Verity's Blog

Ask and it is given...

In August I spoke at the UCT Graduate School of Business – Women in Business Conference, and during my presentation I mentioned that as a result of starting the Lucky Packet Project I was made an ambassador of education for www.intec.edu.za and get to award R5000 bursaries to people I meet through my work. A couple of weeks back I received an email from an MBA student who had heard my speech and he sent through an application to study Textile Design. I was blown away by how much he has achieved already and as an MBA is hugely expensive, it felt right to help him further his studies even more so that he can go into the fashion industry when he graduates.

We met for coffee at Melissa's in GreenPoint where I handed over the bursary and it was awesome to meet someone who took the chance to ask for the support they need in reaching their dreams. I look forward to Zameer keeping me posted of how is course goes. It truly is a priveledge to be able to assist people in this way!

Love Is.... a girl & her piano

Some very rare footage of me actually playing the piano! Paul captured this of me laying down some piano ideas for "Love Is" and it looks like I am going to playing it on the album as well! This gives a good idea of the creative process we follow in the studio, but please excuse the poor sound quality of the clip - I promise it wont sound like this on your CD!

Thought for the week

Letting go does not mean losing,
It means setting free
Whatever holds you back.

                     

Verity

When a gut feeling pays off...

A few weeks back I was called back for the final auditions for a lead role in an MNET mini series. The character needed to be played at 19 and 40 years old, so they were looking for an actress they could age both ways. It was a juicy role and I had a lot of fun preparing for it.

While I was doing the scene for the 19 year old role, the character kept reminding me of Nina Milner– one of the girls who acted in Ella Blue with me. She is 19, very quirky and very talented. I walked out the audition having really enjoyed it but couldn't shake that they should see Nina for the role as well. I phoned her immediately and told her to phone her agent and see if they could get into the callback in Cape Town that afternoon (a very tricky thing to do)! They agreed to see her and she only had two hours to prepare her audition.

I completely forgot about it all until she phoned me to say that she got the role! I was in flood of tears I was so excited – it was mindblowing to know that my intuition had been so spot on! She will be shooting up in Jozi so is taking me out to dinner to celebrate and say thank you. I am stoked that I acted on a feeling and it worked out and that she will be able to continue to be a very busy and working actress with an incredibly bright future!

Just Do It...

While I was back in Cape Town for a break from recording I was invited by a  friend to join a group of people who were going to spend their Friday afternoon painting a primary school in Khayelitsha. The organisation JDI  (Just Do It) has various groups around South Africa where 10 or more friends meet monthly to raise money and then decide which causes/charities they will use it to make a difference for. The idea is to find out what an organisation needs and then provide that instead of just handing over money.

We ended up at St Michaels Church primary school where we bought paint and brushes and about 10 of us set about painting the various rooms. It is such rewarding work to see a grubby room be transformed and well worth the paint spattered all over our clothes and hair by the end of the day!

The highlight of the day was that the St Michaels Marimba Band put on impromptu  concert for all the sweaty painters, and the teachers brought out boerewors rolls and juice to thank us. I then got taken on a guided tour to see a small nursery school that they have also been helping to keep running, and it was so inspiring to see this brightly painted container that provides a place for children to be nurtured and cared for.

I can't remember when I felt more satisfied at the end of a long day and as we drove away I felt very clearly that this is how we are meant to serve one another. Not with handouts, but with our time and energy, because that is how we get to connect with fellow South Africans and make changing this country something we get to do together!

Just do it - make a difference!

Singing for my supper...

Stepping into the studio to lay down my vocals for the album was probably the first time I realised that I am actually really recording it. All of sudden it feels very final and real!

I have discovered that it is best for me to record late afternoon and into the evening and so have set about making the studio as cosy as possible for the experience. My sister in law has allowed me raid their house of candles and I have to say the mood in the vocal booth is very warm and inviting! I can only manage about two hours a day before my voice starts to give out on me, but am very happy with how everything is sounding.

Now to hear the songs on the radio...

Another studio by the sea..

On Thursday 18^th October Nelson and I headed off to record some additional keyboards for 'Shine' and “Careless' while I was in CT for the week.

We recorded at DreamSpace Studios with Wayne Joshua (Farenheit) dreamspacestudios@gmail.com  and had a great two hour session with him. The studio is in Clifton overlooking the sea and is stunning. It is cool to know that our two recording sessions in Cape Town have taken place overlooking each of the oceans! Another miracle in this journey and adding to the story that will be behind the music and album!

Thought for the week

Vision without action is a dream

Action without vision is a nightmare....

                          (Unknown)

15 Bursaries for young girls

A thank you from Shaheema from the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children in Mannenberg for the 15 Intec Bursaries for R5000 each that I was able to give them to award to young matriculants wanting to study further. It is awesome that these bursaries will give 15 more women the chance to follow their dreams and empower themselves!

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Time out...

After a very intense 10 days in Jozi I am home and soaking up the mountain and sunshine this week. It is great to be out in the world again and not holed up in studio day after day. I think going away from the album is great for gaining perspective and I have been driving around listening to the songs we have been working on and I am hearing them with new ears which is great. The amazing thing about life is that you can spend two years working towards something like this and then suddenly it is happening and it feels like something so normal. I have to keep pinching myself to remember the journey that has gotten me to this point and continue to marvel at the miracles that have shown up constantly along the way and can't help but wonder what is around the next corner...