Madelaine Music

I reach people searching for meaning, through sharing my journey of phenomenal music moments.

Born into a very musical family on her father’s side, Madelaine, has been singing, playing piano and writing her own songs since a very young age.
​
In 1993, she became involved in a Christian Missions (Youth with a Mission) and performing arts group (African Breeze) for six years, while studying part-time through UNISA.
​
However, in 2000, she decided to “grow up and get a real job”. She graduated with a degree in Human and Social Studies from Unisa and started working as a Strategic Planner and Project Manager, first in the private sector, but soon switched to Local Government and later National Government. Singing was now only done in the shower or when she sang lullabies to her children at night. A few times she tried to pick up her music by getting involved in worship at church, but time was never enough to juggle all the balls as a career woman, mother and wife. After a professional career of 25 years, she eventually resigned in 2022.
​
But then the doors of new opportunities literally flung open in August 2022 when she auditioned for the ATKV Crescendo singing and songwriting mentorship program. Subsequently, she was selected as one of the 21 participants from across the country who completed a very intense programme in April 2023 in Paarl. Here they were mentored by acclaimed artists, i.e. Sarah Theron, Petronel Baard and Deon Meiring, to mention but a few.

Madelaine Parsons, is originally from Pretoria but has been living in the Northern Cape since 2000. For the last two decades, Upington has been her and her family’s home and she sees her heart rooted in the Kalahari.

Apart from school concerts, -choirs, -ensembles and -revues in which she many times played the main character, she also formed part of the former NKP Children’s Choir and later the Northern Transvaal Youth Choir. After completing her matric in Pretoria in 1993, she became involved in a Christian Missions (Youth with a Mission) and performing arts group (African Breeze) for six years, while studying part-time through UNISA. During these years she was also able to travel internationally and got exposed to different cultures and music genres.

Her initial motivation for resigning was to spend more time at home with her children, who at that stage were both struggling with their schooling. Being at home also allowed her to dust off her dreams and passions and she has been crafting, painting and singing on a daily basis ever since.

In August 2022 she auditioned for the ATKV Crescendo singing and songwriting mentorship program. She was selected as one of the 21 participants from across the country who completed a very intense programme in April 2022 in Paarl.

Although she didn’t go through to the final round of the programme, she sees this opportunity as a stepping stone into her new career as a full-time artist and will forever be grateful to Robin-Dean Fourie (Die Hooflig) and Morne van Staden (Programme Manager) who made it possible.

Three of her songs have in the meantime been recorded by Helmut Meijer. Stiltes, written in 2001 and with which she auditioned in August 2022, as well as Exodus and Woorde); written during the mentorship programme in April 2023.