9-year-old prodigy follows Andrea The Vocalist’s footsteps

DAMIEN Sithole, a nine-year-old prodigy with an undeniable love for music, has been captivating audiences with his talent and passion since his early childhood.

In an interview, Damien’s parents, Daniel and Henriettah Sithole, shared that their son’s affinity for music was evident from his early years. As a toddler, he would actively simulate the sounds and motions he felt, often banging objects and singing along.

“As early as Damien was a toddler, his love and passion for music had begun to show. As a baby, not only did he use his ‘gugugaga’ language, but he would also actively simulate the motion he was feeling. He would make noises by banging things while singing along,” said Sithole.

Recognising Damien’s passion for music, his parents decided to nurture his musical abilities. Despite financial constraints, they gifted him a keyboard on his 6th birthday, allowing him to explore his musical talents. Damien was thrilled with the present and eagerly began his musical journey.

“When he was late in his toddler years, he asked us to buy him a guitar. From his elementary child development, how could we say no? So we agreed to it but finances were not balancing. On his 6th birthday we gifted him with a keyboard instead. We decided he could start with the keyboard before the guitar. He was happy with his present,” said Damien’s mother.

With the keyboard in hand, Damien quickly familiarised himself with the instrument. His natural inclination towards music led him to independently identify the tonic sol-fa range, impressing his family.

“He was very happy and came to show me that he had identified the tonic sol-fa range by himself. His uncle, Parkinson Ntini, noticed the eagerness that his nephew had and took it upon himself to learn the basics by following some tutorials online. It improved his appreciation and they helped each other learn more things,” she said.

As Damien’s progress accelerated, it became apparent that self-teaching alone would not suffice. To further enhance his musical education, his parents enlisted the help of a childhood friend who is a music teacher.

“Before long, we could see that he was moving fast and waiting to self-teach wasn’t going to be good enough, we got a childhood friend of mine, Lungile Nhokwara, who is a music teacher to help out also.

“When he went for his first lesson, the teacher was impressed with the talent he possessed. He was a fast learner and they made progress with him.

Almost every time they met she would introduce another concept that he would master, building up on what they would have learnt,” said the proud mother.

Damien has been impressing his family and music teacher with his amazing talent. His love for gospel music became evident as he self-taught himself songs by following their rhythm and melody. Balancing his school work with his musical pursuits, he established a routine that allowed him to excel in both areas.

He dedicated himself to music lessons twice a week, gradually reducing it to once a week to accommodate his school commitments. He diligently practiced at home on weekends and occasionally during the week, ensuring he had ample time for homework.

With his commitment and talent, Damien is poised to make a significant impact in the music industry. Despite only participating in musical activities at his school and church thus far, he has found a deep appreciation for musicians and their craft. However, Damien faces a significant challenge in his musical journey. Due to his keyboard teacher’s busy schedule, he is currently unable to continue his keyboard lessons.

“The challenges are that we are now not able to do the keyboard lessons due to the teacher being occupied and has been just playing and upgrading his skill on what was taught,” said Sithole.

Despite the setback, the determined young musician has taken matters into his own hands, dedicating his time to playing and upgrading his skills based on what he was previously taught.