In 2008, I enrolled at the Beau Soleil Music centre which which was predominantly white.

My music
started on trumpet and later moved to tuba. The school had good equipment, they had enough
music for any student of any instrument to audition for tertiary education. Academically I was
enrolled at a predominantly black and coloured school which had no music training opportunites to
due to being financially compromised. And at that time I was the only student that played an
instrument or had musical knowledge.After High school I was practically equipped to go to
university but theoreticalllyy was not due to the gap between between model C schools and the high
was in. So I enrolled in a programme called the certificate programme which is a bridgine course to
supplement my lack of of necessary academic and music literacy skills.

Feelings- Even though I went to a well equipped music centre, I could not escape feeling excluded. I
felt excluded as many people were from model C schools leading to the formation of cliques,
whereas I was the only one from my school. In a way I felt special because I was one of the few
students that played tuba and my teacher kept remind of the importance of tuba in ensembles and
its capabilities.

Evaluation- My music experience advanced quicker than one would expect from tuba, because I had
a tuba teacher that was also taught by a great brass pedagogue, Mr Sean Kierman who is currently
my practical lecturer. In the beginning the existence of music projects were foreign, and the only
places I thought one could get music tuition was in either a music centre or at a school that had a
music programme. And I only encountered the other means of music training informal and non-
formal during my tertiary studies.

Analysis- Back when I started at the music centre and experiencing all I have mentioned, not much
was going through my head but just feelings of exclusion and of course special. Looking back I was
quite privileged. I currently teach at a music project that has donated instruments and some of the
instrument are functional but not in great shape. There is also no music library, the music we use has
to sourced via our mother institution, Stellenbosch University. Teaching in a different environment
from the one I was taught in motivates me to deliver the same quality training that I received.

Conclusion- As a brass player, I have come to realise how important it is to get the basics right, from
embouchure, to being informed about repertoire, opportunities, and theoretical knowledge. I have
also come to realised even though you feel excluded at a young, sometimes it is the case and
sometimes its not. You just have to take a leap of faith and connect with other musicians which is
basically the reason why the music industry is alive.

Action plan – IN future, now that I know better and realise the importance of connecting, I would go
out of my shell and start connecting. Share the knowledge I have in a way that everyone from all
backgrounds can grasp. And make everyone feel welcome and included.