BBC Radio 1Xtra hosts a number of inspiring ‘Take It On’ talks this week as part of the urban music station’s 1Xtra Live tour.

On hand to offer advice to hand picked audiences of young people from London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham would be the likes of American superstar Trey Songz, former X Factor contestant Misha B and Rudimental.

The outreach activity visited Manchester on Tuesday 13th November ahead of the second night of the 1Xtra Live tour that featured Grime MC Wiley, Misha B, Manchester singer Daley and drum 'n' bass star DJ Fresh performing alongside headliner Rita Ora.

‘Take It On Talks’ – Music, Business and Media

Former X Factor contestant and inspirational Mancunian Misha B talked about her journey to making it as a singer,

Go Get ‘em, No-one else can make it happen except you. she said

Don’t forget, Manchester does offer opportunity but there’s a whole world out there. It’s up to you to work towards making your dreams come true.

Misha’s radio plugger Mark Murfery and make-up artist Holly Silius also answered questions and explained more about their roles in helping make Misha a successful artist.

Local sportsmen including professional boxer Haroon Khan; Manchester United and England legend Rio Ferdinand; and Amir Khan’s Coach Tommy Battel also talked about their specialist field of sport, inspiring the budding sport stars in the audience to follow their dreams.

Also on hand to talk about how they achieved their dream in the entertainment industry was new Radio 1Xtra weekend breakfast DJ Yasmin Evans who made her national radio debut in September 2012, following her successful development through 1Xtra’s pilot scheme; and Nathan Retro, a music producer who worked with Dappy to create ‘Ying-Yang’ and ‘Tarzan’.

Thanks for the mention Amir!

RT @mcrgossip: Misha B, Rio Ferdinand and Haroon Khan inspire the next generation manchestergossip.com/music/14-novem… via @mcrgossip

— Amir Khan (@AmirKingKhan) December 6, 2012

Other local entrepreneurs also inspired the young Mancunian audience to make their own way in business including local business woman Hannah Nuttall, the CEO of Hannah Makes Things – designers of kitsch and unusual fashion jewellery, who have successfully sold their products to both ASOS AND ModCloth; Stef Loukes the CEO of The Unsigned Guide - a must have contacts database for unsigned bands, emerging song-writers, musicians, music managers and music students; and Monica Sawhney – Co-Owner of Spice Club, Manchester’s first supper club.

Among the 60 attendees and tipped for a bright future is urban artist A Me B (19),

I always end up leaving motivated, I love coming to these kinds of events, she said.

Testament to Amy’s commitment to ‘making it’ she's happy to attend these events on her own; to meet new people and reinforce industry connections. I wonder if she sees herself one day being a guest on stage - inspiring a generation.

Definitely, you just have to believe in yourself and remember it’s not just who you know but it’s also what you do with the contacts you have. Unity is important, being part of team of people is a great help.

Jamie Moralee, MD at New Era Global Sports Management and Rio Ferdinand’s agent told me:

Rio finds events of this nature very inspiring, that’s exactly why he’s here today, he wants to inspire kids from difficult backgrounds, he comes from a very urban town called Peckham, he had a tough upbringing, his mum had to have 3 jobs to support the family, Rio’s desire to make something of himself has helped him go on to be one of the best football defenders in the world.

The ‘Take It On’ talks are part of Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s commitment to encourage young people to get inspired and get involved to take on their future. These sessions follow on from the success of Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s Academy in Hackney this summer, which offered young people a host of master classes and practical sessions about working in creative industries and included talks from big named stars including Usher, Plan B and Leona Lewis about their journey to becoming huge musical stars.