Music rules at EHS
150 eager pupils gracing the halls of the Empangeni High music centre every day
WITH 150 eager pupils gracing the halls of the Empangeni High music centre every day, it has been dubbed the largest centre offering music as an examination subject in KZN, and one feels and hears the buzz and vibrations from the walls upon entering.
‘We teach any instrument, ranging from saxophone, tuba, trumpet, clarinet to piano and singing; whatever the pupil wants to take,’ said music HOD René Pretorius.
‘But we draw the line at the string family. We are not experts and a violin being played wrong sounds really bad.’
When René arrived at the school 24 years ago, there were only 19 pupils taking music as a subject, but soon it grew in popularity.
Since it requires individual teaching for each pupil, it takes a big slice out of teachers’ time every day.
Another great influence in the music centre is singing coach, piano teacher and one of the founders of the Zululand Eisteddfod, Annamarie van der Merwe, who has been teaching music at EHS for 34 years.
She was joined by Lourette Upton, a French horn specialist and dedicated choir coach 10 years ago.
‘The pupils just love music.
‘Every year there are tears when we have to turn pupils away as we can only take in a certain number owing to the individual nature of the subject,’ says Van der Merwe.
‘The music centre is like a home to the pupils and often we have to force them to go home in the afternoons.’
The three dedicated teachers were joined at the beginning of last year by Renier de Bruin, a tuba player, as cultural organizer at EHS.
Much of the stress was taken off the teachers’ shoulders after his arrival, as he began assisting with arranging all the many events, festivals, external exams and concerts that forms part of the music centre’s activities.
‘With a marching band of 120 members, a choir of 95 members and a concert band of 50 members, is there anything else to aim for?’ asked Pretorius.
‘We always get good results from our pupils at the end of the year and in the external Trinity/UNISA exams, but if we can touch one child’s soul through music and give some purpose to their lives, we have done our duty.’
