Aaron joined our team at the beginning of February, becoming our second intern through the Bridges for Music (BFM) Industry Access Programme.
Aaron joins fellow BFM alumni Rudy Julius, who joined the team at the beginning of last year, and our growing team of 20 audio pioneers and composers in Cape Town.
Our partnership with BFM is grounded in a shared belief that education and industry experience go hand in hand. By combining Bridges for Music’s educational programs with our real-world expertise, we’re helping to create a clear pathway for young talent to build sustainable careers in our industry. We’re committed to making our studio a place where talent is nurtured, and opportunities are created by making an annual Internship placement through this partnership.
Aaron has already brought big smiles, infectious energy, and an eagerness to learn that fits right in. He also dove straight into a music pitch in his first week!
We asked Aaron to tell us a little bit about himself and why he chose this career path:
What role have you taken on at Pressure Cooker Studios?
I’ve taken on the role of being a composer and I’m the second Bridges for Music intern. I’ve taken on this role due to my previous experience as a music producer, so this is the position I applied for and wish to establish and grow my career on. Although being an audio professional I’ve seen other positions in the department that I could easily see myself making a career out of here.
What are you most excited about?
I’m mostly excited about the constant learning experience that I get from being here at the studios and being put in real world situations, delivering the highest quality work to clients. There is unmatched theory and practical learning activity happening at the same time! Also, being surrounded by experts and professionals who constantly strive for the best and want you to be the best is a level of excitement that can’t be explained.
Tell us when you realised this was what you wanted to do as a career?
Well the realization of me knowing that this is definitely what I want to do came in stages. The first time I experienced this was at a very early age from about 10-11 yrs old. It began by me attending choir practice all the time at my primary school (Monte Vista Primary) after a choir rehearsal practice. I drove home listening to a Pharrell album (Out My Mind) that I got from my first girlfriend ever. And after such a great rehearsal at choir and having an explosion of music hitting me I wanted to continue feeling like that so I put on this album that I loved so much, and then there was a particular song called “You can do it too” I completely zoned out listening to this song that I never really paid attention to and then I started hearing every single bit on that single in ways I never experienced music before, then I knew it from there that this is what i need and want to do for the rest of my life. I was absolutely sure that I wanted to make other people feel that same moving experience I got from music and just wanted to know how these guys who’s music I loved so much were doing it and putting all of this creativity, art and beautiful music together.
What do you hope to gain from your Internship?
I want to grow my career as a composer and producer and to assist the Pressure Cooker Studios team with their vision by being a classic example of their company value ‘nurture talent’.
How do you want to make an impact in this role?
The impact I wanna make with this role is to become one the GOAT composers from Africa to show the world how talented and creative our continent is and to be the Hans Zimmer of Africa in film scoring and writing music to picture!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
A fun fact about me is that I’m psychic! (I know you’re smiling at this thinking I’m joking)
Tell us about your experience at Bridges for Music?
My journey with Bridges for Music started way back in 2010 when I first met Trenton Birch (Director) at a record label called Black Mango. Through lots of hard work and many workshops, sponsors and collaborations I was chosen by the founders and directors to be part of the first intake at the Academy. I graduated in 2019 and we became the first Bridges Academy alumni ever. We made history with that group and finally fulfilled the organisation’s dream.
How has this prepared you for your role as Intern at Pressure Cooker Studios?
Being a graduate and alumni of the MBA program at BFM Academy has prepared me for the real world and the business aspect of the arts and culture industry. Fundamental qualities like discipline, respect, accountability, punctuality and always delivering the best have really been pillars and the basic foundation of achieving success within your career.
We are so excited to have Aaron join our team and to support and witness his career in the industry.
Internships are not the only way we are nurturing talent with Bridges for Music. We recently launched a full 10-track album on our Pressure Music Catalogue in collaboration with musicians and artists from BFM. Read more about that here.
