Creating art to heal
BRIXTON – Aspiring musician shares how his greatest tragedies have helped him create something beautiful.
With a strong belief that music can bring people together and potentially save the world, aspirant musician Victor Tau, who goes by the stage name ‘Vicky Steamboat’, hopes his music will light the way in times of darkness.
No stranger to tragedy himself, his first life-changing experience was the loss of his father in 2010, just a few months before his 10th birthday. “I had no idea on how to deal with the grief, so I started writing songs and poems about it but I was bullied for this, so I started acting out and getting into a lot of fights, but I always had my academics to keep me focused.”
Nine years later, he would face more pain as his girlfriend committed suicide – an act he couldn’t wrap his head around as she was always the one motivating him and encouraging him to stay focused. It would be in the same year that his mother would pass away too.
After these deaths, he got addicted to drugs such as crystal meth, codeine syrup and the occasional abuse of pills.
Now a fourth-year student at the University of Johannesburg, studying toward a Bachelor’s degree in Education and majoring in history and psychology, along with a deep need to inspire people through his music, he plans on becoming an educational psychologist and a life orientation teacher.
“I want to help learners who are struggling with mental health issues, both in and outside of school, as I was once in their shoes and nobody stepped in to help me.”
The Brixton resident explained that creating art, whether it be music, writing short stories or poems, helped him overcome his biggest challenges. He has gravitated toward hip-hop and R&B because, as he put it, of all the genres he believes that these two provide the most artistic freedom and depth.
“The majority of my songs address my struggles, whether it be my battle with drugs or me grappling with loss or the fact that I always failed in most of my relations because of my anxiety and attachment issues.”
From his music, he hopes people take away that it is never too late to change your path in life to create something beautiful out of your tragedy.
