Cape Town pianist, songwriter and vocalist offering vocal & piano lessons, for adults and children.

Find out more about Vanessa

• When did you develop an interest in music?

  I was 8 years old and was going through my dad's music collection. I came across a cassette (yes it's old) and put it in the player. When the music started, it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. At the time, I did not know it, but it was Tschaikovsky's first piano concerto. I was hooked. I sat there listening to it until I had to flip the tape and continue listening. My most cherished instrument is piano as I've spent years and years dedicating myself to mastering this instrument. But I love singing and the oboe just as much.

• Is there a particular type of music or an artist that you could happily listen to on a loop?

  here are so many that comes to mind, Tom Waits, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachel Price, the list goes on and on

• Explain to us the most difficult or 'riveting' lesson you could personally give to one of your students.

  I would probably ask you to dig deep and connect with your vulnerabilities to get you to open up to the music and begin to make music in a much more authentic way than you ever thought you could.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  Each instrument has its own difficulties for varying reasons but I think the piano, the oboe, and quite possibly, the French Horn are three of the most difficult instruments. For brevity, I'll focus on the piano only: You have to read music both vertically and horizontally, then you have to transpose what you are singing to a horizontal plane (the keyboard) while sometimes having to jump hands in different directions while holding phrases and honouring the harmonic structure of these phrases. In short, playing piano is like multitasking, level BOSS.

• What are your keys to success (aside from do re mi fa sol ...)?

  Dedication to growing within yourself as a person and the understanding that this translates into your music and music making. Daily practise, however little and last, but not least, a holistic, humanistic approach to music making and instrumental learning.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting, and explain why.

  If she were still alive, cellist, Jacqueline du Pré. There is something about her personality and how she made music that makes me want to sit down with her and ask her so, so many questions about her life and learn about what made her who she was. I have watched countless documentaries and interviews and I am just so enamored with her and her artistry.

• Could you share an anecdote related to your musical journey or your student days?

  This might not sound so riveting but here goes. I was quite a goody two shoes, wants to do everything right, type of student. So I attended all my classes, did the homework, and practiced as much as I could, sometimes 5 to 8 hours a day. However, one night, my friends and I decided to go out to a local restaurant that turns into a bar after 10 pm. We had dinner, drinks and had loads of fun. We had class the next day but were having so much fun, we decided to walk around campus just taking it all in. We came across a burst pipe between the journalism and psychology buildings, and in the middle of the night, decided to run through it. We laughed, got soaking wet, and did not even care to look at the time. Unfortunately, it was already almost time to "wake up" for class. Being the dedicated students we were, we all went home, freshened up, and went to our first class of the day, aural training. We were all tired but it was worth it because we loved what we were studying and we all had each other. I cannot remember how the rest of the day went, but it is one of my most cherished memories of my university days.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I am genuinely interested in you as a person. My belief is that I cannot teach you properly if I do not know or at least understand you and your goals, dreams or desires, at least on some level. Relationship is key in music making. My goal is to build an open and honest teacher-student relationship where you feel safe to explore the difficult stuff because thats the only way that we grow.