Issue 10 - Sarah Thawer - October 2019

Marguerite
Swart
By Warren van Wyk
Photography provided by:
Marguerite Swart
How did you get into music?
Growing up in a musical family
there was no doubt that I
would end up playing some kind of
musical instrument. I always used to
lean with my ear against the speakers
and listen specifically to the drums in a
song. I used to make beats and rhythms
with my mouth so my dad figured “this
one is going to be the drummer.” So,
he bought me my first drum kit for my
tenth birthday (whoo hoo) and my siblings
and I formed the band Buckle Up
that later became Roots Of Youth.
Which local and international drummers
influence you?
Internationally Thomas Lang, Jojo Mayer,
Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Dave Weckl,
Simon Phillips, Aaron Spears, Tony
Royster Jr and many more. Locally I’d
have to say my drum teachers Andrew
Rheeder and Neill Ettridge, and Phillip
Botha, Riaan van Rensburg (percussion)
and Darren Petersen, to mention
a few of my friends.
Do you play any other instruments?
Drums and percussion is my thing.
Did you take lessons, or did you teach
yourself?
I took lessons with Andrew Rheeder
from age 11 to 18 and completed the
Rock School Grade 8 drumming examination.
I then went to study further
at COPA and obtained my NQF4
(with distinction) in 2009. In London,
I acquired the Academy of Contemporary
Music Certificate for performance
drumming. I then had lessons with
Neill Etridge and completed my Trinity
Classical Grade 8 examinations (with
distinction). I don’t think being selftaught
is always the best thing. If you
start off with poor technique it takes
more time un-learning these bad practices.
Tell us about your early beginnings with
the band Roots of Youth that you were
playing for when you were only 10 years
old?
My brother was nine at the time (bassist)
and my sister 16 years old (keyboard).
Another brother and sister duo that
went to the same school, joined Buckle
Up and we later changed the name to
Roots of Youth. We recorded two albums
on our own, and gigged at music festivals
and private and corporate events.
Our songs aired on Jacaranda FM, and
numerous other local radio stations.
We won the Grand Champions Award
at the Junior World Championships for
performing arts in 2004 and also won
R100 000 in the Doritos competition
for up and coming artists. Numerous
of our videos featured on music channels
and we just had a ball! We’ve been
all over the place, revelling in the punk
and pop rock genres. I am so thankful
for the actively gigging childhood I’ve
had. I’ve gained so much experience
from a young age of how the music industry
works and just the magic of it
September 2019 | SA DRUMMER | 49