“Just because you’re born in poverty doesn’t mean you are poverty.” – Ralf Schmitt
But Schmitt is not only responsible for the amazing performance of the Ndlovu choir.
He is also choirmaster at Hoërskool Rustenburg, the school responsible for that Bohemian Rhapsody video doing the rounds on social media.
He is also choirmaster at Roedean School, a private school for girls in Parktown, Johannesburg.
But he insists he’s not the X-factor – rather, it is the children of SA who have the spirit to speak to the global audience.
He said that despite working with three different choirs, he “doesn’t have much to juggle”.
“I like that they are all different; I get to experience different parts of SA. Although they are from different backgrounds, from a rural school to an Afrikaans school to a private school, the children are really all the same.
“Obviously they each have their own dynamics and special characters, but the more I work with diverse communities the more I see that we are really all the same.
“I learn more from the choir members than they do from me. “All of them are filled with such energy and passion.” – Ralf Schmitt
“People often ask how I teach people from poor backgrounds. I treat all singers the same. We all deal with our own stresses; for some it’s poverty, for one girl in the Roedean choir it’s the stress of trying to get into an Ivy League school. So I do my best to uplift and elevate every child,” he said.
“I didn’t excel in anything else,” he joked.
His wife Marguerite is also a musician and teacher.
“Margi is extremely supportive, and is the one who is alone with the kids while I get to travel the world. She always helps where she can. I am very lucky to have two beautiful boys, aged five and seven.”
Schmitt was doing the final preparations for the trip when Times Select spoke to him on Monday.
“You wouldn’t believe it, but I’m still busy finalising visas. The hardest part about this job is the logistics.
“But I have a wonderful team who help with everything.”
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Sebabatso Mosamo
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