Glencairn singer and songwriter Amy Tjasink, 26, will represent South Africa at the annual Highcoast International Songwriting Camp, in Sweden this week.
She is one of 18 songwriters selected worldwide to represent her country at the event. “This is an absolute dream come true for me. Anybody who knows me, knows that my first love is song writing, and now I get to put that skill to the test and work the hardest I possibly can,” she said on her Facebook page.
She started writing songs at the age of 15, using her father Brian’s antique guitar after her cousin taught her a few chords at a family braai. She initially wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mom, Beverley, and become an accountant but soon realised she was a natural at playing the guitar and singing.
Her dad’s guitar is a collector’s piece, and although Amy owns her own guitar, she only uses his guitar to write on.
This year has been a whirlwind for Amy, from performing in London, to coming seventh in The Voice SA and now travelling to Sweden to make music.
Earlier this year, Amy told the Echo that after releasing Simplify Me, a full-length album in May 2018, she and her fiancé, Andrew Hay, had relocated to London.
But her career, she said, had been at a low and she had needed time to refocus.
“I struggled to put my music out there. I felt demotivated and sad about the state of my career,” she said.
However, that all changed when she landed a blind audition for The Voice SA (“New opportunities ahead for Amy,” Echo July 4).
Follow Amy on Facebook at Amy Tjasink Music to find out more about her career.