Music runs through her veins

IGNITING the appreciation of Art, Zululand Eisteddfod founder and Empangeni High School music teacher, Annamarie van der Merwe, continues to showcase the work of talented youth.

Operating for 30 years, the Zululand Eisteddfod is a non-profit organisation and a cultural event for schools and studios across Zululand.

The brainchild of Annamarie, the Eisteddfod which runs during the months of July and August, is aimed at the development of various Arts and Culture disciplines and culminates in a Gala evening where the winners are crowned.

Passion

Born into a musically inclined family, the passion for music composition is deep-seated within her soul and this dynamic woman prides herself on the ability to share her talent with others.

‘I actually wanted to become a nurse and my father refused. He said I should not waste my talent, but instead pursue what makes me happy,’ said Annamarie.

‘Music is my calling, it is like breath to me – it just keeps me alive,’ she said.

UNISA awards

The University of South Africa (UNISA) has awarded Annamarie the ‘Best Music Theory’ teacher for 10 consecutive years. She has taught the top performing students who have been listed on the Honours Roll at UNISA for being the best in their respective sections, both practically and theoretically.

‘It is takes a lot of hard work getting my students through to each grade but it is so rewarding when they are honoured in this manner. They actually always have excellent marks,’ she said.

Travel dream

Annamarie is an alumnus of Empangeni High School. In 1980 she enrolled at the now University of the Free State to complete her Bachelor of Music Education (BMusEd) degree.

‘Music is my fixation; I could not see myself teaching anything else,’ she said.

A hopeless romantic at heart, Annamarie loves a good romantic novel to accompany the sounds of Antonio Vivaldi’s Baroque composition after a typically Italian dish of pasta.

‘Romance, music, pasta – it’s my dream to travel to Italy,’ she said.