GUITAR-LOVER, Ethan Briggeman, recently had the honour of representing South Africa at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles recently.

The uMhlanga teenager was named the World Division Champion in the junior instrumental division for playing his original song.

He also won three gold medals and one silver and was given a pin for his blazer for making it to the semi-finals.

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CK: Tell us a bit about yourself and where your passion for the guitar started.
EB: My actual love for guitar began when I was about nine years old. Before that, I was just messing around and didn’t take it seriously. I also love athletics and travelling internationally with my family.

CK: What competitions have you competed in other than the latest one?
EB: My last competition was the South African Championships of Performing Arts which took place last year. I won the Grand Champion Award for instrumentals. I won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze. I also won the overall trophy which is the Grand Champion Instrumental Award. Outside of music, I have won two gold medals as a South African Judo champion.

CK: What other instruments do you play?
EB: For now, the electric guitar and a bit of piano.

CK: What do you enjoy about music?
EB: Music is my passion and my happy place. It really makes me feel whole, especially when I am playing.

CK: Do you write your own music?
EB: I did write my own song during lockdown which is called Change your Mind. The song is all about thinking positively. Life doesn’t have to always be about doom and gloom. My song is available for download on iTunes and Spotify.

CK: Who is your favorite musician?
EB: Definitely Lenny Kravitz because he does a variety of types of songs. His technical ability with solos is amazing, and he is an inspiration to me.

CK: Tell us about your experience in Los Angeles.
EB: My experience in LA was amazing; performing on a world stage was just an honour. I met lots of people from all over the world and from the South African team. The city was really busy where we were staying, but Hollywood was incredible. I learnt how to deal with disappointment because my eyes were set on being the junior grand champion of instrumentals, but it was still an honour to make it to the final showcase.

CK: How did you qualify for the championships?
EB: I first auditioned in KwaZulu-Natal and was chosen to take part in the South African Championships of Performing Arts (SACOPA). From there, I was chosen to be in the South African team at the world champs. We competed against 28 other nations.

CK: What’s the next competition that you’ll be entering, and what are you hoping to achieve?
EB: At the moment, I am taking a short break just to reset. A competition such as World Champs is a huge commitment and takes many, many hours of practising. I will be competing next year at SACOPA.