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SOUTH AFRICA’S MUSIC SCENE IS EXPLODING

South Africa is having a moment — not a quiet one, not a subtle one — a loud, bass-heavy, dance-floor-shaking moment. From global chart takeovers to genre-bending innovation, the country’s music scene has never been more electric, more creative, or more unstoppable than it is right now. In a world hungry for fresh sound, South […]

The Evolution of Artist Management: A Vital Role in Today’s Music Industry

Over the past decade, the role of artist managers has undergone a profound transformation, becoming more crucial than ever before in navigating the complexities of the modern music industry. In comparison to the previous century, where their importance was evident but perhaps less pronounced, today’s artist managers play a multifaceted role that extends far beyond […]

There’s only one way to learn how to be professional

There’s only one way to learn how to be professional. As much theory as we give our students, how to invoice a client, what your email address should be… it doesn’t become real until you put in some real-life experience. For example, our DJ students hand in perfect invoices. This only takes them half-way to […]

Timo ODV meets Rise

Rise was lucky enough to have a private QnA with Timo ODV last Saturday. Some of our students went through to spend time with him backstage before one of his events. Many of our students look up to Timo. Listening to how he set up and now runs his career gave them some insight into […]

U-PARTY resident DJs 2016

U-PARTY has just chosen the U-PARTY resident DJs for 2016. We’re very happy to congratulate Ray Squared, Tinks, and Theria on being chosen! Now that we’ve sat in on a discussion where an events company chooses the DJs they want to work with, we can tell you what they take into consideration. Here’s what people […]

What we’ve learnt about Entrepreneurship – Part 1

We’ve had over a hundred Gr 9 students set up businesses since the start of the year. A term later, we’ve asked them what this workshop has taught them about entrepreneurship. Being a small business owner and going through all the struggles of getting an idea off the ground has given them some amazing insights. […]

What we’ve learnt about Entrepreneurship – Part 2

We’ve had over a hundred Gr 9 students set up businesses since the start of the year. A term later, we’ve asked them what this workshop has taught them about entrepreneurship. One answer was that they learnt to have a new perspective on failure. It only took a few weeks for every small business to […]

What we’ve learnt about Entrepreneurship – Part 3

We’ve had over a hundred Gr 9 students set up businesses since the start of the year. A term later, we’ve asked them what this workshop has taught them about entrepreneurship. Being a small business owner teaches you that time really is of the essence. If you snooze you lose… A fair number of the […]

Why SA needs more young entrepreneurs

The weightiest of such a policy set has been the National Development Plan (NDP) released in late 2011. The NDP outlines the goals that SA would like to achieve by 2030 and then describes a policy combination that, if correctly followed, will steer the country towards our development goals. What I found most interesting about […]

Sibusiso (Breeze) Shezi

Lecturer

Breeze aka Zulu Bass King is a musician who brings years of experience in studio, on radio, and on the stage to Rise Academy.
He has had tracks played on major SA radio stations, multiple music nominations, and has performed at some of South Africa’s largest music events. He’s worked with a huge array of top artists such as Nasty C, Soweto Gospel Choir, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, just to mention a few.

He used to dance and play rugby competitively and loves to run fitness drills with our performance students to get them ready to pull off amazing stage routines.

CHAY COOK

DIGITAL

Chay is a Public Relations practitioner who manages all of the academy’s
communications. Her role combines an enthusiasm for social media, digital
marketing, and music.
She is also on hand to help students with their marketing and PR queries by
ensuring that her door is always open, and if students are lucky there might even be
some peppermint crisp tart up for grabs since her recipe is one of the best.

CHAY COOK

DIGITAL

Chay is a Public Relations practitioner who manages all of the academy’s
communications. Her role combines an enthusiasm for social media, digital
marketing, and music.
She is also on hand to help students with their marketing and PR queries by
ensuring that her door is always open, and if students are lucky there might even be
some peppermint crisp tart up for grabs since her recipe is one of the best.

JAMES VERKERK

LECTURER


James is a DJ who got his start at the age of 16. He brings his onstage energy and
enthusiasm for music to the Rise Academy classroom where he teaches students
everything they need to know about the art of DJing. He is a skilled sound engineer
with a background in recording, producing and mixing.
James also trained as a classical pianist and is an avid surfer.

CRAIG GREEN

CO-FOUNDER

With more than two decades of experience in event organising, planning and logistics, Craig knows the ins and outs of the music world. He brings an invaluable
network of industry contacts to the Rise Academy community.
In 1998, Craig began U-PARTY, an event production and management company assisting schools to raise funds through community events and socials. He holds a BComm degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and is a self- proclaimed lego aficionado.

SUE GREEN

CO-FOUNDER & MD

Sue brings her business acumen and passion for youth development to the academy, which she launched in 2015. She is a savvy consultant who is experienced in coordinating music events that attract young audiences.
Sue’s academic background in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) piqued her interest in business ethics — a subject she ended up teaching at UCT during the final year of her Honours degree. She also loves cats and practices Jiu-jitsu.

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