Casterbridge Music Development Academy is breeding new talent
The academy also has an updated curriculum that allows its students to learn anywhere with a tutor on hand online.
WHITE RIVER – The Casterbridge Music Development Academy (CMDA) aims to develop young talent, making them ready for the entertainment industry and teaching them skills that can ensure their sustainability in the industry.
It is also a platform for young artist to find themselves. The academy was started eight years ago by Micheal Matthews and Paul Bruce-Brand as their way of giving back to the greater Lowveld community.
The pair, later joined by Aggi de Aguiar opened hubs in Masoyi, Zwelisha, Hazyview, Kanyamazane and Kabokweni, amongst other places, where local children came to learn various musical instruments, including marimbas. “We found that there was a need, we knew that there was talent and wanted to give back to the community,” said De Aguiar, who is in charge of band development at the academy.
The talent was phenomenal, but the CMDA realized that the major problem the music industry is that young musicians may have musical skills but still battle to make a living once they embark on their careers. Thus the CMDA had to rethink their model and truly create an environment that gears musicians for success.
Operating solely from Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre’s Barnyard from the beginning of the year, they even went as far as changing their curriculum. “We have now gone digital,” said Karen Loots, the academy’s music program manager.
“Students now have the ability to ask questions online where a tutor, Vusi Singwane, responds to them allowing them to study anywhere,” she added. The updated curriculum allows students to get certified up to four levels, copper, bronze, silver and gold. Students at the academy are taught to write music, how to market and manage themselves or as a band.
They also learn to perform in front of crowds through their weekly performances on Wednesday nights at the Barnyard. This world-class show is open to the public and tickets are R100 and R50 for children under the age of 12 and starts from 18:30 until 20:00. “It gives the students an opportunity to make some money while getting exposure,” said Loots.
It also gears them for possible International exposure as the CMDA has strong links with overseas organizations. The students also sell merchandise on the day, once again exposing students to the real-life world of life as a musicians, where managers need to be paid and income needs to be derived from as many sources as possible. The exposure also allows the academy to get donors that assist in paying for the students’ tuition.
At the moment, it can pay up to 80% of the students’ tuition, whilst they have to pay for the rest. For further professional exposure, the academy will be sending one of its bands to the 300 year celebration of the New Orleans Culture Centre for Arts in July.
- To find out more about the Casterbridge Music Development Academy contact Karen Loots on 013-751-3135 or karen@mpuma-music.org.za , also follow CMDA (Mpuma music) on Facebook and Twitter.
