What’s all
that noise?
Venture down Sani street on a weekday afternoon and you may hear the sounds of Ma Brrr, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Purcell, Michael Jackson, fanfares, umxhentso, dubstep, Bob Marley, Jonas Gwangwa… or something else you’ve never heard before. Trombones, marimbas, bass guitar… piano, voices, cellos, drums… shouts, whispers, booms, clicks, screams… it’s the sound of young people working, playing; the singing of beating hearts and the creaking of expanding minds. Access Music Project (AMP) is an Eastern Cape music education centre connecting young people with their creative identities and opportunities in the creative economy, in partnership with local schools. AMP was established in response to the problem of young potential musicians not having access to music studies. In many schools music is not an option for study, and arts in general have little priority. AMP’s model is that of a centre where human and physical resources are pooled to serve learners from various under-resourced schools, enabling the creation of a well-equipped, diverse and high quality music programme. Engagement with arts provides a space in which children can explore those parts of their selves that cannot be understood through words, and develop critical and alternative ways of thinking and expression. The opportunity to study music formally can open up another world of pathways for children who are talented and aspiring musicians.
The 2019 AMP Newsletter is out! Please share widely - let's see if we can get Facebook likes from the whole world!
Print-quality version at accessmusic.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/AMP_Newsletter_2017.pdf
Thank-you all for your truly fantastic support over this year! Wishing you a restful Festive Season with time to relax and be at peace.
The fundraiser at The Acoustic Café was absolutely brilliant! Julian Arenzon and Chanel did a spectacular job and raised over R3000 for AMP's immediate needs!
AMP Director, Gareth Walwyn, thanked everyone there and repeated our appeal for our current campaigns. In particular, we continue to request support for our MySchool and Backabuddy campaigns. (see accessmusic.org.za/myschool and www.backabuddy.co.za/donate/charity/amp)
Let's keep the fire burning - we have only until the end of the year to collect another 38 signatures for MySchool cards. Come on, AMP supporters! It won't cost you anything, but it'll get AMP into a nation-wide fundraising campaign. We need your help, please!
David, Susan Heyns Powers, Sean Bryan, David Fuller, Jayson Flanagan, Jobst Bodenstein
Is is possible to get the photos from this event ?
Thanks a lot Julian, Chanel and Others for your act of kindness and contributing to the kids in Joza receiving music tuition
Michaela Karabo Van Blerk Robert Pienaar
We're so grateful to Julian, Chanel and The Acoustic Café for putting together tonight's show. It's going to be brilliant!
If you're in Grahamstown, please attend to support AMP. Don't forget our Christmas season drive (see previous post). We still need more signatures for the MySchool campaign. Many thanks to the few that have already signed up!!
Christmas season drive: www.facebook.com/ampjoza/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARBRR7gVdRvHy5bkXxMygrHV49O23SZAQ-b2lU3TyuxNyivq0...
Would you consider extending your giving spirit this season to help AMP? This time, I'm talking to YOU. This message is not a news broadcast, it's a personal appeal.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness in the air, and Christmas just around the corner, AMP is asking our followers to consider giving us much-needed support at a time of great need. You wouldn't be buying something for yourself: you'd be ensuring that AMP continues to deliver the highest quality education to our students. It would be an investment in transformation through education, and a lovely alternative way to spend at this time of year when so much attention is focused on material goods.
2019 has been a very hard year for our project and we need good folk to believe in us and assist us to complete the year and get set up for 2020. Some of our community has assisted us generously, and we are grateful for each one's help, but we need others to donate - every small amount can help. Even heavy rain falls in little drops.
If you would like to donate, even a small amount, please do so via our campaign at www.backabuddy.co.za/charity/profile/amp
If you would like to help, but don't have any money to give, you can still help us by getting a MySchool card. See accessmusic.org.za/myschool/ This doesn't cost anything (yes, price=zero), and over time will help AMP to establish another income stream.
If you want to donate AND get a MySchool card, that would be even more fantastic!
And, of course, you should re-share this post! (That is a little kindness that you should ALWAYS consider regarding posts from AMP. We need subscribers and re-shares.)
At AMP, we believe that the work we do represents the intentions of a society that wants transformative change, to heal the damaged world we've inherited. We are aware that not everyone can actually do the work on the ground, but that many people want the work to be done. If you want to help but are unable to commit your careers to do so, then please respond to our appeal and commit a little help in another form!
Wishing you all the best from everyone at AMP!
Gareth Walwyn, Project Director of AMP
A few years ago, AMP became heavily involved in the process of tearing down the bureaucratic obstacles preventing a highly talented musician from gaining access to the South African College of Music (SACM) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). After two years of dedicated effort, involving the entire AMP staff and about 30 volunteers in both Makhanda and Cape Town, Lonwabo Diba Mafani was eventually admitted as a full student with financial assistance. Since then, he has made a massive success at the university, excelling at his studies and amazing the faculty.
Join us now as we congratulate Lonwabo on his incredible journey to this important moment tomorrow, and if you are in Cape Town: don't miss the show! Congratulations - this is a massive achievement, umfo wethu! We are so proud of your hard work and we are privileged to know you.
Martin Poole, Candice Egan, Matthieu Maralack, Nicole Germiquet, Elijah Moleseng Madiba, Sebastian Noah Jamieson, Sethu Twani, Richard Poole, Corinne Knowles, Sylvester Appollis, Oyisa Ralo
AMP is so grateful to Julian, our drum teacher for putting together a benefit concert!
Click here to learn more: https://facebook.com/events/604446703426784/
Don’t forget about Sunflow Events and Chanel Louise Music!
Do you live in Makhanda, and shop at Woolworths, Wallaces Pharmacy or the Engen Convenience Store?
If so, consider signing up for a MySchool card. It's free, and each time you shop at one of these stores, the store will donate some funds to AMP, at no cost to you!
Read more here: accessmusic.org.za/myschool
AMP needs to sign up 50 MySchool Supporters by mid-December in order to become a full beneficiary of the MySchool Programme. Please support us by signing up!
MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet - Access Music Project
accessmusic.org.za
AMP's End-of-Year concert makes Grocott's Mail front page!
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If you would like to support AMP, please consider making a donation to our crowd-funding campaign: www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/amplify-us
You can also support AMP through the MySchool Programme - to find our more, see accessmusic.org.za/myschool
AMP's End-of-Year concert, held at Nombulelo Senior Secondary School, was a roaring success. Many thanks for the allowing us to use the school hall! It's all thanks to the dedication of both teachers and learners; to the funding, contributions and donations; to the support of music lovers that the event went so well.
The foundation marimba bands from Archie Mbolekwa Primary and from Samuel Ntsiko Primary School played for the arrival of the guests, with some hot dancing! Thereafter, the main programme began, featuring soloists from AMP's instrumental programme who played a variety of musical styles from Classical music, through jazz and musical theatre to contemporary music, including some excellent and surprising improvisation! There was great variety in instrumentation and we heard solo work on strings, woodwinds, brass, vocals and piano. In the second half, AMP ensembles performed, including the AMP vocal ensemble, AMP string ensemble and AMP big band.
These beautiful photos were taken by Chris Walwyn and Jobst Bodenstein - thank-you so much for your brilliant work!
Our special thanks, in addition to the above, go to the National Arts Festival Makhanda, Kevin Henry from the St Andrew's print unit, Elijah Moleseng Madiba, Sebastian Noah Jamieson, Shaan Forster, Corinne Knowles, Susan Kunju and Jason 'jay' Speckman.
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If you would like to support AMP, please consider making a donation to our crowd-funding campaign: www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/amplify-us
You can also support AMP through the MySchool Programme - to find our more, see accessmusic.org.za/myschool
AMP staff and students were sad to hear of the passing of Khanyisile Melanie Mboya this week. Khanyisile worked with AMP in 2018 and brought so much to our organisation and our learners. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. May she rest in peace.
Mel was one of the most amazing people I had the opportunity of meeting at Rhodes. We had the most awesome conversations in res😢 it hurts to know that a person of her sincerity and intellect, who treated people with such love has now gone 💔 Rest In Peace Mel
Myself and Kayleigh Venish went to pay our respects to Mel's mom, she had already left for Nqamakwe (Mel's home) the funeral is this Saturday (according to her mom's employers)
This feels so unreal and unbelievable! Melanie was indeed one of my star students...and a real trooper for Interact.!!!! She left a mark wherever she has gone. RIP Melanie gone but not forgotten!
This is too sad for words! One of the most stunning girls I've ever taught in my years of teaching! BEAUTIFUL inside out! This is heart breaking news, Mel, but at least I know that you're dancing with Jesus on the streets of gold! ♥
😭 RIP Mel , can’t believe this 💔
Melanie always put her All into whatever she did and was so proud of her achievements, so everyone was proud with her. What went wrong?
No!! This is tragic news 😞
This is devistating! May you rest peacefully dear one, and celebrate your life with Jesus up in heaven. 🌹💔
This is devastating. Khanyi worked with us on the book We are No Longer at Ease and made a great contribution. This is really sad.
Oh no😔 what a lovely girl. RIP Mel💔 love and light to her family
This is so sad. Melanie was an exceptional student who made the best of all the opportunities that came her way. I just can't believe this.
What? Oh my word! My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, during this time ❤️❤️
what!!! noo! oh my word Melanie RIP. Condolences to the family and friends 💔
So sad! She was such a lovely pupil. I still have a beautiful poem she wrote to me. May her soul rest in peace😥
What no what? This can’t be true 😭💔 I’m so broken and confused right now
😣😢 What is happening in this world? Rest in Peace ❤
No! I can't believe it! Devastated 💔💔
Can someone please tell us what happend. Im so shocked. She was one of my favourite students.
I can't belive this.. Rest in peace Mel 😭😭
I cannot believe what I am reading.. I'm so shocked... so sad.. may ur beautiful soul rest in peace Mel..
Heartbroken. Sending my condolences to the family❤
This is so sad. May she rest in peace. It's hard to believe
Oh no!!! That's so sad! What's happen to her?
Devastating! Rest gentle Mel!
Nooo. Rest in peace Khanyi