on any project. The tenacity with which he approaches his craft, while simultaneously creating a collaborative atmosphere allows him to enable all his his fellow artists to truly flourish and tap into their potential. He also constantly tries to experiment and push himself out of the comfort zone, but while maintaining a higher degree of quality. He is an all sense a fantastic artist, who isn’t afraid of taking risks, and is never afraid of going the extra mile.

- Raunak Fugro, Tenor, The Trill Seekers 2018-2020