Arms and legs crossed, I wait patiently for Rhodes’ student classic pianist. Different kinds of people walk past. Is it him? I keep asking myself. In my mind there’s a picture of a hefty man, with broad shoulders and long fingers. Ten minutes later, I see two men approaching. One is casually dressed in a yellow T-shirt and navy blue track pants, and the other is a bit serious; that must be him! But the man in the yellow T-shirt stops in front of me.
Nah, he’s not serious or heavy enough to be a classic pianist.
“Hi, are you Siya?” It’s “Terence!” I mutter to myself as I reach for his hand to greet him.
I’ve just met Terence Marais, fourth year Music student. Marais has just returned from Israel.
“I’m sorry for being late … bad morning,” he grins.
“It’s alright.”
The pianist stretches his hand and makes eye contact. “I had a busy day yesterday; I cooked a special dinner for my girlfriend,” he says, “Everything had to be perfect, it was our anniversary.” His face lights up.
Terence Marais, the pianist. “Who is this person?” Born in Johannesburg, 22 year-old Marais started playing piano at the age of six. Marais did not take piano seriously then. “I took lessons for one year, after which I asked my mom if I could stop the lessons,” he says. “I guess I didn’t enjoy it at the time.”
He picked up on the lessons again when he was 11, up to high school. “As far as I can remember, I always wanted to be a performing artist.” Just like any other hard working student, Marais did well in other subjects, like maths and science. But music has always taken the front seat. In high school, Marais was a member of the choir. “Before I started playing piano, I used to be a voice soloist.” His dreams of becoming a singing musician were shattered when he voice became “scratchy”. Instead of seeing this as a tragedy; Marais saw a challenge. He started exploring the piano.
As he was determined to follow his childhood dream; Marais’ father did not understand his career choice. “My dad is a scientist, so it was natural for him to question my love for music.”
His father has not been the only one to question this young man’s passion for music. “People often give me that look; as if they are saying why music, when the world we live in is about economics, science etc.”
In his music career at Rhodes, Marais has shared the stage with some of the most celebrated piano teachers in the world of music. In April, he attended an International Piano Symposium in Stellenbosh University. This is where lecturers and piano students share ideas, and undergo extensive piano lectures. Marais’ reputation earned him a special award to attend Tel-Hai International Piano Master Classes held in Israel every year during August. “This was the best learning experience for me. It was not always rosy though; I had some bad experiences on stage, but it was worth it.” As much as Marais enjoyed the theory part of the classes; he also had a lot of fun putting all the theory into practice. Unfortunately his fun was spoilt when he forgot his notes while playing for an audience. “It was a bad performance, but I recovered quite soon,” he says, “The atmosphere was so good there was no time to sit around and moan. I had to get my grove back, and fast.”
Under his name, Marais has two complete compositions with a lot more “under construction”. On Sunday, he shared the stage with Catherine Foxcroft and the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra at the Feathermarket Centre in Port Elizabeth, playing music by South American Composer, Astor Piazolla.
For his fans, Marias promises nothing but the best of music in the coming year.
Fans can hear him perform in Grahamstown next month. Look out for details in Grocott’s Mail.
Siyasanga Hompashe is a Communications Graduate Trainee at Volkswagen of South Africa in Uitenhage. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, Postgraduate Certificate in Eduacation and a Barchelor of Arts, majoring in Music and English from the University of Fort Hare in Alice, South Africa. She has worked in the media as a reporter and a radio presenter. She has also worked as an Educator in East London in 2005.
Tags: Challenges, Music, Pianist, Piano, Terence Marais
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