Kronendal Music Academy (KMA) affords children the opportunity to explore the magic of music. KMA provides an opportunity for becoming a professional musician. KMA contributes to improving the fabric of our South African society by turning the creative potential of our residents into assets to reduce despair and build bridges.
info@kmahoutbay.org
Mission
Vision
All children develop their talents and confidence through access to music and musical instruments, developing dignity and self-worth and creating community cohesion.
Executive Board
Jackie Pollock
Chairperson
BAFA (UCT) 1987 (Honours Fine Art Degree majoring in History of Art and Studio Work Lithography) HDE (UCT) 1989 (High School Art Teacher); Adv. Cert. Counselling & Communication Skills: Coaching (SACAP) 2015; B Soc Sci Hons Psych (SACAP) 2016; Jackie believes in ‘paying it forward’ and lectured Leadership and Self Development at TSiBA for two and a half years. TSiBA is an NPO offering Business Degrees with a focus on encouraging entrepreneurial skills and providing mentorship for previously disadvantaged individuals.
Beccy Kellond
Vice-Chairperson
Beccy is a partner at Moonlighting Commercials (Pty) Ltd: a film production services company based in Cape Town that services the production of tv commercials for clients from all over the world. Born and raised in the UK, Beccy worked in marketing and branding in London for companies including United Airlines and Siegelgale before moving to South Africa in 2002. She currently resides in Hout Bay with her husband Richard and their two children.
Wade Audagnotti
Treasurer
Wade is an entrepreneur who primarily participates in the property sector. He has decades of experience in managing, developing and investing in South African commercial property. Furthermore he has on online retailer, selling furniture related products nationally. He also is a board member of various charities such as KMA.
Eloise Williams
Secretary
Eloise is a qualified corporate coach specialising in support to assignees from all over the world to overcome and manage cultural differences. She is also a qualified TEFL and TEFL Business English trainer. Previously worked as GM in various industries and started her career with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria with subsequent diplomatic postings to London and Tel Aviv. A University of Stellenbosch graduate Eloise has lived and worked as an expatriate in many countries over the past 20 years. She is passionate about education, language and communication and facilitating these across language and cultural barriers.
Staff
Dwyn Griesel
Founder & CEO
director@kmahoutbay.org
Ms Dwyn Griesel has some 28 years teaching experience. She has a Bachelor of Music Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Cape Town, majoring in Composition and Arrangement. Dwyn began KMA with her entire paternal inheritance in 2007 and has since received the Inyathelo Award for Philanthropy in The Arts as well as the Lions Club Louis Volks Humanitarian Award. She has studied many diverse disciplines such as proof reading, copy editing, aromatherapy and reflexology and is an avid lover of nature and animals.
Charmaine Groep
General Manager
generalmanager@kmahoutbay.org
Charmaine joined KMA in March 2016 and has extensive experience in senior administration. Charmaine oversees communications at KMA as well as general operations requirements, and is also PA to the Director.
Jenny Braaf
Administration Secretary
info@kmahoutbay.org
Jenny began working for KMA in 2011 as a supervisor for the funded pupils in the afternoons at a local church in her Hangberg community. When KMA moved to Oakburn in 2012 she joined the team as admin secretary and the friendly front of house face.
Andile Petelo
Property Manager
As a resident of Imizamu Yethu, Andile first got involved with KMA at James House Children’s Home in Hout Bay in 2011 where Andile supervised the practising and attendance of these sponsored pupils. In 2012 he joined the Academy fulltime. Andile is a highly respected member of his community and a much loved pastor in his church.
Shirley Dakuse
Household & Kitchen
Shirley lives in Imizamu Yethu and is an elder and preacher in her church and an active member of her community. Shirley is always smiling and caring and a surrogate mother to all the KMA children and staff.
Kenny Lulama Bini
Transport
Kenny has been driving for KMA for 3 years. He is a well-respected community leader in Imizamo Yethu and has been a key role-player in negotiations between the City of Cape Town and the IY community regarding housing and amenities development.
Teachers
Jono Prest
Head of Music; Brass and Jazz Band Teacher
Jono’s music career started at school playing in the Edujazz Big Band, the Marc De Kock Big Band, Rondebosch Boys’ High School Bands and SACS Big Band and he received 2 awards for his service to school and band. He was selected for the Standard Bank National Schools Big Band from 2011 to 2013, two years of which he played lead trumpet. Jono acquired his BMus Jazz Performance at UCT, whilst played in the UCT Big Band as well as the UCT Wind Band and Symphony Orchestra. A multi-instrumentalist (trumpet, violin, piano, guitar), Jono also studied brass teaching at a beginner level. Since 2015 he has taught composition through digital audio work stations for movie clip scoring, remixing or thematic composing at M:Tech online. He has been a band member for the Nomadic Orchestra, since 2014. The band has played on South Africa’s well known stages and music festivals,released 2 albums and toured extensively to Europe. He has been involved in tutoring High School Mathematics and Physical Science for projects such as Qolora Education Centre (Eastern Cape) and Spirit Foundation (Western Cape).
Abraham van den Berg
Guitar and Ukelele Teacher
Abe (“Laughing Abe”) is a music educator with a mechanical engineering background. After matriculating with 9 distinctions, he received a 1 year Murray & Roberts grant and a 3 year Sasol bursary – awarded out of 20000 applicants. He aims to nurture the love for music by using colours instead of symbols to help the children discover the patterns of sound within a musical context. Abe spent two and a half years travelling through North America, Europe and South America where he learned to speak Spanish and Portuguese and continued his own research (mathematics, art and music projects). He returned to South Africa and worked at the Centre of Proteomic and Genomic Research at UCT, investigating methods for representing genetic data through sound.
Aviwe Buwa
Violin Teacher
“Avi 2” as he is affectionately known at KMA, began his musical career with the Hout Bay Strings Project – an NGO specialising in orchestral strings education for Imizamu Yethu youth. He successfully completed his BMus performer’s diploma from UCT in 2015 and was a member of the National youth Orchestra from 2013 to 2015. He joined KMA in 2017. Besides teaching violin to out beginner pupils, he also serves as a supervisor to the practising pupils in the afternoons. He was recently chosen to participate in the CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF YOUTH AND YOUNG CONSTRUCTION OF CULTURE PROJECT – Funded by the European Erasmus Plus in partnership with the Artscape, taking place in Zambia, Cape Town and Toulouse.
David Leadbetter
Jazz Guitar and Piano Teacher
Multi-instrumentalist & well-known Cape Town Jazz vocalist, arranger & band leader, Dave Ledbetter is a musical wizard who has performed with South Africa’s top jazz musicians and across a number of genres. Dave has played various festivals including the Robben Island Millennium Concert 1999 / 2000 alongside Manu Dibango, Jimmy Dludlu, Sibongile Khumalo, Miriam Makeba, Ray Phiri and Robbie Jansen. He also played on The North Sea Jazz Festival 2000 with Jimmy Dludlu and C Bass Collective. He has recorded 2 albums, and has appeared on countless others as a sought-after session guitarist and pianist.
David Pinoit
Cello Teacher
David obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2012. He regularly performs at various festivals, including in France, Belgium and Switzerland: Festival de Chagny, Festival Au Fil de la Vouge, Music Festival in Voûte, Pablo Casals de Prades Festival, Contemporary Concerts at Montey Castle, Musée des Montey Historical instruments of Brussels. In 2006, he won the first prize for chamber music in the Avallon Trio Piano Competition.
David van Niekerk
Classical Guitar Teacher
David has a BMus (2012) in Western Classical Performance, Classical guitar and a Mmus (2017) by coursework, performance and thesis. His achievements include UCT's Dean's Merit List (2009, 2010 and 2011), a full scholarship to study Masters from the NRF (National Research Foundation), the Harry Crossley Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship (2015) and a UCT Masters Scholarship (2015).
Dizu Plaatjies
African instruments Teacher
Traditional music artist and cultural historian Dizu Zungula Mzikantu Plaatjies was born in Lusikisiki in Mpondoland. Since the formation of his group Amampondo in the 1970’s, he has travelled world-wide, sharing his cultural exchange ideas with great success. In 1997 Dizu returned to South Africa and began lecturing African dance and music at UCT. Dizu regards his work in communities, educational institutions and with many visiting scholars, as a challenge to the present and future government to respect and conserve the traditional heritage of the people; to see the world through the eyes of the people.
Emil Bruwer
Brass Teacher
Emil joined the South African Navy Band in January 2015, having previously taught and conducted fulltime at Collegiate Junior School for girls in Port Elizabeth for two years. He has extensive experience playing in both professional and amateur orchestras and ensembles, as well as teaching in numerous settings, as well as in conducting. He is passionate about community outreach work and received his B Mus [Cum laude] from Stellenbosch University in French horn performance, my other majors being chamber music and musicology.
Lorna Field
Piano Teacher
Lorna studied piano under Laura Searle at the SA College of Music, UCT, and received her BMus (H.D.E) in 1977. After graduating and studying voice for a further 4 years, she joined jazz vocal a cappella group Tangerine, and shared the stage at The Grahamstown Festival twice, the Artscape and Baxter Theatres, Oude Libertas Amphitheatre and live national television, among others. Currently, besides teaching at KMA, she is the accompanist for 2 choirs at Micklefield and the Senior Choir at the Grove Primary School in Claremont.
Lynne Donson
Cello Teacher
Lynne Donson started the cello in 2003 at the Beau Soleil Music Centre where she subsequently won the Matric Performers competition in 2012. She enrolled at the University of Cape Town in 2013 and started her studies under the guidance of Marian Lewin. She has participated in master classes with Julian Arp (Germany), Erich Oskar Huetter (Austria) and members of the Arianna String Quartet (United States of America). She also participated in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra workshop with the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Lynne is currently the principal cellist of the UCTSO and served as co-leader of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for the past 2 years. Lynne has participated in the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and she was the principal cellist of the National Youth Concert Orchestra for 3 years.
Morgan King
Woodwind Teacher
Cape Town based musician Morgan King was tutored in Violin, Viola, Clarinet and Saxophone and Flute through high school. He studied Jazz performance at UCT and started teaching music in 2006. He has taught at some of the top schools in the Western Cape. Morgan also has an extensive performance history playing for numerous bands and local artists and is also experienced in sound engineering and recording.
Ryan Kierman
Brass Teacher
As an ad hoc trombonist, Ryan has performed with the 37th International Viola Symposium Orchestra, the Con Spirito Symphony Orchestra, The Namibian Symphony Orchestra, Stellenbosch University Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Windworx, Free State Symphony Orchestra, Cape Philharmonic, Kwazulu Natal and Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestras. He has been active as a Chamber Musician performing in numerous brass quintet performances throughout the Western Cape and is a member of the T-bone Trombone Quartet. Ryan passed both his ATCL (2010) and LTCL (2011) in trombone with distinction and was the Brass Category Winner at the Muziq competition in 2011, 2012 2013 and 2014. In July 2013, he was the recipient of one of the 10 ambassadorial scholarships awarded to participants at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and travelled to New York in February 2014 to be mentored by Weston Sprott, 2nd trombone of the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
Sebastian Guile
Drum Kit Teacher
Sebastian obtained a distinction for his Trinity college performer’s certificate examination while still in matric. Sebastian graduated in 2009 with a B.Mus Education Studies degree, with distinctions in drum set and music education. Sebastian has taught both nationally and internationally, runs regular drum clinics and is a professional performer in his own right. His endorsements include Mapex drums and Zildjian cymbals and he has had a featured interview in the SA Drums and percussion magazine.
Shirley Sutherland
Voice
Shirley completed her matric at The National Arts School in Johannesburg and then graduated with a Diploma in Opera at The University of Cape Town. She continued with a National Higher Diploma in Opera (Cum Laude) at The Tswane University in Pretoria and has an Honours degree in Music Performance. A vibrant and charismatic performer with a dazzling soprano voice, Shirley has performed a wide variety of leading operatic and stage musical roles in South Africa, Germany and Sweden.
Stanislav Angelov
Accordion and Orchestra Teacher
Stanislav received numerous awards prior to 1985 and was accepted at The Academy of Music and Dance in Plovdiv-Bulgaria, where he studied Accordion with Prof. Peter Marinov and graduated with a degree in Accordion in 1991. Whilst teaching at the Constantine Preslavsky University in Shumen, Stanislav competed and performed in Bulgaria, France and Poland as a soloist or member of different ensembles orchestras. In 1992 he moved to Cape Town, where he now performs, records and teaches. Stanislav has recorded for the SABC as well as for many radio and TV adverts and has featured on many South African Artistes’ releases.
Our Stories
Lungi Chilli joined KMA in July 2011 a thirty-something young adult and already semi-proficient on electric bass, self-taught. By June 2012 he was a member of the KMA Jazz Band that went on tour to Germany for two weeks and that same year auditioned for a Jazz Studies Diploma at UCT. In January 2018 he became KMA’s first ever University Student Graduate and went on to cut his teaching teeth at KMA, whilst accompanying the KMA Jazz Band overseas a second time, to partake in the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues festival in July 2018. You will always be part of our foundation, Lungi
Sizwe Diphofa (name changed to protect her identity) joined KMA as a beginner Alto Horn player in 2017. A quiet and withdrawn young lady, we referred her to our social worker, who spent time building up a relationship with her. Through this process we gleaned from Sizwe that she had recently considered taking her own life which demanded we intervene with her single parent mum asap. Things subsequently improved exponentially at home and by November 2018 young Sizwe had shown outstanding talent on her second instrument, and won a KMA Award. Well done Sizwe!
Sinalo Mramba and Gemma Guenantin are both learners from Disa Primary in Hout Bay.
We are proud to announce that they have both been given bursaries to continue their high school studies at Groote Schuur High School in 2019 plus scholarships to continue their music studies in their top class music department.
Go Sinalo! Go Gemma!
