Young music maestro excels at IEB
He is a fantastically talented musician, rugby player, nature lover and actor.
MBOMELA – His slender fingers interchange over the black and white keys with immaculate precision. It’s this talent that scored him an average of 92 per cent in the practical leg of this year’s Independent Examinations Board (IEB) exam.
This year Uplands College’s Tsavo Raath participated in the IEB exam for the first time. Two out of his three performances were graded 100 per cent.
“The examiner listened for a minute, graded me, put down his pen and just sat back and listened.
Ms Victoria Masasanya of the IEB says it happens quite often that learners score that high. “If you’re gifted, you’re gifted.”
Tsavo is a matric and the only one from his school who participated in the exam. He takes music as a subject and has been playing piano since he was six.
“I started with the violin but wasn’t smart enough for it so I started playing piano.” He will not continue with classical piano as he has become interested in jazz for a school concert and now he’s “hooked”. Tsavo even asked for a saxophone for his 18th birthday, which was on Thursday.
It has been a lifelong dream to partake in the Unisa exam and in October Tsavo made it a reality by passing his grade eight exams with honours. “This was probably the best memory of my music career, especially because it was a childhood dream that I completed.”
He can pick up and play almost any instrument but he is also an endowed actor and was sent to the Los Angeles Film Academy for a month where he was called “the next Heath Ledger”. However, next year he will study law specialising in media and entertainment at Stellenbosch University.
“The South African film industry is unreliable and the American industry is too hard to get into. I went to see a career counsellor and he said if I’m not a lawyer, he’s not a career counsellor. So I guess I’m becoming a lawyer, but at least I’ll still be in the entertainment industry.”
Ms Sophia de Jongh, Tsavo’s music teacher since he was six year, says he excels in everything he does and is an example in every way. “He is a brilliant musician, wonderfully mannered and a real teacher’s pet.”
De Jongh is not too heartbroken that her star student will not pursue a music career because, according to her, the South African music scene is not what it used to be. “At least I know he will never stop playing.”
Tsavo will complete the IEB exam today when he writes the theory section.
