Two Fezeka Secondary School pupils are part of Cape Town Opera’s Youth Development and Education (YDE) Foundation Studio, which is celebrating its first birthday.
In August 2021, Madré Loubser, head of the YDE department initiated an expansion of its portfolio to create opportunities for the next generation of South African singers. With funding from the Western Cape Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, the YDE Foundation Studio was born starting with two pupils. This year there are seven participants in the programme and by November 2022 auditioning for next year’s intake will be well under way.
Loubser says the extra training afforded by this programme assists vocally gifted high school pupils between the ages of 14 and 18 to transition from childhood to adulthood.
She says the Foundation Studio helps to teach and develop vocal technique for young voices in a healthy manner especially considering that some may be going through changes.
“It’s a difficult time for them, especially the boys, as their voices are breaking; we also help them sort out their technique, and increase their confidence.”
A feature of this expanded version of the original YDE programme is the inclusion of music theory, keyboard studies, and aural training lessons.
As for this year’s intake, progress reports on the two Fezeka Secondary School Grade 11 trainees, Lilitha Nekhwevha and Siphosethu Makalima, from their teachers confirm the ongoing success of the programme as both are thriving.
According to Adrie van der Dussen, who teaches music theory, keyboard studies and aural training, “Lilitha and Siphosethu are by far the most conscientious students, and despite them being in Grade 11 their homework is always completed above and beyond expectations”.
Voice teacher Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi finds Lilitha “a very musical and intelligent young musician. Very comfortable when singing and confident. Siphosethu has a very sweet upper register, very shy, but once she gets something and you make her aware of it, she gains confidence and sings very well”.
Both students rely on tonic sol-fa (pedagogical technique for teaching sight-singing), for reading music at present, but are applying themselves for learning music quickly.
Loubser stresses the need for mother tongue education when coming to grips with music literacy. “It’s essential for learners to be trained by a professional who can speak the same language,” she said.
For this reason, Sipho Qabitole assists in all classes and is there to translate (should it be necessary), also serving as child-minder for the pupils.
Voice lessons are done at Fezeka Secondary School in Gugulethu and Harry Gwala Secondary School in Khayelitsha, while music theory, keyboard studies, and aural training lessons are conducted at the Artscape Theatre Centre.
According to Lesley Liddle, who heads Business Development at Cape Town Opera, the Foundation Studio aims to give high school pupils without a music literacy background the competency to enrol for a music course at university, thus bridging the gap between themselves and subject music learners, and enabling them to successfully secure a bursary.
One former student is 19-year-old tenor Iviwe Boms who now studies at the University of Cape Town, where his natural talent – honed by just five months of training at the Foundation Studio- has enabled him to study towards an Opera Diploma at the University of Cape Town’s Opera School. He is now halfway through his first year.
