- ‘My genuine desire is to pass on the skill that others have passed on to me’
- ‘I am currently in studio and we are 70% done’
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Local songbird, Samantha Mogwe has kickstarted her commercial voice coaching for the year, a concept she started to help people reach their highest potential in terms of singing. She says her genuine desire is to pass on the skills that others passed on to her and to pass on knowledge that she had to learn for herself over time.
“I wanted to also show people that music does way more than improve your singing voice; that these lessons can transcend beyond stage performance; that they can also help in careers that are quite different to music. You find that your confidence goes up, your posture improves, your breathing improves, and you learn to channel your nerves whenever need be,” she tells Time Out.
Asked if singing was not a natural talent, the Transitions hit-maker said singing is a natural talent but can also be taught to a certain degree. First, she said, a voice coach does not miraculously give you a gift in singing, but what they do is give the appropriate tools to improve one’s singing, vocal style and performance by focusing on different aspects used in singing such as breathing techniques, posture and performance science among others.
“You can teach someone how to learn to be less nasal, you can teach someone who has issues regarding tone placement to correct that problem. It’s all based on the exercises you give them and their dedication to work harder than the naturally gifted,” she stated.
Mogwe says there is a market for commercial voice coaching services which she offers at a fee of P150 per lesson for an hour. She says based on the number of people who are interested, there is definitely a market in Botswana. “Because people have been asking me to refer them to voice coaches or give lessons for years I had to choose to block out my Saturday mornings out for lessons, which means I can only take 5 students at a time,” she says.
She began coaching last year and says students she worked with are quite happy with the lessons. She says she has seen improvements in many areas of their lives, not just singing as the lessons have boosted their confidence, their knowledge of self as well as in public speaking.
When quizzed about releasing music any time soon, the R&B singer said she is currently in studio and they are 70% done. “I will be releasing new music this year. Unfortunately, that is all I can say as some things have not been signed on paper yet,” she opined.