For Heideveld resident Jevano Swartz, life is all about making music and as he has made every effort to follow his dreams, he wants to inspire others to do so too.
Jevano, 21, battled to get into the University of Cape Town (UCT) for two years before he was finally accepted to study music.
He is the eldest of three children and grew up with his mother and grandfather.
When he was 12 years old he attended the Athlone Music Academy where he learned to play the flute. There he realised that being a musician was his calling.
Mr Swartz comes from a family who loves music and said his late grandmother was one of the first residents of Heideveld to play the organ.
After matriculating from Heideveld High School in 2014, he applied at UCT but was rejected so he started studying Business Management at Damelin College the following year.
But all he really wanted to do was study music.
“I wasn’t really interested in what was going on because I didn’t want to be there so I dropped out last year. I called the lecturers at UCT and one of them offered to help me and mentor me for free so I started practising and did theory as well. I then wrote tests but I was told that my application was rejected again,” he said.
He then went to UCT’s upper campus and they said that it was a mistake and his application would be re-evaluated.
On January 9, he received another email of rejection. Once again he tried to appeal and they again told him that it was a mistake and that he had been accepted into the music faculty.
“I applied for a full bursary and transport funding and I got it. My family is very proud and quite happy for me,” he said.
Mr Swartz said his dream is to be a professional musician overseas as he loves playing the flute.
His advice to others who wish to follow their dream career is to have guts and follow their hearts.
“Follow your dream. It won’t be easy but you’ll get there. So many people give up on their dream but I battled for two years and there was always something missing. I strongly believe in prayer and faith. God really helped me to push through, and my mom has sacrificed a lot as well,” he said.
