SPEAKER_03 0:00

This episode of Why Did I Become a Doctor is brought to you by Bed for View Dental Care, where dentistry meets a calm personal experience from implants, wisdom surgery, clearliners, smile makeovers, and 3D imaging. The team is here to help you smile with confidence. Bit for View Dental Care. You said Kim here.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Did I put my guitar on you or must I pick it up?

SPEAKER_03 0:30

Uh let me see, I'll tell you what it looks like. No, no, no, yeah. Keep it on there, keep it on there. It's looking good, it's looking good. You've never heard the song, have you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Didn't you send it to me? Oh, okay, yeah. Mics are recording, yeah? Yeah, everything that seems to be recording properly.

SPEAKER_04 0:56

Uh Tess, yeah. Okay. I'm not even gonna say the singing dentist. I'm just saying. Yeah, I don't think because there is a singing dentist in Turkey.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

Is there? Oh yeah. That's his name. Oh, the guy with eyebrows. Okay, I'm recording.

unknown 1:12

Dr.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

Kiash Arjun. Welcome. Take it away.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Thank you so much. Okay, this is a song called Ladysmith.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Driving alone, so far from home. Daydream of putting things back where they belong. But they were wrong, it's all my fault. Now we move to bed of things and nothing strong. I've been liftin'. I've been loving. I've been laughing. I'll just keep on wishing. With little bundle, my baby, baby, my baby, lady, baby, baby, I'm coming over. And I don't know ya. It's coming, it's up to me. My ladies, my ladies.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Woohoo! Are you from Ladysmith? No, I'm not. Who broke your heart? No. Oh, am I am I reading the lyrics rum?

SPEAKER_02 4:05

Nobody broke my heart at all. That song's not about a lady at all.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:10

It's about a place. About a guy.

SPEAKER_02 4:12

Yeah, it's about the the literal sense. It's about road trips to Ladysmith to see my my auntie and my cousin when they were staying there when I was much smaller. But the actual figurative meaning is like sometimes you want to daydream and take a mental road trip back to simpler times. So Ladysmith is kind of personified as this long-lost f friend, but it's actually about childhood memories. So you're going to visit those childhood memories.

SPEAKER_03 4:34

I mean, that song captures nostalgia so perfectly. I feel nostalgic hearing it, even though it's it's an unreleased song, right?

SPEAKER_04 4:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:42

But you you but you can see how I can see, like take that as as a as a lady. Because you also, some part of the lyrics were like, you you forget the bad things, you remember the good things. That's like what happens when you go to a breakup.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Yeah, that's so I love having my songs as open-ended as that. I love leaving it up to interpretation. So, but that specific verse was if you're going through bad times in life, because I mean as you get older, there's a lot more stress, a lot more responsibility. Um, and sometimes you just need to forget that and remember, you know, how long how beautiful the journey was to get to where you are. So forget those bad things you can actually push through to December.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Where all the fun is had.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

Exactly. It's more about the the the road trip rather than the destination. Absolutely. So, Kiyash, where are you from? I am from Verilim, KwaZulu, Natal. Yeah. Yeah. Down the road from my old hometown. Tongat. Yes. Yeah. You like our third fourth guest from Verulum? Really? Who else? You say it. I don't know. You tell me. I don't know. I'm just remembering like uh quite fondly on the show. We know a lot about Verilum. Mount Patent. No, no, no, sorry, that's Resible Hills.

SPEAKER_02 5:54

Same place, same WhatsApp group. It's uh it's quite a distance away.

SPEAKER_03 5:59

Yeah. And what was it like growing up in Verulum? Did you do a lot of music from a from childhood or uh growing up in Verulum Man, it was obviously not as busy as the the city life, right?

SPEAKER_02 6:14

But I had some great times uh with my brother. He's two years younger than me. And my parents really gave us a good a good upbringing. It was a lot of fun, a lot of playing outside, a lot of cricket, a lot of soccer and stuff in our garden, in our small garden in our backyard. I had a lot of fond memories. I appreciate it even more now because I don't know, just home feels like.

SPEAKER_03 6:34

And you you always wanted to be a dentist.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

No, at some point I wanted to be a musician. Um which point? It was it was my first musical concert. We went to go watch Coldplay at F and B. And then I told my parents when we got back in the car, I was like, I need to get my music up. And no, my dad's like, no, you need to get your grades up. And then they never steered me in any particular direction, but I had a lot of trips to the dentist, so I became really obsessed with it. And then from like grade nine onwards, I downloaded apps on my iPad and like dental apps, like you know where you clean teeth on the thing. And I I don't know, it just became something that I wanted to.

SPEAKER_03 7:17

Yeah, I do know what's it just rewind there where you clean teeth. Was it a game? I don't know if it is yeah, it was like a game or a simulator.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Yeah? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:25

What's it called? I can't remember, I can't remember the name of the app. Hygienist. You're scaling and polishing one in the hyphen. I think I was scaling and polishing.

SPEAKER_02 7:33

I think I I cut the gum or something. What why would why did you have lots of trips to the dentist? Oh, I had really bad teeth as a child. I used to love sugar. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

Sugar, just sugar in gym. Yeah, not even sweet.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

No, that's uh the broad cat screen. Um eat sugar cane in it. Yeah, I never used to maintain proper oral hygiene. So there was a lot of hectic presence. And um Did you floss? Did you? Next question. Okay, yeah, I think it's a good idea. Yeah, no, so I never used to like, you know, I used to take that for granted, and then I used to just go and then I became obsessed. Um and very fascinated, rather. Yeah. And then that's when I started wanting to become a dentist. I stopped being scared and I was like, oh what? This is actually pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03 8:16

I feel like you're skirting the issue, the the the question. Yeah, I mean that I always want to become a dentist. Yeah, like what you you just decided to download an app to do scaling and no, the app is not um the app was part of the fascination.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

But I don't know, I because I had quite a few trips, I became fascinated with it. I was like wondering Who was your dentist? Uh Dr. Dr. Terrence Moodley. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh he's now in um Think Clinic. In Think Clinic. He's in Rosebank, I think. Okay. So yeah. So he was in Verilum way back when.

SPEAKER_03 8:48

So he inspired you. Well done. Kudos to you.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

I actually shadowed him. Okay. Yeah. When did you do the shadowing? This was in 2016 when I was in grade eleven. Okay. So we had to spend like a week or a few days with shadowing um someone. Why do you have to? It's part of uh life orientation. You have to shadow a lot of people did one thing at one place and one job and then they moved to a a different job the next day. But I kind of, as I said, I was very fascinated with it.

SPEAKER_03 9:14

So I So as part of LO, the subject you do in grade 11 metric, they say to you that you need to shadow. Did you have that yak?

SPEAKER_02 9:23

Because you have to provide a report on you know what you learned. Is this a career that you see yourself going into?

SPEAKER_03 9:29

Was it we didn't even have LO. No, that's what I'm saying. Was it a compulsory subject or did you pick that? Or life orientation. Yeah. We have to take it. Yeah, it's compulsory. You make it sound, you know how old we are. Yeah. He was in Matric in 2003, right? 2002. 2002. Oh, that's an Andrew. You were born then.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

No, I was two years old then.

SPEAKER_03 9:49

Sure, so you Wait, that was that was a joke. You were two years old. Yeah, I was born in 2000. How old are you? 2026. Come on, yeah. Oh. I know I look I look a bit older. No, no, you don't. Yeah, so he's he's 26, yeah. If he's born in 2000 and we're in the year 2026. Thanks, thanks, Professor. 26, eh? But that's I mean, that's not young anymore. It's I mean super young. I think young is uh it's not like young.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

It's young, but it's also pushing that he.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

We're getting old, yeah. We are old, dude. So LO, no, we're not, we're young. LO was a compulsory subject. That's good. It's good that they make you do these things. And what made you decide? Okay, obviously, then you said you had these trips to the dentist, so you let me.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

Because it wasn't every single week or anything like that, but I had more than I should have.

SPEAKER_03 10:35

Yeah. Yeah. So did it more than every six months, basically.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

No. Yeah? I'd say once every and medicine? Never thought of it. I thought of it, but I don't know. Uh Did you apply for it? I did apply where they didn't have dentistry. Which is um Cape Town, I guess. UCT. And UK ZN. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

Yeah, UKZN only. I mean there's UWC in Cape Town. Yeah, but that's not the student university.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

But funny enough, I'd actually only I applied to Pretoria for dentistry. I didn't I actually didn't know, I didn't do my research properly. I didn't know about Western Cape. Okay. So I didn't know about that. Which I should have actually done my research because my friends, my parents' friends are lecturers there.

SPEAKER_03 11:20

If you got in if you did apply to Western Cape and got in there? Because I know you studied at Pretoria, right? Yeah, I was very adamant on doing dentistry in Pretoria.

SPEAKER_02 11:28

Why? Because uh their marketing was on on top point, and they had people that used to come around and give talks and stuff like that with videos and visual. Yeah, University of Pretoria. So they So they were canvassing students. Yeah, like they would come to our high school and stuff, and then they gave us brochures and um I think the particular um faculty that came was engineering and built environments, but I knew that they offered dentistry at Pretoria, and then I did my own YouTube research and I saw a lot of the videos and it appealed to me, and I wanted to to do dentistry at Pretoria from like definitely grade 10, grade 11. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:06

That's interesting. I didn't think that there would be a shortage of students applying that they need to go out and find students.

SPEAKER_02 12:12

No, I think it is just part of a campaign.

SPEAKER_03 12:13

I don't think they were like No yet, but even like the the law firms and the the law you know schools go to these places and and and but So it's more like from an educational perspective.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Educational perspective. Because they knew we were going to be applying as well.

SPEAKER_03 12:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

Uh we weren't the only school. I think they did it kind of.

SPEAKER_03 12:33

You know, we didn't have YouTube and everything nowadays, huh? Yeah, I don't think so. I can't remember actually. Yeah, no, we didn't. Definitely. When did YouTube come out? I don't know. I'll check now. No idea no idea, but I don't know why you're in the internet. 2001? No. But anyway, this is I'm like th this interview is gonna be like all over the place. Because I know Yash is interested in the dentistry part of it. I'm super keen to hear more about the musical side of things. Yes. So while he's Googling there, let me ask you this question. So you came up for Coldplay.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 13:03

And then you were inspired and you wanted to get more into the music. Into the music industry. So so what do you mean by more? That means you were already into it.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

It means I I was obviously very ambitious and very excited. I just started playing guitar. So Coldplay was in 2011. I started playing guitar in 2007. That's when I got my first guitar.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

How old were you? 2011? What? 11. 11 years old. It's easy. I never played. Well, you were born in 2000. Yeah. Okay, right. Okay. I never heard. Yeah, professor, yeah. You're having a big one.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

So I was 11. We that was my first ever concert. But uh funny enough, I went to the Coldplay concert and I actually loved the parlitones because I used to watch idols and the parlitones opened. We were at that concert, weren't you then?

SPEAKER_03 13:43

Yeah, we were there.

SPEAKER_02 13:43

Yeah. Small worlds. And um I saw you actually.

SPEAKER_03 13:48

The only other Indian guy at the end of the yeah. Yeah, this 11-year-old walking around.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

I was working with my guitar.

SPEAKER_04 13:55

Yeah, you keep it.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

Uh and yeah, it I was really excited because I'd I learned a few chords and knew how to play a few songs at that time. And I I was like, I want to do that. But also at the same time at school, I I wasn't really well behaved. I wasn't a disciplined student as well. So I was like I was like a naughty child. I wasn't like I didn't get good grades or anything like that at that time in primary school. What's naughty? Yeah. No, like I I used to want to like play cricket and stuff with my brother. I never used to like to do my homework or prep for imported assignments and at all. Like I was really like easily distracted by anything and everything. No, but I was also I was also like such a maliciously weird.

SPEAKER_03 14:42

Yeah, maliciously. Or not take sugars. You used to bunk school. Eat sugar.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

Did you ever bunk school? No. No. Yeah. Never bunk school, but even when I was at school, I was I feel like I was a disruptive kid. You were at Mount Did you ever get kicked out of class? I went to school in Athleton. Athleton, yeah. I did. I did get kicked out of class, but it's because I had a new pen and I was I was writing I used to love trying out new pens and new stationery. So I was writing a song while that we were having a history lesson and the the teacher sent me out.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

So you used to write songs in high school? Primary school this.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

Oh really? Yeah. Wow. Do you have a book like with songs that you've written? I have multiple books. I have one I'm onto my newest one recently. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:27

And you still keep it like analog or do you now use it put on iPad and all those things?

SPEAKER_02 15:31

A lot of the time if I don't have uh a book near me, I'll use my notes app on your phone. Something like that. Yeah. Because that's a lot quicker sometimes to because I'm so used to like we're used to texting and stuff like that. Sometimes it's quicker to get an idea up. But if I'm dedicating time towards writing a song, I'll sit down with my guitar and so tell me about the songwriting process.

SPEAKER_03 15:50

So what uh because I always think it's I'm amazed by creatives, right? Because you make something out of nothing, and then it becomes this thing that other people will just randomly sing. You know, the other day I told you, I texted you, and I said, hey, I woke up with a Ladysmith stuck in my head. How cool is that? This is incredible. You created this thing and it's an earworm in some other random person's head.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

And the thing is, that song started off with exactly how I played it for you.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

So how do you do it? Like, do you do you write or do you you know open up the voice notes thing and start singing?

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Or so I do use my voice notes app a lot on my phone. There's so many different addresses because you know it saves it by the address of like ideas like if I'm done at gym or I'm busy at work and I have a few minutes and something's just in my head, it's not leaving. I'll record it because I mean I can always listen to it later and then develop that.

SPEAKER_03 16:36

So that's really that's cool. So your your voice memos app possibly has like the conception, like it's where where your songs, your babies were conceived. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:47

I mean, I I'm not I didn't invent it. I know Charlie Pooth has an entire album called Voice Notes where a lot of those ideas were and that's what inspired me to do that.

SPEAKER_03 16:56

I mean, I'm not saying it's a unique idea, but th it's really cool. Like you can like Lady Smith, you can see where it was conceived, right?

SPEAKER_02 17:01

Yeah, yeah. It was it was really fun. And that song came together.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

Do you know where where you where you first recorded Lady Smith?

SPEAKER_02 17:09

I know where exactly where I recorded it. It was in my apartment in in Hayfields um last year.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

I it I think the song took me about an hour to write, which is quick for a song.

SPEAKER_03 17:20

Wow because it's quite simple to So do So do you do you write it or you s do you sing it? Like that's that's the question I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

So I I feel like the the most simple thing is if you have a good foundation first, nothing for me beats sitting with an acoustic guitar and writing a good lyric. Right? Yeah or good lyrics and something that of substance. Um and after that, after you've gotten the crux of the song.

SPEAKER_03 17:43

So the words, the actual words.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Yeah, the actual words or the hook, like the lady, lady. Yeah, then you kind of wonder, okay, let's dive deeper into the verses and give this song a bit more context, but also keep it as open-ended as possible because the emphasis is on the song being catchy. I don't want to stray too far by making the verses too deep.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

So which which is more important? The so if I uh is it the lyrics or is it the does the does the way the song sounds come first or do the words come first? The lyrics? For your in your own.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

I don't think there's an order. I think it all comes at the perfect time. Like I already I already know the The melody. Like the I already know what I want the song to sound like. Yeah. And now I'm like, okay, now how do I pull this together? Okay, so for example, multidisciplinary approach.

SPEAKER_03 18:27

So for example, Ladysmith, you'll know in your mind it's gonna sound mm-mm-mm-mm-m.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

It's gonna sound South African, uh like South African pop.

SPEAKER_03 18:34

So you know the sound of it, but you don't know the words, and then the words come through.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

The words come through. I mean, I've got the chorus, so if I can build on that and if I can get that onto my digital audio workstation, I use Ableton. Right. If I record that and I leave space for uh like the verses, the bridge, it all comes together.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

But then sometimes it's the other way around where you'll have the lyrics and then you'll make the song. Yes. So if I send you lyrics, you can make my you can make me a good song. Yes. For example. Got the apps now for that. And is that how they do it? Like is that how it's like?

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Listen, some pe I have written for a few people, although I don't like doing that very often because it doesn't feel authentic.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

What do you mean you've written? So you write the word, the lyrics.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Yeah, I've written um for a few people. Some people have sent me lyrics and told me, Can you make this a song? Like my the one of my friends, um, her stage name is Black Heidi. Okay. Um she released the song with me last year, They Can Only Be Good. And before that, she actually flew down to Dermot. She sent me an audio file, a cappella, no instrumentals, of her singing these lyrics, and she sent me the lyrics like, Can you make this into a song? So I had f fun with that. But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:39

And that's what like the Charlie Poots of the world do, right? They they just write and they make things sound cool.

SPEAKER_02 19:45

Yeah, I mean he wrote he produced Stay by Justin Bieber and the Kid Leroy. I don't know if you knew that.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

Yeah. Oh, so he wrote for Justin Bieber.

SPEAKER_00 19:51

That's that sound.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

Yeah, he produced that song.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Okay, so take us all the way back then as we were talking about just now. I mean, when did you even learn guitar? When did you even pick up a guitar?

SPEAKER_02 20:04

So this is um this is I love telling the story because it's it involves my grandfather, my dad's father. Um on my seventh birthday, he showed up in the morning before I went to school with one of these box guitars, like a classical small guitar. And he took it out of the box and he started strumming it. And from there I was like obsessed with the guitar. I'd been watching Disney Channel and you know Jonas Brothers, Camp Rock, Hannah Montana, all of those things.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

So he used to play then?

SPEAKER_02 20:33

No, he never used to play. He used to sing a bit, uh especially when we used to have like functions at home and stuff like that. But he never used to play guitar. Um I actually don't know what inspired him to get a guitar, but maybe he he observed me being like inspired by whatever I was watching on Twitter.

SPEAKER_03 20:48

Also that guitar was for you. It was a presentation.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

Yeah, it was for me. Okay. So um that was my seventh birthday present. And after that I went for guitar lessons and yeah, man, like it it took like two years for me to learn a few chords, and then I was just inspired. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2010. So the guitar was and still is the only one of the things that makes me feel the closest to him. So every time I wear or every time I perform, I wear his watch. It doesn't work anymore, but I I I feel quite tethered close to him. That's cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:23

Yeah, but well done to him for identifying something anew. And like, I mean, look, you're talented, like obviously, we as we can see. And he he gifted you something that he he knew that you'd make the most of it.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

That still amazes me because it's not like I exhibited any actual, like I didn't play guitar before that. And I wish he was around to see what he started because from there it was just exponential in terms of not like fame or anything, but I'm saying I I got better and I just became more infatuated with the guitar and with music and different types of music, and yo, I I I really Wish he was around to see what he starts in because it's as I said, or as you were saying earlier, it's about the road trip, not the destination. And sometimes I look back at when I was recording YouTube videos and stuff like that to to now, making songs that are in people's heads in the morning. Where did you go for guitar lessons? In Vernon? No, I went uh so I went to school in Attleton. Yeah. In Amschlanga. Yeah. And my f I think my grade North teacher, uh her name is Mrs. Robertson. I think it's changed now. Uh she gave me guitar lessons. It would be after school on Wednesday, like for an hour or two.

SPEAKER_03 22:38

It's not easy learning the guitar, right? Like when you first start. It's not. Fingers go all over the place. We had guitar lessons also, but I've never persevered.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

There were many times where I was like, is this for me? Yeah. But I think that's normal when you're learning anything new. I I don't think anything was gonna get in my way of wanting to. And how long did rocks take?

SPEAKER_03 22:56

How long did it take to for you to know that that was for you?

SPEAKER_02 22:59

I think maybe about a year or two. Until I could play a song. I think the first song I learned was uh Summer of 69 by Brian Adams. Yeah. And then I performed. Oh no, it was The Climb by Miley Cyrus. I don't even know that song. Do you know it? It's from the Hannah Montana movie. Okay. I don't know. Okay. That's why we don't know. So uh I sang that in front of my primary.

SPEAKER_04 23:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

Yeah. I sang that in front of my entire primary school. Yeah. And that's when I was like, oh, this is pretty cool. I'm gonna do this.

SPEAKER_03 23:27

Primary school. As in Atleton. No, Atleton. Yeah. I was just in grade four. And high school was Northwood, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah, Northwood Boys High. That's in North Coast. No, not North Coast, or Duban North. Yeah, Dubano. So you why'd you go to an all-boys school from Coed to All Boys? How was that?

SPEAKER_02 23:43

Well, that was um that was the trend. It was quite a I mean a lot of family and family friends' sons went to that school, so we were very much inclined to go to it. Yeah, sorry, you should have gone to DHS, but that's fine.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

I don't regret it.

SPEAKER_02 24:04

Uh yeah. And so yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:06

But you must have done okay then in grade 11 Matrix to get in. Yes. Uh in the We're back to dentistry. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:13

That's a beautiful segment. You want to hit a song?

SPEAKER_03 24:16

Yak's got ADD, so you want to do us another song too.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

I'll sing sing you another song.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

Yeah. Are you gonna do the get-low one?

SPEAKER_02 24:24

I can sing it. Do you have the lyrics? I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

Yeah, I've got it here for you. Yeah, let's. And then just just uh don't use the expletive so I don't have to edit it.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

Okay, so I can't say like window.

SPEAKER_03 24:34

No, you could say that, but um let's here's the the lyrics.

SPEAKER_02 24:38

Can you see? Yeah. Oh, beautiful song title, Dr. Kiash Ardu.

SPEAKER_04 24:42

Yeah, well that's that's why I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

I'm not gonna say till the sweat drop down.

SPEAKER_03 24:54

Yeah, you'll you'll figure it out. Come on. No, just you'll figure it out. Lovely, lovely. I sent you that video of the guy going to a coffee shop. Yes, he sang it.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

What how how on brand was that? Because we have someone here that owns a coffee shop. Was that? We have someone here that owns a coffee shop.

SPEAKER_03 26:02

Oh yeah, yak uh Yak owns a play toh now. That's cool. Well done, Yak. Where is it? Where is it? Uh down the road, yeah. Congratulations. Down the road. Where? Give us the address. Let's plug it. Yeah. Cinderwood. We're in Cinderwood. Cinderwood, Lynxfield, Joburg, Kazeret, um I mean Chauteng. Yeah, we might I think we must do so I I used to DJ at Play. That's how I kind of started.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

I've seen those videos of you DJing at Play too. So we can get after like a round.

SPEAKER_03 26:28

We must get a live uh Get Kiosh live. In fact, you're only leaving tomorrow. Maybe we can we can pull a set this afternoon, get some people through. Yeah. We could actually. Yak is recruiting you for his coffee shop before his practice.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

I literally I would I would go there if it's gonna be good for the business as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:44

Good for the brand. It's good for the brand.

SPEAKER_02 26:46

It's good for everyone wins. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

Okay, so you apply for dentistry. Let's go back. Come on. We gotta do the Well Yak, okay. You say us which.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

Oh, you're talking about the grades and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 26:57

No, I mean uh when do you you apply in grade 11 for dentistry everywhere and get in?

SPEAKER_02 27:01

Yeah, you apply in no, actually you apply in the beginning of matric. Okay. Yeah, I think it used to be like you apply in grade 11 and stuff. Um but I applied I think you had like until May to apply for the industry or something.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

So this was twenty seven you were matrix twenty seventeen. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:17

And um 17-year-old matriculant. You get in? And then is it a dream? The dream is fulfilled now.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Um yeah, when I got my provisional acceptance during trials, I was quite happy. Yeah because it's like it all worked out perfectly.

SPEAKER_03 27:31

I'm sure your parents were probably happier, like they were very happy.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

They didn't actually um they knew I wanted to become a dentist, right? But they never even steered me in that direction. What did they just say? My dad, currently he's a contractor for like um road works and tar and stuff like that and pavements and all of that. But before he was a biology teacher.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

And my mother is a drama teacher and English teacher.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

That's cool.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

So they're kind of like in the arts. Yes, yes, yes, very much so. I mean my it kind of explains it kind of explains it though. The biology teacher, dentistry, yeah, the drama teacher, like music. So I am literally a best of both, a hybrid.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

I am my parents' son. Yeah. Siblings? A younger brother, two years old, two years younger.

SPEAKER_03 28:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

And what is is he also in uh he just graduated with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies. So cool. Yeah. Cool. Now he's he's a cool guy.

SPEAKER_03 28:24

Yeah. Okay, so g what's it like moving to Pretoria then?

SPEAKER_02 28:29

It was uh It wasn't daunting for me because we have family in Pretoria and like Jobug. Uh so I had a lot of support or like a lot of people offering. But of course I was a bit on edge because I'd never been away from home. Um my parents were obviously very worried about me being alone.

SPEAKER_03 28:49

Did your mom cry when she dropped you off? Where's Rares?

SPEAKER_02 28:52

Do you stay at Rares? I stayed in Rez, I stayed in House Olympus, right on the top of the hill. 32 Bopelo Road. Rints off. So yeah, my I think my both of my parents cried actually. Yeah. Um I don't know if they'll want me saying that on the record. Why? Or are you saying good?

SPEAKER_03 29:07

No, it's cool.

SPEAKER_02 29:09

You like you want my parents to do it?

SPEAKER_03 29:10

It means that they missed you. I mean, imagine if they were like happy that they're leaving you. I mean one of those tears of joy, though. Like, finally this. Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

I don't know what happened in that car ride over.

SPEAKER_03 29:18

Well the normal guitar and singing in the shower. You sing in the shower and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

Sometimes, but I don't actually do it. What do you think about in the shower?

SPEAKER_03 29:27

No, really. There's a thing called shower thoughts. You heard of it? Uh yeah. I've pen for the shower. Yeah. Shower thoughts. Like the shower is one of the few places nowadays where you are disconnected. There's no screen in front of you, or you're not listening to a podcast or something. That's what I asked. What do you think about in the shower?

SPEAKER_02 29:46

I think about arguments that could have gone differently. I think everyone does.

SPEAKER_03 29:49

Who's this girl that hurt you? No, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

Like in my life, and in the world, I think about every possible alternate. Like ever since watching Endgame, you know, The Avengers Endgame, like the theory of possibilities, the multiverse. What would have happened if this like how different would life have been if this wasn't like this?

SPEAKER_03 30:10

So do you replay the arguments in the shower and think I should have said this or I should have said that?

SPEAKER_02 30:13

I guess arguments was a was a weird way to start it off. But I'm I'm thinking about like how different would life have been if I made a different decision for one small thing, like the ripple effect of that.

SPEAKER_03 30:23

So are you thinking about it from like an appreciation perspective?

SPEAKER_02 30:26

Appreciation, but also just curiosity. I'm like, that's what I think about in the shower. I I think a lot. And I tend to overthink sometimes, sometimes to my detriment.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

So you're like a Doctor 2 in the Avengers situation.

SPEAKER_02 30:37

Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange, not Doctor. Not to compare myself, but I'm thinking about the multiverse of possibilities.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

How do we get to the show with Oh yeah? No, no singing in the shower. Maybe they were happening, but they were sad.

SPEAKER_02 30:53

I think about yourself. I think about um what I'm gonna wear after I shower. Yeah. I think about I think about a lot of things.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

Do songs come in there? No.

SPEAKER_02 31:03

Really? Sometimes, I mean if I've already written it down. But I a lot of the time I kind of use it to warm up my voice as well if I'm going for a gig as well.

SPEAKER_04 31:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

I try and so I think about that, or I don't think about much at all.

SPEAKER_03 31:15

Okay. So 2018, the folks drop you off, they're in tears, they leave you at Olympus. I was I'm so glad I I didn't get into that res. Why? Why? It's like jail almost. A little small cubicle, you gotta share it. It's a communal kitchen and communal showers and uh. I was in I was in hippo. Ah, yeah, that was not too bad. Did you have your own kitchen? We had our yeah, one little kitchenette. We had our own bath. Oh, what? Olympus was tough. You sh you still share that kitchenet, don't you? No. Olympus, you had your own. I mean, hippo, you had your own thing. Wow, okay. Because yeah, she uses the kitchen a lot. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:50

What did you do? Boil, water.

SPEAKER_03 31:53

I don't even know. It's just uh I can't remember. It's gonna be like dishes piled up. Ivana used to come there and wash the dishes. So we did have dishes. You know Dr. Bagwandin, Ivana, you know?

SPEAKER_02 32:03

Yes, yes, yes. So I've met her once at one of the courses we had in Durban.

SPEAKER_03 32:06

She was at Kalitsia, but uh, I mean, Olympus we had lots of Did they still have Around the World dead?

SPEAKER_02 32:11

Yes, and I went every single year.

SPEAKER_03 32:13

What's that?

SPEAKER_02 32:15

Uh Around the World is basically where each so there's different corridors, there are diff different blocks in the in the residence. And it's not a big residence, it must be about a hundred some people. In yours, Olympus. Yeah. All all Geyser is. So each block has like three different levels. So you say you have like E block that had one level, so E1, E2, all of that. Each um corridor partook in this festival. Just say it as it is. Yeah, just say it as it is. They all made their own version of a punch, and each year around the world was themed for different. So for my one of my years, it was um battle of the bands. Okay. And ours was 21 pilots. So we literally built a whole plane prop and all of that, dressed up as pilots.

SPEAKER_03 33:04

I just thought around the world was like each corridor gets its own country and then they've got to make drinks on the city.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

So that was the theme. That was the theme there. Yeah. But for ours it was Battle of the Bands. So it's it's a really fun time. Um you get to really interact with people. Anything. And then eventually everybody starts singing. No, it there is. That is, it's student life. I mean, we had a clubhouse in the.

SPEAKER_03 33:25

And eventually everybody just starts singing around the world.

SPEAKER_02 33:29

No, uh I in fact I don't even remember that song being played at any of the.

SPEAKER_03 33:32

But you know that song, that's Duff Punk, right?

SPEAKER_02 33:33

Yes, yes, yes. That's literally all they sing for the entire song, right?

SPEAKER_03 33:36

Who's your favorite artist, Duan?

SPEAKER_02 33:38

Oh man. What?

SPEAKER_03 33:39

You can't have a favorite. What? It's your songwriting. You know that, right?

SPEAKER_02 33:45

But I'd say the 1975 is my favorite band right now.

SPEAKER_03 33:48

Who's that?

SPEAKER_02 33:48

The 1975. You know them, yeah. They're a British band from Manchester.

SPEAKER_01 33:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

They are like The Optic Monkeys. It's basically like 80s, the sounds, like the synths, the full Collins-esque drums and all of that. And it's kind of like the blueprint for pop music, I would say. I know a lot of people might disagree, but don't worry.

SPEAKER_03 34:08

They've written You're here, not them. They've written them right there when you said that to them.

SPEAKER_02 34:13

They might be the blueprint. They might be a lot of songs that you hear on the radio are inspired by them. Like One Direction as well. Um You know that four chords thing. Have you heard of that? Yes. Uh, we did something like that in my last year at school.

SPEAKER_03 34:30

Just explain it for the non-musical people, like what the four chords thing is.

SPEAKER_02 34:34

So I think it has something to do with the fact that you know Ed Sheeran's been in the limelight a lot because of people think he's he steals or like he plagiarized from other artists, right? Okay. But I did not know that, but yeah. He basically proved that most uh songs in the pop charts can be played with these four chords and stuff like that. With the same four chords.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

Yeah, there's something about them that just like humanity.

SPEAKER_02 34:58

Yeah, it's just you can play the same four chords in a different order, in a different rhythm. Do you know the chords?

SPEAKER_03 35:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

You're gonna hit something.

SPEAKER_03 35:04

Sure, sure. Let's do it, yeah. Do you know while you while you're setting up there, do you know who R Y X is?

SPEAKER_04 35:11

Sounds familiar?

unknown 35:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 35:13

Is that not an electronic music? That is an artist. So what are the four chords? Like what are the but what are the actual chords? Like A, B, what is it?

SPEAKER_02 35:24

So the one we did in school was E, B, C sharp minor, A. But you can it's the same type of chords, you can do it in any key. So in the major scale, that would be one, five, six, and four. So like forever ya, you can do it in that forever yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

I wanna be forever. Just a small town girl.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

Okay, and and you can obviously change the chords.

SPEAKER_00 35:57

I'm never, ever, ever getting back together. I'm just a teaster back, baby.

SPEAKER_02 36:07

Yeah. You just teach us that, and then we'll go. You can literally. You don't need to. You don't need to um know every single complicated chord and stuff. You just need to make something that sounds nice. And I think whoever has made a song subscribing to that whole four-chord regime was onto something because it sounds nice and it's not too. Yeah, there's a reason people like it. It's simple, it's familiar. People like famili familiarity. Uh familiarity.

SPEAKER_03 36:35

But it it that also works the same in a tabla world. Like we have also four chords, ta, ti, ton, nam. And if you interchange any of them, you can actually display any sound. Which is weird. It's like music is not that complicated, but it is also that complicated.

SPEAKER_02 36:52

It is that complicated, but I feel I feel like when you try to complicate it and it becomes too complicated for people to perceive, because you are a musician making it for people like listeners, that's when it starts to get a bit iffy, like you And and why is like did you notice that people just they don't want to admit that they like pop music?

SPEAKER_03 37:15

But pop music is popular because popular popular music.

SPEAKER_02 37:19

Uh I was like that for when I started getting into like lead guitar, I was like, no, I don't like pop music. I listen to rock. Yeah, why? I was that guy.

SPEAKER_03 37:26

It's so snobbish.

SPEAKER_02 37:28

No, it is very snobbish, it's like an elitist kind of thing. It's the same way a lot of people that listen to jazz look down on other people. But um shots fired at the jazz. No, no, no shots fired. Jazz is amazing. I love jazz, but it's in the same mentality. Like, this is on a different level. I like Taylor Swift. What you listen to isn't Taylor Swift is great, don't you think? Not really. I like some of her music. Folklore, that album was great.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Apparently, Taylor Swift, like I was watching this podcast. Uh uh, it's called Modern Wisdom. Have you heard of it? With Chris Williamson. And uh anyway, Chris Williamson, he's this guy, like what are this podcast bro types? And he was interviewing uh what's that comedian Jimmy Carr?

SPEAKER_02 38:11

Modern Wisdom Wisdom 18, 28, 38, what is that? 4'8.

SPEAKER_03 38:16

Oh, uh, this is a dental joke. Modern wisdom's uh modern anyway. Oh, good one. Like apparently if you go to a Taylor Swift concert, it's like the crowd is almost as well, is equally or even more entertaining than Taylor Swift herself because they all like get involved and start singing.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

Yeah, you that's what pop music is. I I think you have to make something like it's your own brand. Like no art is better than the other. It's just it's not a competition, it's art. So she's got a lot of people that like what she does. And I think that's the best thing to have. Like you know, when people really vibe into your whole aesthetic, your whole song and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 38:55

Okay, so Olympus was fun and dental school?

SPEAKER_02 38:57

Dental school. Dendle school was fun. Um Really? That sounded so stage.

SPEAKER_03 39:02

Sounds stage at famous. It's Pretorial thing for this.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

No, I'm I'm definitely underplaying it. It wasn't like all fun and games. Yeah. The universe I had a good, like, because the class is not as big as other classes, we kind of all knew each other. Um our class size started off as 72, I think. When did when did you start doing clinical stuff? Because in our days, we only started in like third year. We started observing, obviously end of first year and second year, and a bit in third year. Did you have those, did you buddy with like 15 years? Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03 39:32

We heard this from Ruvan, uh Rowan, which fascinated me because um we'd never had that kind of thing in our day, which is really cool. You never had that? No, we only l we literally started clinical stuff in third year with Prosto in the labs. So you you were doing the clinical stuff? No. Oh, you were just we didn't we were doing in the lab, you know? Oh, oh. But first and second year in dentistry in my day was nothing to do with dentistry. We were together with the medics for the first two years.

SPEAKER_02 40:00

I heard it was like that, but for us it was the first six months was like kind of a recap of metric. Yeah, main campus. Main campus. And then we did osteol in the second half, we were on Prince Off. So we did osteology, a bit of anatomy and stuff like that, embryology, all of that. So that's when we kind of split from the medical people, but we still all did the dissections together just at different times. And did you make friends? Did you know people there? Yes, so as when I said dental school was fun, we had like a we had like team building stuff when we got onto Prince Off campus to get to know each other. One of my good friends, um, he was in Northwood with me. He also studied dentistry at Ventoria, and then I became a lot closer with people that were in res and also studying dentistry, like this my one other friend from Sasselberg. I never thought I'd make as many friends, but like especially the good quality type of friends. So Why didn't you think that? Because I f I thought I was gonna be this very shy guy when I got to university and just books, books, books, no time to do a lot of the other stuff. Are you a shy guy? Are you an introvert? No, I think I just talk a lot less when I get tired. I think I'm very extroverted. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 41:11

Yeah, I know someone that knows you that's said to me yesterday, you're very extroverted.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:15

In a nice way. You're a nice like you're a nice guy.

SPEAKER_01 41:17

Oh, I know exactly.

SPEAKER_03 41:18

She said very friendly. She's about the same though, so I don't trust her judgment. But but that's why I'm trying to figure out why you thought you'd be not making friends. I mean, extroverted. No, not even.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

The thing is, I when I was in in in the latter years of high school, I was very much books, books, books. I didn't socialize a lot. So I felt like that's how I was gonna be going into university. But one of the reasons I'm so happy I went to the res that I did is because it kind of uh taught you the importance of forming proper bonds outside of what you're studying because you can't just do that. You need a good support structure. Because it's not easy, dental school, medical school, it's not easy, I'm sure. So you need a good support.

SPEAKER_03 42:02

Yeah. Yeah. And you didn't get subs.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

You're a good student. I think I I don't know if I wrote a SUP. Maybe I did, but did you promote stuff? I promoted like one or two things.

SPEAKER_04 42:13

Well done.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

But most of the time I had to write exams. What's up? Promote promote is where you get like an average of over 60%. Also you don't have to write exams. Yeah. But I mean in certain subjects, there were like four divisions. So if you didn't promote all of those, you still had to write the exam for all of them.

SPEAKER_03 42:28

Aaron Ross Powell So if I can ask you what you're saying is dentistry is to be successful as a student, it's not only about academics. You're gonna have a community of support around you.

SPEAKER_02 42:37

I think so. I I mean I know people that, you know, did not socialize as much as me and they were incredibly talented with the academics and clinical work. Um I think this is just based on my experience. I had a better time knowing that I had friends along the way, friends in res, friends in dental school, friends in medical school that made the journey a lot better. I mean, we all knew that at the end of the day we were gonna graduate, right? It's about what happened around and in-between that really, really made it count. So when you made me think about um oh when you said dentistry is fun, dental school is fun. I hardly ever thought about just being in the the lab. I was thinking about the whole journey. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:20

Did you ever take a shower at Olympus and think if if only I'd chosen something else? Or do you have any regrets, is what I'm saying. About doing dentistry, or you were like, this is for me.

SPEAKER_02 43:32

I don't have any regrets. Um there are obviously times where I I question, you know, what would it have been like in another field or the shower thoughts basically. Um that's what I'm getting at. Yeah. Yeah, I I think about things like that, and I d I think that's normal to think like that, but I wouldn't say regret is one of them.

SPEAKER_04 43:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:52

It's it's it's just curiosity what would life have been like if I wasn't a dentist, or something like that. I don't think it's it it should be front. Upon to think like that. If you weren't a dentist, what would you be?

unknown 44:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:06

I'm thinking it's quite obvious. It's sitting like right there. No, I mean it'd be an artist. If I wasn't a dentist, I'd be a guitar.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

Then I see this just sounds like I'm saying it because I applied for the other things. I would probably I liked accounting. So that was another possibility. I really did like accounting towards the end of school. Sheesh.

SPEAKER_03 44:30

First person in my life that I've heard say they like accounting.

SPEAKER_02 44:34

Well, uh that's based on school because I've heard from everyone that took it further and has graduated. Um it's not it's not easy. So I don't know if I would have been able to handle that. But that was a possibility because I did enjoy accounting. But a musician is was always there.

SPEAKER_04 44:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:49

But I I I don't know. I I never really took it to the professional, professional levels. Yes, I play gigs and stuff like that, but I I was always scared of tainting that relationship where I make my outlet my income. My income I was a bit I'm still very worried about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:06

Did you tell us why you got kicked out of class in in in school?

SPEAKER_02 45:09

Yeah, because I was writing I was writing a song to test out my future. Oh, yeah. It wasn't even my song. I was writing the Drake and Josh theme song. And uh she was like one of the things.

SPEAKER_03 45:18

Yeah, Yash also had a book of notes. Huh? Yash also has a book.

SPEAKER_02 45:23

Oh my gosh. Oh, so we all there's not a single original experience in this world.

SPEAKER_03 45:28

Why have you done that also? Written swear words in a book? Not a whole book, I've written it on a page. Why do we do that? That's so weird.

SPEAKER_02 45:36

It's because we can't say it in the front of our parents or at home. So we need to get it out. I think that's healthier than making it part of your normal vocabulary. But if you have a whole book full of swear words, I think that's quite disturbing.

SPEAKER_03 45:50

It is part of our vocabulary now anyway, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:52

Sandy.

SPEAKER_03 45:53

Okay. But so you didn't get kicked out of school in dental school. Uh of class dental school. No, never. No, I never got kicked out. Did you guys have to shave and things before you got into the lab or wear a tie on Thursdays?

SPEAKER_02 46:07

So that that was a dying thing, actually, the Thai Thursdays, because that's one of the things that I used to see in these promo things and on Instagram when I was excited about going to dental school.

SPEAKER_03 46:17

So I did do that a few times, but then it's really difficult to work with a tie and be walking around and you call it Thai Thursdays, as it's a it's an elective social thing. Dr. Yasid Chamildian and them used to do that. I think he still does that now. Probably. And Glenn? Glenn Buchanan. Yes. I I I know both of them. They were my lecturers. Yeah, Glenn's now in Australia. Prof. Prof. Glenn Buchanan? Yeah. Yeah. He and I were in the same class.

SPEAKER_02 46:44

Yeah. He also plays guitar, by the way. Oh yeah. Yeah. He's got a I think he's got a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Strat or Telecaster. Those, if you don't know what those are, those are like a really fancy guitar.

SPEAKER_03 46:55

That's what I asked you before.

SPEAKER_02 46:56

If you're looking for a guitar. Yeah. I've I've got a fender strat at home.

SPEAKER_03 47:01

So in dental school, did you ever think like there's something I want to specialize in or I want to be one of these types of things when I leave?

SPEAKER_02 47:08

Or I think the priority was just to become a dentist firstly. Because I was inspired by like almost every single department. I mean, we had in each department we had like one lecturer that was obviously really passionate and everyone's favorite. And again, with the thoughts, I was like, that might be nice to go into. But I think the aim was to just graduate at that point um and become a dentist first and then maybe see what I like and all of that. I I did think about a lot of that stuff. I I really enjoyed watching the the surgeons do wisdom teeth. Yeah. On YouTube at least. No, no, I mean in in there was an east and west ward in in the Maxillofacial Department in Pretoria. Oh yeah. Or there is. Yeah. And then sometimes we'd observe what they do in the street. So on the ground floor, right? Yes. Yeah. That was interesting. But no, I didn't think about um anything further than becoming a dentist. I know a lot of people do and they're very intentional about it, so I give props to them. But for me, I just wanted to become a dentist.

SPEAKER_03 48:09

Were you playing gigs and stuff when you were in uni?

SPEAKER_02 48:12

Yes, and some of my lecturers did come and watch a few of my games. For money. Yeah, for money. I mean it was it was nice um money on the side as a student as well. That's cool. What did you play? I played um in Centurion a lot. I played one or a few gigs in Joburg. A lot of my gigs were well, there was a few open mics. Um but the main place that I played, it's it's a bar that has a swear word in the name after a band with the swear word in the name. Okay. Um it's about the name of the bar was F off Bar. Okay. And uh the address was 297 Linwood Road on the strip in Pretoria. Right. So that bar was on the upper level and they had live music there. And that was a place that I played at regularly.

SPEAKER_03 48:59

Like and and you were well received. I mean, I I just remember going to a place called Springbook Bar. Yes, that was Have you been there?

SPEAKER_02 49:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:08

I've been there and I was like, geez, I felt out of place, eh? Yeah. Why? Like we were the only people of colour in the bar at the time, and like See, that's also why I didn't think I was gonna make that many.

SPEAKER_02 49:17

But why Africans I was scared about that.

SPEAKER_03 49:19

No, I mean like this is Pretoria 2006-7. I we went there and it was a bit So why did you go? No, because you're in the area and you probably You have to embrace the culture of the base that you are going into.

SPEAKER_02 49:32

But that's also why I was scared I wasn't gonna make that many friends because I didn't know I wasn't exposed to that many different cultures in school in Durban. But yeah, um But it was fine. It worked out. It worked out Springbok Springfield.

SPEAKER_03 49:46

It's so progressive. I mean he was afraid to go there as a as an observer. But clearly because you are there as like part of the to be observed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:54

I didn't think it would um what is your question again? You asked if I played at Springbok bar or if I never thought it was gonna be. When I started off, obviously there wasn't that many people in the gigs, right? And then I realized, you know what? No one's gonna come just because you're singing. You have to, in life, you have to make things easier for people. You have to make people, you have to let them know that you want them there. So it was my dental school friends, some of my lecturers as well, a lot of my friends from Res. I they were my biggest supporters. And I obviously had to work on my craft as well. I mean, if I'm inviting people and I want people to show up, I need to be good at what I'm doing. So it's a combination of to be well received, it was a combination of me working on my craft, but also inviting as many people as I knew. Like even I'd make reservations for people. Um cool. So I would say I was well received, but because it was a joint effort.

SPEAKER_03 50:46

And then does the venue pay you? Or it was good money.

SPEAKER_02 50:50

Like how much did you get paid? It's okay. I mean, I think How much would they pay? For those, for a 45 minutes set, like you get like a grand, a grand and a half. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:58

Not that bad.

SPEAKER_02 50:58

And it doesn't feel like 45 minutes on stage. It's like dentistry, I think.

SPEAKER_03 51:01

It's more than uh that's more than two like two grand an hour almost.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

Yeah, I mean, for I know for one show in Pretoria, I mean, we got about five. For how long? 45 minutes. Sure, sure. Or an hour. Who's we though? So I had a band. I literally grew a band in the last two years of me staying there.

SPEAKER_03 51:20

With the other dentists or no, I was only dentists.

SPEAKER_02 51:22

Um, they are now medical doctors, all of them.

SPEAKER_03 51:24

Oh, so they were on campus with you, so that's how you know that.

SPEAKER_02 51:27

Very talented. There's a lot of people in in healthcare that are very well, obviously everywhere, but I uh specifically in res and from my experience, there's a lot of people that are extremely talented musically.

SPEAKER_03 51:39

I mean, for you for the listeners, Kiash pointed at Yak, and I don't know what you what you mean. What do you mean? Talented at what? He's a DJ. He can also play that.

SPEAKER_02 51:47

I heard him playing guitar earlier.

SPEAKER_03 51:48

Just goes and puts a YouTube playlist. That's a DJ. He's never attended any of my case.

SPEAKER_02 51:53

He's very talented at doing that, by the way. No, that's what I'm saying. There's a lot of people that are so talented.

SPEAKER_03 51:59

But how so how did you put this band together? Like what? Bass, drums, acoustic, and then?

SPEAKER_02 52:04

Bass drums. So I was on guitar and vocals, and then the first person to join was my friend uh Doc. Can I mention their name? Dr. Syander Amnisi. So he's he's from Springs, actually. Um, so he was a year above me. He actually used to stay in the flat lit below me in res. You know, at the end of Res, I stayed in a flat in the res. So yeah, he was very talented. He plays in church and all of that. So he played bass guitar for me. And then at some point he also played keys. You know, he was playing synth and all of that while playing bass on St. Andrew. Yeah, he was he was one of the most talented people I've ever performed with, if not the most talented. Sorry to everyone else out there. Um, and he's irreplaceable, yeah. And then after that, we had um my friend Dr. Alvin Drabile. He was on keys and backing vocals as well, very talented as well. And the last person to join is Dr. Stefan Smith. He's he's actually getting married next year. Um, he was our drummer. And then we actually formed this band for Park Agoustics when we opened for Jeremy Loops. Wow. Yeah. I know Jeremy Loops. Uh, what was the name of your band? Well, it is Kiosh, uh it is my name, but we used to call ourselves the Peaches because I was obsessed with that song by Justin Bieber. Yeah. You're gonna do it. Okay. What that song.

SPEAKER_04 53:23

Let's see, let's hear it. I can do it. Let's do it for you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:28

Peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches. Is that how it goes? No, that's peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches. That's we must clip this out, but things are going well. I'm gonna clip it out, it's going to be.

SPEAKER_00 55:00

I took my chicken to the north. I get my bread from the source, yes. That's it.

unknown 55:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:09

So that inspired the n the name of the band. Peter.

SPEAKER_02 55:12

Yes, that song in combination with we had a WhatsApp group. Yeah. Um, because I was part of the House Committee as well. And we had a P Emoji.

SPEAKER_03 55:19

What was your portfolio in the in the House Comp?

SPEAKER_02 55:21

So the first year was secretary.

SPEAKER_03 55:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:24

And then the second year was uh what is it? Deputy. What's it deputy or yeah. Um So you were quite a leader on the uh in charge of academics and a cappella as well.

unknown 55:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:36

Okay. Oh, so uh Olympus had an a cappella thing.

SPEAKER_02 55:40

Yes, it did. It had a very good a cappella group.

SPEAKER_03 55:42

Yeah. There's some there's like really cool people in your race sounds lame, come to think about it. My race was a senior race, but they were also like musicians and stuff. I just probably just didn't hang around with all these cool people.

SPEAKER_02 55:53

Yeah, I mean that's one of the benefits of like being in a race like Olympus. And as I said, there's so many talented people uh in that group, and that's where I learned to actually how to sing properly. Okay. Yeah, they made me like it wasn't part of initiation or anything. It was like I think they obviously saw the potential. The one senior guy made me lie down and put like a stack of books on top of me and like breathe and hold the note. Yo, man. So it's like lung work almost, like, yeah, because I was singing from here. From your larynx. Yeah. Which is not a sustainable way to sing. Yeah. And now even when I talk, it's from here.

SPEAKER_03 56:31

I was watching an interview recently where it's like this expert in speech. And like speech is one of the most complex motor things that humans do because there's so many things happening.

SPEAKER_02 56:44

I used to have a lot of gigs where you know I wasn't singing to my full potential or I didn't warm up and I was like really anxious about that during the gig. But since like 2020, I really started working on that, and I've never needed to warm up or worry about not hitting a note on stage or Do you ever bomb?

SPEAKER_03 57:05

Hey? Did you ever bomb at a gig or like do really badly or come out thinking, gosh, that sucked?

SPEAKER_02 57:10

Um The one way I can say it was my my fault. I think I was uh I forgot it was the first song and it was an original song, and I forgot the words to my own song.

SPEAKER_03 57:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:25

Why do you fake it? Because you just like it's nerves, all the nerves.

SPEAKER_02 57:28

Nerves, and also there's so many verses in that song. So I was thinking of every possible verse, and then I just froze, and then I sang the same line twice.

SPEAKER_03 57:35

And do people in the in the audience like or crowd distract you? Do you like see somebody in the damn card?

SPEAKER_02 57:40

Yes, yeah. No, I damn what?

SPEAKER_03 57:42

Damn, this is like a good-looking person, or so like, geez, or whatever, you know?

SPEAKER_02 57:45

Um yeah, I've had a few distractions in the crowd, and but it it makes things more interesting. As I said, I invite people to come and watch. So I know most of the people in the audience, so it makes it a lot more fun. When my best friend came to watch, like, I couldn't look at the the bra. Like if I looked at him while singing a photograph by Edge Sheeran, I would laugh. Okay. And you can't laugh during that song.

SPEAKER_03 58:06

So there's a lot of people that so it's worse for you to have people there.

SPEAKER_02 58:11

Uh no, it I I got used to it. I don't mind smiling or laughing a bit when I sing. Yeah. Because it it makes it feel a bit more human. Not everything has to be prim and proper. Okay. But whatever you do here needs to be good.

SPEAKER_03 58:23

So dental school is five years, right? And at the end of it, you've got to apply for ComServe towards the end. Yes. Where do you apply for?

SPEAKER_02 58:31

Um well, in general speaking, you want to obviously apply to where you want to go. For me, I was kind of I was looking to try and either stay in Pretoria or go back home. Okay. Because Pretoria, I had the gigging and all of that. Um But at the same time, I was so far from home. I was kind of felt disconnected as well. So the options for KZN, I don't think I got a single option for what I actually applied for in KZN. I I think I applied to the the Phoenix um CHC. Yeah, Community Health Center. Yeah, Community Health Center. And a few other places in KZN, but I got placed in Pinetown, in Quadabeca, actually. Not bad. Yeah, it wasn't bad. I stayed at home. It was like a 40-minute drive there and back.

SPEAKER_03 59:17

Did you where didn't did you apply for KZN? I applied, yeah, for all like the. If you apply for KZN, you're probably gonna get KZN. No, no, no. My time. I got third rounded. That's why I ended up in Stanerton. My first round didn't get all the players, the second round, in your third round. So then does the gigging stop then for a year? And yeah, in quite a big one. We broke up the band.

SPEAKER_02 59:36

The band. Peaches, yeah. We had our final performance after I found out that I graduated and all of that. Um I mean it was it was always going to happen. But then we had um a performance, a final performance with each other. Uh when I did graduate uh in in Pretoria. So I took the whole week off uh in 2023 during ComServe, and then we rehearsed on the Thursday, graduated on the Friday, and then the performance was on the Saturday at that bar. So that bar was really well accommodating because I used to play there so frequently, they would make a whole event. The title was Home Is Where the Bar Is. So yeah, there was that. So the band got together for one final hurrah, and that's like new songs. My parents were there watching. Oh, that was the most special moment. They've watched me in the in that same bar once or twice before, but not with the full band.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:29

That is so cool. And where's everyone now from the band?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:33

So Sia is still, I think he's working in Twane. Um, Alvin is doing his internship in Eastern Cape, and I think Stefan is in Pretoria. Yeah, as well. So we don't message every day, but we do send each other reels every now and then, get wedding invites from some people. I got one this past week. Cool. So yeah. People are getting married. Yeah, very happy for them. And mind you, a lot of those stories started because I mean, I I think Stefan's Bride to Be is she she used to watch us like about. Well, maybe she wasn't watching us, maybe she was just watching Stefan. But sounds stalker, stalkerish. No, no, no, not stalkers. Very friendly, very lovely people. It that's kind of the beauty of like inviting everyone because everyone's got their own story, and that was quite beautiful for me as well. Lovely.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:20

To watch that blossom into where it is now. And you don't get any fan mail or any p groupies or things like that. I do. Yeah. How? Like on Instagram?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:28

There's Instagram. Yeah. Sometimes people get your number for you.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:31

They don't throw their underwear on stage and stuff like that. No.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:34

No. I've never had someone someone made a bra out of paper.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:38

And they wrote bra on it. And um, they wanted to be your bra.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:42

They wanted to be my bra. Yeah. Nothing more. Yeah. No, um, I've never been thrown anything on stage, but no roses or anything.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:52

I went straight to underwear. Um Yeah, no, I've uh No. So Compsav, what do you do as a d in Compsurve in Quaddebeka? Just extractions?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:00

Yeah, mainly extractions. I think I did one put in Visual Sealant. Wow. Um I did a cleaning for my other Compsurve. We had two Compsurves because he Yeah, he was outgoing, but he finished in March. So there was two of us at a time. So I did his cleaning for him.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:17

And by then you must have been really good at cleaning, because you remember you'd be like, Yeah, you've been practicing on the IBS. Yeah. Yeah, because it's exactly the same. Yeah. And then you did one cleaning the whole year for your friend. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:27

Because uh most of the scalers in the suction was not a good thing. But ComServ can really like Yeah deteriorate your skills. Diminish. Can you imagine after having like, you know, graduated, you're motivated to do all of this stuff, and then you go there, and like in the first week they're taking out the extra unit, they're taking it off the wall, and like what? And then I'm I've I actually went to visit the place before I started working there, just so I could see where it's going. I was like, oh, what kind of work do we do here? And like, don't worry about it. Just come extra and then I found out that we only do extractions.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:02

And what was it the whole day thing or did you finish at like 12 p.m. and go home?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:06

No, it was a busy clinic because all of the I s I may not be 100% on the facts, but it would explain a lot. Uh it was a community healthcare center as well. And a lot of the clinics around it were frozen. So everyone used to come to this particular area. No, it was it wasn't necessarily early days. In fact, my supervisor was like, I know a lot of people in ComServ um have stories about finishing early and stuff like that. This is not like that. We see 60 to 80 patients a day, and um we've we leave later at the normal time.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:43

So ComSurv, but it can it can make you like an extraction expert almost, because you're just extracting every day, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:48

It does, but at the same time, now that I'm thinking about it, now that I'm working in private, I'm like I I've it's affect it probably affected them. Taking out one tooth can affect someone. You know, teeth move, they how they eat, their confidence.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:04

I'm so glad you're thinking about it this way. Like, you know, because as you said, a lot of people would get stagnant in ComServe and like leave half day and stuff. And even though you were not, you still feel like you were doing something, you know, the to the detriment of someone else, even if you were working that hard. Yeah. Because it's not it's not how it should be. I mean actually that, you know, that's the level of skill that ComSurv like subjects teaches you.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:29

I mean, listen, there's there's uh there's always good and bad in everything. And I I guess the bad part is that I only did extractions, especially on people that were young and the rest of their teeth seemed great. Um yeah, I mean I knew I was getting them out of pain and all of that, but at the last time the percentage of that could have been stable. Yeah. Could have been stable. And uh I probably did something I shouldn't have. Like we didn't do root canals in in Comsil, right? And there's one lady she had pain, I think there was one of her front teeth as well. She's like, I don't want to lose this tooth. But I know you guys only do extractions, yeah. So I I recommended that you see my dentist in Virilem. I asked, How much are you willing to spend and are you willing to drive? So I was like, why don't you go there? And I don't know, is that against the rules?

unknown 1:05:24

No.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:25

No, I don't think so. I don't think so. I told her, yeah, go go there. And because in ComServe as well, whatever issues I had with my teeth, I used to go like every like I had a whole treatment plan and I sorted it out. So I was like, this lady's amazing, so why don't you go see her? And she did. I didn't get to follow up with her because I mean we didn't exchange contact, but I gave her my dentist's landline and all of that. I hope she did for herself.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:50

They call that a re a referral.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:52

Yeah, that is a referral. No, because I heard that it's obviously like um or maybe it's the other way, like. Private can't refer to public? No. Oh, you can still refer anyway. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:05

Yeah. In my in my com so we I did I had an MO post and and at uh Rob Ferreira and MaxFax. And obviously there's no implantology in in public s service. So we used to refer, take patients from private, you know, to do them under GA and vice versa.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:23

Aaron Powell Listen, if if it's going to help the person in question, how is it how can it be a bad thing, you know? Um I know people. But there's no regulation against it, I'll tell you that much. Okay. Because I thought people do people definitely have some opinions about it, I'm sure. No, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:37

No. That's what I was thinking about. So I'm glad there's obviously Yeah, I mean if you're referring to a place where you work privately. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:46

Yeah, I know that's that's that is that's what I was thinking about. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:50

And you shouldn't be working privately in ComServ anyway. Yeah. Uh okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:53

But yeah, sorry, as I was saying, I there's good and bad in everything. So in that commserv, although I was just extracting people, I obviously try to look at it as I'm helping them in a way. I obviously know there's a different way they could have been helped.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:05

It's literally community service.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:06

It is. It is. But at the end of the day, you you're treating a person, right? You're not just working. That stuff actually makes sense, you know, when they tell you when you're graduating, you're treating a person, not a tooth.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:17

And was that the first time you were earning a salary?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:20

And how was the money?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:21

Oh, it was good.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:22

Yeah. How much?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:24

Uh I can say it's because.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:29

50k after after everything goes. It's like the SMS that comes into your phone, it's 50k.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:34

It was lovely. And I was staying at home. Obviously, I was contributing. But to what? To like groceries, all of that stuff. I was helpful. Good boy, yeah. The least I could do. Yo, my parents sacrificed a lot of. Did you buy them anything with your first salary or like a gift or something? I bought fruit for my mom. She wanted me to take fruit and temple.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:51

Yeah. Yes, you must you must buy fruit. You got away lightly, then. Fruit from your first salary. Sure. And what did you do with the money?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:59

Saved it or I saved a lot of it. Um at the time I was still feeling very connected to Pretoria. So I had a lot of trips back up to Pretoria, like for graduation, obviously, for my birthday, because most of my friends are still here.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:11

This is 2023, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:12

2023, yes. And then I came up again in August for another gig, wasn't with a band and stuff like that. So that's kind of what I spent my money on. I also bought myself my first proper guitar as a Fender Stratocaster, so that was amazing. How much does that cost? So that guitar was about 28 with the case, and that's that's not even the cheapest. I think guitars go all the way up to the a hundred thousands. Wow. Yeah, believe that. So yeah, that's what I did with my money. And I mean, I obviously my other friend that I keep mentioning, um Laru, he was in Durban as well. So I got to really learn about Amschlanga in Amschlanga village, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:57

Oh, so you went jolling a lot in ComSur?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:59

Yeah, well not all not during the week, like on a Friday or a Saturday. I would like go catch up hours work, stuff like that. That was really nice. That was a highlight of my ComSurv years, earning my own money and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:10

And were you not worried? Like, so once ComSurv is coming to an end now, well what do you have to think about going forward? You have to think about work, right? Where am I gonna work?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:18

I think everyone in ComServe that knows that they're gonna go to private is worried about how much they're gonna earn. So you knew you were going to private. Yeah. Um because I did get offered uh a post at one of the satellite clinics, or they told me to apply for that. But at the at the end of ComServ, I was like, I I I don't want to get up and go and extract teeth every day. Um I w yeah, I was like, I want to do as wide of a scope of dentistry as possible. I didn't study five years to just extract teeth. So yeah, I was looking for a place. I was obviously scared about the whole salary drop thing because now I'm gonna be working for my own money. And I really I employed like a mini recruit thing, and then she recommended a few practices. Oh, wait, explain that? What do you mean? Like there's a one of the musicians in Pretoria, his wife was worked for medi recruit. So dentists leaving ComSurve. Like she would help them find jobs. And I did find a few opportunities, but one was in in Grahamstown, one is um in Petrotif in a Puma Langa, and one was in Maritzburg. And I did check the Maritzburg one out. And I I I didn't want to work there.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:39

So with many recruit, like they would approach practice owners and they'd ask us if we're like, we have to happen to you. Yeah, they'd approach us, ask us if we have positions available. Then we'd be like, yeah, whatever it is, and then they they would go out and advertise the post, and then like you would apply for that post. So it's they just like connect the you have an interview and stuff like that. Yeah, yeah, they do all the betting and whatnot. And they could charge a commission, obviously. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what what advice would you give people like in ComServe right now? Like how how would you suggest that they do things?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:12

In terms of getting a job after?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:13

Yeah, in terms of like surety and you know the risk involved with like salary and things.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:19

Listen, I think you need to be prepared for that. You're going to have to start in you have to start somewhere, and that sounds so cliche, but it is the truth. Just accept the fact that you are going into a new arena as a new dentist. You have to do that. Yeah, I'm talking about private practice.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:37

You think everyone is assured a job in private practice after comps?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:43

I don't think anyone's assured anything. I think you have to you have to be intentional about it.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:48

You have to So break it down even further then. What should they be doing? Should they be applying for private practice?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:55

I feel like they need to find out what they want to do first, whether they want to try and stay or whether they want to go into private. And Because some people might just be content with just extracting teeth for the rest of their life. No, and I mean no no fault to that. Saying I just didn't want to do that.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:10

Um no, some people are, and I'm good for them if they if that's working for them. Me personally, I wanted to go into private and do a wider scope of dentistry. Um so I think if you're in ComServe, just embrace the fact that you are going to start something new after. I don't think you need to be scared or anything like that because I your experience is not you're not alone in that. Everyone's done that from ComServe to to private. Um be smart about it. Have some type of support system, obviously, if you want to try and be closer to home or something like that. But I don't know. I I can't give advice to everyone based on my experience. I I feel like for me, I was playing it safe by being far enough, but also close enough to home by going to Meritzburg. But that's why I said find out what you want to do first, be intentional about it. If you want to make something work, you will make it work. Yeah. And um, I think just be humble. My takeaway from that, all of that what I was just saying is be humble and be prepared to start and build up. That's my best advice. Don't stress if you haven't found a job in June, like really work out your time frames, work out what type of work you want to do. Do you want to have mentorship when you start in private practice? Because I think that's a big thing. Because if you go from I don't know how it was for other people, if they didn't do anything besides extractions and then start going into private practice, it's a big of a j it's a bit of a big jump. So if you would like a mentorship, make sure that in your job interviews you explain that. You you you need to kind of be shown the ropes of how this person wants you to practice in their practice. And yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:55

You know what my advice would be is to not spend your money in commserve. Like save. Save. So even if come January the next year, if you don't if you're not guaranteed a job um in government or you can't find anything suitable in private, at least you know you have some time when you have some finances that gives you that time to look for that is great advice.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:17

Because I mean, fortunately my parents also told me to do the same thing and then I just saved as much. Um it is a really good thing. Don't don't make any big Don't buy cars and don't if you don't need to, obviously.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:29

Obviously you're drones.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:31

Yeah, don't um don't make commitments that you don't know you'll like if you don't know you're gonna be able to finance them in private. Um yeah. Fortunately, I was surrounded by a lot of wise people that think like you.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:44

So Okay. I mean I'm the only one that needs a bathroom now.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:48

Um what are we gonna I'm enjoying this, yeah?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:55

Yeah, I'm enjoying it. I like this answer you gave. Hey, I'm going to the bathroom also. Because I don't want you to shoot. I don't see it monitoring our meal peak. Should we start? No. No, no, keep it rolling.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:08

I'm gonna jam. Yeah, you can use this as part of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:11

Okay, we're back from the bathroom break, everyone. Um that's the first time I've needed to do that, and it's because I've I drank coffee before. Coffee on Play Town. So, pray pro tip if you're doing podcasts long form, avoid coffee before you start. Kiash, you wanna uh bring us back with uh a track?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:29

Sure. Do you want me to sing um one of my own songs or whatever you feel like, man? This is gonna be on brand because I wrote it about someone's smile. Okay. Not recently, I wrote the song on my trick. What's it called? And who's called Smile. And who's the person?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:44

I don't think we need to say it. She's in Germany now. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:48

Yes, we're getting there. We're getting there.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:53

She didn't break my heart though. It's fine. Okay, I'm gonna play it like yeah. Okay, how does the song go? We were not there. I'll just sing a bit of the chorus.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:11

So how do you want you smile? I love it when you smile. Don't be scared of the smile. Don't be scared of the fish. I love it when you smile Don't be scared about the skies in the sky. Cause nothing is to smile. Cause not smart.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:05

I'm getting I'm getting emotional. Yeah, we too. We can get a name though. It's fine. Yeah, stop stop probing. Jeez, she's in Germany, that's all we need to do.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:13

Yeah, she's actually I think she's starting to become a doctor now.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:16

Okay. Yeah, man, this is really cool. Uh we need to do more podcasts, I guess, for people to sing first all day. Yeah, exactly. Well, being serenaded, yeah. Good singing.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:25

We'll get to the bottom of it just now. I'm sure it'll come out at some point again. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:28

So your medi recruiter, whatever they call it, they put place you in Maritzburg.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:33

No, they they set me up with interviews and stuff. And the one in Maritzburg, I think I wasn't ready to I didn't like the way the you know it was set up because it was multiple dentists and stuff like that. So I didn't want that kind of vibe. I did need a bit more. I felt like I needed a bit more mentorship. And I wanted to try and see if I could stay closer to home as well. Because I was obviously I didn't know what I was gonna earn. Yeah. Okay. But that had nothing to do with any recruit.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:00

Yeah. And what's it like leaving ComServe and going to private? Is it a big and Meritzburg? Yak is a Merit's bug boy.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:07

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where about Meritzburg did you are you from? You said uh Belfort.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:12

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um So I'm extracting teeth exodontia to every dancia.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:20

It is it for me, it was a bit overwhelming because even doing a cleaning after like a year, the iPad didn't prepare me. Um I think it took me quite some time to do a cleaning to like like just get the feel of it because uh I was just extracting teeth and like just that dexterity and the yeah, that's the main thing. That was like a big jump. I had to refamiliarize myself with that.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:44

And sitting and working, yeah, because you don't you stare when you do extractions.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:46

We didn't sit at all. So sitting and working, indirect vision.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:50

Oh yeah, you forget about Yeah, indirect vision.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:53

Ouch. Yeah, you're also not applying pressure because the dentist does a dentistry require strength? No, it requires like technique, right? Tactile sensations. Yes, dexterity, finesse, yeah, that's a good word. Yeah. Um it was a big jump. And I I thought, oh, I'll just uh two weeks and I'll I'll be back. No, it took a bit longer than two weeks.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:11

It's not exactly like riding a bike, especially if you stop for a whole year.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:14

No, it's not like it, but fortunately, I have a really great boss and mentor, and he kind of eased me into it. You know, he told me the techniques. His name is Dr. Alvin Naidu, Dr. E.K. Naidu, uh is known in Peter Maritzburg. Uh he has been practicing for I think it'll be 23 years now, because he's exactly 20 years ahead of me. Okay. Um so he's he's got a really good name in Peter Maritzburg, and he's one of the I think one of the reasons I enjoy working for him is because he's one of the most transparent people I've ever seen. How he explains something to me is how he would explain something to a patient. And I'd I think to practice in that way is one of the best things to do.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:00

What's the hardest thing in private practice? That was my question. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:04

What do you mean procedure-wise? Just just general.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:07

The hardest thing. What's the hardest thing about? Oh, the hardest thing about dentistry or private practice? Dentistry in private practice. Um I would assume.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:16

I would assume it's patience. Amen. The thing is, I think that's together. The hardest thing is it's not necessarily the patience. I think it's having to explain the administrative part. Because someone exists outside of your chair, right? Like if you if if someone walks in with pain and stuff like that, and you maybe you don't have time to see them on the day or do the procedure that they require, they've taken time off to come and see you and all of that stuff like that. So that's one small example. Um, but I think like every as I was telling um Yak earlier, everyone's governed by availability, affordability, um, bad experiences in the past. I think the hardest thing is trying to you need to still obviously by principle practice good dentistry and solid evidence-based dentistry, but you need to apply it to real people in real time. And I think that's the hardest part, is because everyone comes with a different hand of cards that they've been dealt. Um and the hardest part is I d I really don't like telling someone, like when they ask me how much is this gonna cost? Uh, will my medical aid cover it? And Yak is nodding very like it can relate. That's the hardest part of my job. I mean, we have people uh to handle that part of it, but at the end of the day, you doing the work, you need to obviously tell someone somewhat of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:39

And I don't train you for that, eh? It's it's like you've got to be a salesperson. It is the least favorite. Do they not train you about that though? They must have now. In 2020. 2020.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:49

What on how to speak to people? About money.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:52

No, eh?

SPEAKER_02 1:21:53

We had we had um CPM. Yes, yes, yes. They they taught us how to do some accounts and stuff like that. But not to actually have the conversation and say it's gonna cost you X, Y, and Z. I don't think so. I think in ethics and stuff like that, they mention, you know, speaking about the costs and stuff. In theory.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:08

But practical.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:10

No. I don't think we've ever done that. And that's that's the hardest part of my job.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:14

That's my least favorite part of the job, isn't it so that some dentists actually don't know what the things cost? Yeah? Yeah, I purposefully keep myself ignorant. So Why? Why? How how are you gonna know what what the thing you're doing is gonna cost a patient? Uh that's up to someone else that I've outsourced to get it done for me. That's not true. So I don't have to have those difficult conversations.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:36

I'm sure like my boss, uh Alvin at some point knows the unit price per something. But after just working, you can't focus on that while you're doing clinical work and complicated clinical treatment and stuff. So that's that's I really don't like that part of my job is telling someone, you know, you know, they have to go find out the cost and stuff. Obviously, you tell them all of this before you do anything, but it's still not a like I just wanna I just want things to flow. And I think that's gonna be a very difficult thing for if you if you're coming out of Comso, where you just do what they need.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:08

So you're still working there now from from post-COMSO?

SPEAKER_02 1:23:11

Yeah. How many years is that now? This is my third year with him.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:16

And uh and Meritzburg?

SPEAKER_02 1:23:18

Maritzburg. Uh everyone has their their thoughts about Meritburg. Sleepy hollow. Isn't it isn't it the sleepy hollow? Isn't it dead? There's nothing to do in Maritzburg. They got water there. They've the drinking water is excellent, man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:29

Yeah, it was rated the best in the world once upon a time. It's uh it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:33

In fact, I feel like I've gained superpowers from digging.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:35

Yeah. Yeah, your immune system must have gained superpowers, yeah. I'm gonna tell my dad. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's dad was uh healthy. Environmental health. Yeah. We used to go to the purification plants and stuff and like see how things work.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:49

When you when you come to Maritzburg, we'll go for a tour. I'll show you Debbie Place.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:52

Yeah. That's a place to be, dude.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:54

That's the place to be, Debbie Place. Debbie.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:56

Not Durban, uh Durban Road. We used to go to Dur, remember the 50s. Yeah, yeah. No, Debbie Place is like it's like an Indian. Yeah. Yeah? Because I I can't believe it's still around. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:08

Yeah, it's still there. I mean, people buy their their meat from there and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:11

But yeah, it's too far.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:15

Like uh Bindi and I feel like I'm working in the in the virulum of Peter Maritzburg.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:19

Is there a market there where you work?

SPEAKER_02 1:24:21

Yeah, very close by. The Debbie Play. It's very yeah. It's very familiar to home. And I think that's why I'm working there as well. It's it's feels like home. Um what was your question?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:31

I can't even remember. Uh you're saying how's Maritzburg? Yeah, I said how's Maritburg?

SPEAKER_02 1:24:35

I enjoy Maritzburg, man. Um Do people know you there now? Like when you walk, you drive around and like, hey, Doc? So I either clients or patients um of mine, but also uh because it's so small, like uh a lot of people at gym, that's where most of my friendships have started in Beta Maritzburg. There's also a big social group for a lot of the interns and doctors that move there. It's called PMB Life. So that's how I met a lot of people. What's P what do you mean? What group? It's like a social group because Maritzburg, everyone, nobody knows someone in Maritzburg if they got placed there. Um so they're all just friends with each other. And it's like an it's a group for medical doctors, dentists, and a WhatsApp group or what? It's a WhatsApp group that's divided into multiple WhatsApp groups. So there's a social group, there's a community group, there's a marketplace group where if you're selling stuff, there's a group for runners, all of that stuff's cool.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:24

But you know, Maritzburg is like one of the most sought-after like uh places for comserv.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:29

Because of Grays?

SPEAKER_03 1:25:30

Because of the the three hospitals, Grays, Northdale, and Eden, Edenale Hospital, just like how you know Kimberly, like take a shot to Kimberley, because you you have all the specialities there, so you get training in your comserve through that cycle.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:44

I love Peter Maritzburg. I'm not gonna lie. I think I've done the most personal growth in Peter Maritzburg. I I had my fun in Vretoria in the city. Then I was still technically in the city during ComServe. And then I think I went to be on my own again, but it's also like a like an hour's drive from home.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:04

But how do you get added to this PMB live group now? You just go there and somebody puts you on.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:08

On New Year's Eve of 2023, I was with my cousins in Amshwangar Village, and one of them was one of the doctors that's going there, my cousin's friend. Um so he was like, hey kiosh, there's a there's a group of people in PME, like a bunch of uh doctors and stuff that you know all either party together, not party, but like like you know, there's social events that happen.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:34

We're in Amshwangar Village, mermaids. Yes. Okay, I thought so.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:39

But we were like outside, not in the thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:41

Why are both of you smiling like that?

SPEAKER_02 1:26:42

No, I was just like it spot on. Like it's a We were sitting there, we we were booked to table for New Year's Eve there. Yeah. Yeah, sunsets and mermaids. No, it's not curious.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:53

I thought maybe it's not a it's not like a dodgy place. It's a no, it's not a dodgy place.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:56

Um so we were sitting there and he was going to Maritzburg the the year after. And so were you, right? Yeah. Yeah. So that's how I found out about it. But Maritzburg, man, I I've grown to love it because after having been so busy in the city and stuff like that and l enjoying the city life, I needed to go to some place where I I just could chill. And Maritzburg is perfect for that. And the quiet for me is a really good thing because you can you can sit with your thoughts um with whatever you're going through and really process it. And I've picked up a lot, like a few new hobbies and stuff like that. I mean, I started reading again. Um because for the longest time I didn't even pick up a book and read. Um, I started running last year as well, and Maritzburg's got so much greenery, so you like really enjoy it. Where where do you gym? I gym at Cascades.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:43

Yeah, I was about it like that for me, that gym. I mean, I I gym all around the country. But when I I went for a wedding last year, after maybe ten years out of being on Maritzburg, and I went to that Virgin Active, and it was it's beautiful, man. It's like the whole glass window and it's in the forest.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:00

It's so nice. And there's a trail there as well. Yeah. So that's what I like about Meritzburg is like you can really just it you can slow down. If you ever want a taste of the city, it's like an hour's drive. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:12

Maritzburg is I like it. I mean you mentioned chilling and relaxing, right? But you're not doing that. You're gigging. You're doing a lot of music stuff, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:28:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:20

Are you gigging in Maritzburg?

SPEAKER_02 1:28:21

I've had a few gigs. I I I've had one or two solo gigs, but like at a wedding. I sang at my friend's wedding not too long ago. I saw that. That was in Howiko. Where was it? Yeah, it was where they have this music in the Hills thing. It is in Hilton. Oh, Hilton. Yeah. So there was that. Um and I'm starting I've recently joined uh a band or play for this guitar. Play guitar for this person, Matt Gardner. So we played at Splashy Friend. E gigs. Yeah. You played at Splashy.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:50

Yes, yes, yes. That was fun. At weddings and stuff, do people pay you? They got a rate.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:55

Uh if I don't know the people and they obviously ask me to put a whole set together, that does take time. And so would you do free for Yaks wedding? I honestly would. I'm negotiating for you, yeah. Because most of the weddings that I play at No, I don't want free stuff.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:10

I must pay. Yeah, that's what he says. That's what he says he doesn't want.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:13

It's just because it's free doesn't mean it's gonna be bad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:15

It's it's it's Exactly. Really? You guys must watch the cost of free. Okay, so how much how much then what's the rate? Let's for Yak's wedding. Let's let's take it out. Let's do it now. How much? I'll bring the double up. Give us a discount. What do you think? Like 20 grand for Whoa, that's that's a bit much. Oh, really? It's Yak. Have you seen this practice? How long would you want me to perform? Yak is making good money. Yash is making up a scenario. Yeah. So let's go with these money. Let's do 20 grand, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:29:44

20 grand. I'll custom make a song for you. I'll play as someone walks down the aisle.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:49

You must walk me down the aisle. I'll walk you down the aisle while singing. So Kiosh is going to kiosh will be making this custom song. You see how you've overcommitted yourself. Can you think of any lyrics like right now on the flash? Yes, I can. Let's do it. Sing one now. Okay. Okay. We didn't talk on the side. Oh wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:04

Tell me about um Tell me about this person you're going to marry.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:08

Oh no, uh, that's a theory. In theory, yeah. Come on. It's theoretical. Yeah. Yeah? Okay, let's just uh tell us about the person you're gonna marry. They're very patient. They're very patient. Why? Because they're not gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:24

Give me four words and I'll I'll come up with something.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:27

Um this is not this is a good one. I'll let Yash do it. Patient? Yeah. Pretty. Uh persevering. Persevering. All the P words. And Peter Meritzburg.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:41

Oh my gosh. Where's the Eminem when you need it? Hey, Eminem, rhyme rhyme Peter Maritzburg with something. Patience pretty, perseverance and Peter Meritzburg. The four cornerstones of life. Okay. Since it's a wedding song, I have to do three four-four timing.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:24

Look it's so free. Oh V chat comet to me. Oh you waited. And you cut the fit. Getting married to the murder.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:57

Wow, dude. Hired. Very good.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:00

20 grand, right? Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:01

Hiya. Yeah, she's paying for the podcast. Jeez, my wow. Well done. That is just off the cuff like that. Yeah. Amazing. Yeah, that's cool. I'm looking forward to the wedding.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:12

I'll sample this in the actual song.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:14

That'll be cool. That'll be cool. It'll be I can just see it now, right? We'll we'll do the wedding speech. You're gonna have to pay after RYX though. People will do the wedding speech, then we'll we'll cut to this part of this podcast. Because this podcast is part of the ex life, right? We might even cut to other interviews of people, depending on on who you had to do.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:33

You can do our whole montage and then end with this clip. Yeah, I think the shower a lot like shorter.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:39

Like what about that? I mean, I never thought about it.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:43

Yeah, but most most of my friends' weddings, if they're my friends and I was gonna go to the wedding anyway, why why would I now charge you? I will say the only part of it is like I don't I never get to actually catch up with all of the friends that I haven't seen in so long.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:59

That's the only part where I'm like, but I mean, money's not gonna fix that. So even if they do pay me, I'm still not gonna get to catch up with my friends. That's the only part I don't like about playing at weddings, is that you still have to go soundcheck and set up your stuff. You have to worry about your stuff.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:12

You don't get to enjoy it, right? Like Yak has MC'd a few weddings. I mean, uh isn't that like you can't do it. I I actually don't like it, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:19

I've played I mean, I I've always known that I was going to be that friend in the group that everyone would want me to sing at their wedding. Yeah. Did I just overstate overstate myself too much?

SPEAKER_03 1:33:29

No, no, I mean that's just the reality.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:30

But yeah, I've your role in society. In fact, most of the weddings I've played at, all dentists as well, getting married. The one was in Cape Town in Stellenbosch, where they their first dance was to one of my songs that I'd released.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:41

But tell me they at least like sort out your airfare and everything. No. You do it yourself. Jeez, you're a good friend. That was my gift to them. No, because I took the whole weekend. On that note, you flew here for us. Ask him if we sort out your F. No, no. We're gonna be paying you in the past. What do you call it? Exposure. Exposure. No, but the thing is, hey? Do people do that? They'll be like, no, I'm not gonna pay you, you'll get exposure type of thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:06

Well, I do a lot of charity, like actual charity stuff, and I mean obviously I don't expect to get paid there. Um, if it's a corporate, they usually do pay you. Like you're playing at a restaurant. There's a lot of people that have asked me to perform for exposure. And if I'm not doing anything else, like if work's not in the way if I don't have another gig, yeah, then maybe I'll do it. Because as I said, this is not my source of income. Yeah, exposure is like that's a benefit for me. It's still a bonus for me because I've still got dentistry too.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:34

Speaking of exposure, how do you get yourself out there? Like I'm guessing TikTok and all these things.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:40

This is gonna sound silly, but the only way to get yourself out there is to actually get yourself out there. Um, when I started singing again after I mean high school and stuff, I was in musicals and stuff. But as a solo artist, you have to go to an open mic. Just like how you would in dentistry, you have to be prepared to start from the bottom up. Like in dentistry, you're not gonna have a client base when you first start out. If you do, great for you. But I'm saying as as a new dentist, you have to build your your base up, your your skill set, and all of that with musicians. Like being a musician, you have to start somewhere, you have to start with an open mic. You have to show people that you have something to offer. Then once you've done that, you you just start with a few good videos of yourself, post it on social media. Um and be prepared. Not everyone's gonna like what you have to offer. Um, you really do need to have a thick skin, but you must also understand that you're just showcasing your product. If people don't like that, like your product doesn't mean they're a bad person. Wow, just trolls. Um I I can't I can't say this was a troll, but um there was a few drunk guys at one gig that just wanted me to play covers, and obviously everyone is there to listen to my songs and stuff. But um that was the most there's there's a few people that I feel like are unnecessarily um you know you get constructive criticism and then you get people that comment on every single thing you do without a resolution.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:09

Yeah, noise, that's what I call noise. Noise, yeah. So the signal is a little bit more.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:13

There's this one guy that um I'm not gonna name him obviously, but I think in 2023 I was releasing and my music was starting to sound a lot better, and I was getting it mixed and mastered by someone that's doing professionals. And this guy was just yo, he was he irritated me a bit because it was like every single thing I posted, like, why did you have to drown out the vocals and reverb stuff like this? And I was like, okay, cool, and then I just stopped us. And then he wanted to collaborate with me. Yeah, I was gonna say, he probably likes you, yeah. Yeah. No, I but I'm saying there's a better way to approach it. I accept criticism, but with a view towards making it forward. But I I as a I you gotta learn to accept criticism in any facet of life.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:55

And if you're putting yourself out there, there's always gonna be commenting. I can't understand why those people have to comment in the first place. If you have something bad to say, like, or you have like negative thoughts, don't say it in the first place.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:07

You don't have to say it. And I can't say it affected me too much because I mean I'm still here. But uh though I would say that was a bit of a trolling thing because that was very un like unnecessary because it was I wasn't the only musician he was doing that to.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:22

So if it is someone that like I'd known that was actually saying, maybe try doing this instead, um, because this sounds and if something sounds bad, tell me. Because I I welcome that even from my own bandmates. There was notes that I did not hit well. But this guy was doing it to a lot of other musicians, like um bad-mouthing other musicians.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:41

Yeah, that's a him thing, not a good thing. And as you say, they they but as I said, there is noise and there is signal. Some signal is good, right? Who do you rely on to like do you ever go and test things out? Who's your soundboard? Yeah. Pun intended.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:54

Oh, um my social media.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:57

Social media is is good for that.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:59

Where are you on on which which platform?

SPEAKER_02 1:38:01

I'm on Instagram at Kiosh Arjun16 and then at Kiosh Arjun16 on TikTok as well. Why 16? Yeah. Uh I was born on the 16th of Feb. Okay. And and all uh of the other Kiosh Argens were taken. 16th Feb. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. It's a good good date. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:16

Yeah. Why is it a I'm not gonna say, but I'll tell you what? Because it's two days after Valentine's Day. No, I'll tell you after, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:22

Yeah. So I mean, you have to get yourself out there. You have to accept criticism because it's a part of life. Like, it's gonna happen. If someone doesn't like what you have to say or like what you have to sing or perform, does not mean that they're a bad person necessarily. You have to just look past that. But also work on your craft. It it goes both ways. And get a few good videos, post them online, work on your craft continuously. Like if people are commenting, like, can you do this song? I love when people say that because maybe they hear something that you don't as an average listener. And you're performing for people that are listening most of the time, not really musicians. So you need to really find that dynamic between what you get what you are good at, but also what do people want to listen to. And then the more you do it, the better you get at it. And I only recently started, no, I only started posting on TikTok properly 2023, 2024. And the views you get from there, because all of our aunties and uncles, they all have TikTok. They're watching like budguns and stuff on TikTok. So if you put the right location, the right hashtags, if you post at a certain time, it's people are gonna see it and reshare it.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:31

But TikTok, isn't TikTok also like a great music discovery place, it is.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:34

I mean, I think Will Lindley is one of our South African guns. Um you know Will Lindley sounds a lot like the 1975. Okay. That's why not a lot of people in South Africa know the 1975, but that's I'm a big fan of Will Lindley. He's got great music. I also love him for that reason. Um I mean, he's his own artist, he's a South African boy. I can hear that in his music, he's not directly. But anyway, not to not to go on that tangent, um you have to really get good at your craft.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:04

And how do you get on radio and things like that? Have you been on like do you play them?

SPEAKER_02 1:40:08

I have. So I had a friend that was working on radio, I think it was Southside FM. Um in 2022, they played one of one or two of my songs there. But last year was my first big radio play. Um, yeah, I paid someone, uh a distribution agency to get my song plugged to multiple different radios. We went with that song, um They Can Only Be Good. That was number one for 5 FM pop charts for at least a week. It stayed on the charts for like Because I always wonder.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:40

I mean, there's so much music out there, right? And so many good songs that just go unnoticed because people don't have good representation. Do you have an agent?

SPEAKER_02 1:40:50

I don't have an agent, but as a maybe I would be open to that because I can't handle the admin part of it. I'm I'm good at what I do, but I don't know how the administrative part works all of the time. Um but yeah, I this guy basically for a month you pay a certain amount and your r your stuff gets plugged. But even if you pay for that month, right? You still have radio interviews that extend past that month. So he still arranges it, and I think it's well worth the money to do it. Um this particular one I used was Pitch Republic with a guy named Dwarik. And yeah, there was a lot of interviews. Like I had to take like a half an hour during a workday, and I would sit in my room or go to one of the other rooms and do my radio interviews telephonically. Yeah, that was quite cool, and East Coast Radio as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:40

I mean, I've just searched your name on Apple Music. So you've got a you've got an album called Icing the Garden, right? Yes. And then Fire and Ice.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:47

Yes, Fire and Ice was the COVID album, the EP.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:50

So how does it work? Do you have to does it cost you money to put these things on Apple Music? I like your album cover. Presumably on Spotify.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:56

The wonder the ice the ice. There's a lot of ice in my there's a song that's got an explicit side next to it, unless it. Yes, that's the song, uh, the words that I forgot.

SPEAKER_03 1:42:05

Give you a sister, oh my love.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:42:07

Like, does this cost you money to have it up on these platforms?

SPEAKER_02 1:42:10

Yes, it does. So as I I mentioned, the distribution agency and now the distribution platform. So I use something called Landa. So you have to pay a certain subscription. Like a monthly thing. Uh no, you can pay it monthly, but I usually pay it for a whole year because I that then I'm not like worried about anything. In in fact, it works out a lot cheaper as well. And then you depending on which plan you take, you can upload whenever for a certain date. Yeah. And you know, we can monetize everything.

SPEAKER_03 1:42:38

And does money come in from it? So you're making money off these songs.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:41

Yeah, but you're not making a lot. I I I don't think a lot of people make like a lot of musicians make most of their money from streaming. Obviously, the more streams you get, the more. But like I think mo most of it is from gigs. But yeah, I am making money. I just let it sit there and marinate.

SPEAKER_03 1:42:54

That's so cool. So it's like a stream.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:57

Yeah. And I mean, um it's it's good music, I think. I'll at least the recent few songs are catchy. So Ladysmith is coming out, what, 29th May? 29th of May. It's on my mother's and her twin's birthday.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:07

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:43:08

Your mom and her twin.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:09

Yeah, not identical. Is that why you chose that date?

SPEAKER_02 1:43:12

Yes, because uh Ladysmith is her where her dad's side of the family is from. So I chose that date.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:19

Yes, and I saw that clip of you and her, and you asked her what Ladysmith means to her. And I mean That was going with it's picking up traction on TikTok.

SPEAKER_02 1:43:28

It's it's picking up a lot of traction on TikTok. My mom, everyone seems to love my mom. She's a she's a wonderful lady, and you know you asked about um there's a lot of songs that go unnoticed. I was playing her one of my demos for another song at some point last year. And she was like, But why are you not on radio? What do you need to do to get on radio? And I was like, I need to do this and this, it seems like a lot, and uh whatever. And it's like, yeah, but your music deserves to go on radio. So I have to give big props to Auntie Yuthika, mom, um, for That's your mom's name. Yeah. For m motivating me to get my song on radio. I think that was one of the biggest things that I could have done for my own brand.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:08

I've got this uh playlist on my Apple Music. It's called The Ash's Local is Lecker. I can't wait to add Ladysmith on there because it genuinely I I like the song.

SPEAKER_02 1:44:18

There's samples of um ho home videos that we took in Ladysmith when I was like playing what's it? You know, when you keep the balloon up in the air, keep up or whatever. Yeah. There's that um videos of my brother wearing a Spider-Man outfit and my cousin like, oh, Spider-Man, but like in these young uh kiddies' voices and us basically saying what color bubblegum chappy we got.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:41

So there's so there's a music video, it's it's gonna be a music.

SPEAKER_02 1:44:44

There's no there's no music video. I'm saying I sampled, I literally held my phone and played the videos in front of the microphone and then I panned it. You can hear it very faintly, but it makes the song more heartfelt for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:55

Oh, okay. Well, that's pretty cool. You need representation, eh? Where do you record? Like in a studio or something. No.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:02

I record in my apartment in Maritzburg or my house in the street.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:05

So even this song, this Lady Smith song.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:07

Yeah. That was recorded in in Hayfields. I w yeah. What's that? Hayfields is the name of the place that I was staying at the last two years. Suburbs. In your room. In your room. In in our lounge. Crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:18

That's cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:19

It is really cool. You you would never tell that, but I love telling people how simple it is. Like if I need to make a song, it's just right there.

SPEAKER_04 1:45:26

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:28

That is so do you know what Jordan Arts is? Heard of Jordan Arts?

SPEAKER_02 1:45:32

No.

unknown 1:45:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:33

What do you think? It doesn't matter. Are you getting are you getting him a deal or something? Yeah, I mean, look, you you're obviously talented, right, at what you do. And your mom's right. You know, when she asks you why you're not on radio. And you I don't know whether you've thought about it, like why you're not on radio. Because it's fine. It's it's from a social media perspective, getting yourself out there from an awareness perspective is one thing. But obviously, like in this industry, and and to be honest, I've seen it. It's it's like you need people that already are and know about how to do these things and how to pitch and whatever it is. And that's why most of these artists get representation like an agent.

SPEAKER_02 1:46:11

You really need to get yourself out there. Nobody's there's so many talented people, right? But nobody's gonna do your work for you. You have to be intentional about it. And I'm so glad that I had that conversation with my mom. Because in fact, uh in the moment, I was a bit like I don't know if I was irritated by the question or took it offensively. I was like, ah, but I'm just releasing, mom. I just make it for myself. But that was obviously a defense mechanism. I mean, who wouldn't want their music played on radio?

SPEAKER_03 1:46:39

And you I think you're selling yourself short there by taking it personally. How nice is that, eh? Like your mom believes in you and supports you. Isn't that so cool? No, that is from your granddad, actually.

SPEAKER_02 1:46:47

A beautiful thing. Um my parents are at every gig that I have now. Like at every single gig. They were gonna come up to Joe Bug this coming weekend. Um, but because I'm part of this dingering show, um What's this dingelings thing? So the dingelings are a comedy group in What does a dingeling mean?

SPEAKER_03 1:47:08

I don't know. It sounds very testicular. Go on? Yeah? It does. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:47:13

Well, that's the name of a comedy group in KZN. And I'm part of the upcoming show. So I I just found out like at the start of May, and I just got thrown into it. Uh and so my parents are gonna be at that gig, they're gonna be at the one in Maritzburg after. So my parents are my biggest supporters, and I'm very grateful, grateful for them. I mean, they've given me all of the tools to do whatever I want in this life. And just like Dr. Hafiji said, I was never short of anything growing up, but I know it it didn't come easily to them. So I'm happy that they are my biggest supporters. I think that's a child's dream. Yeah. It's so nice, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:52

So yeah, I've been quick. Auntie, you think I and Uncle Pradesh. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, well done, man. You it's cool, you raised a cool kid. Um, and me as well. Anything, yeah. I'll talk about my brother. How did you go? Um anything else we didn't talk about, Kiash, that you want to talk about, please. Let's let's get it out there. What are we thinking?

SPEAKER_02 1:48:14

I mean, I I don't know how much more of a dental perspective you want me to speak about things. Yeah, tell me. Because we have been talking a lot about music. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:48:21

Um because Yak was getting bored when we were talking dentistry. So that's what I've said. No, I'm gonna- I mean, you said we were gonna talk about it later, so you overpromised yourself there. But like Yeah, and a lot of the undertone of like things I'm getting from you. And I know there's some other artists as well, like R Y X and the guys that you follow. So a lot of music is in or the songwriting is inspired by personal experience. You know where I'm going with this. Yes. Yeah. So I know exactly where you're going for this. You don't have to tell us, but uh also you kind of have to tell us, and you can decide later. Yes, who's gonna give me more editing. Give me more work to edit. But like, so I mean I asked you off camera, like, are you were you dating anyone or whatever? I think you're you're pretty cool. I mean, like you you you've got a scientific mind being in dentistry, and then you're also in the arts. So tell us about your personal life. That's why he's a tandarts.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:15

Tante. Oh my gosh, that was that was brilliant, thank you. My personal life. No, I'm not I'm not dating anyone, I'm not seeing anyone. Uh for the longest time I th I thought I wanted that. And then I got a taste of that and realized, oh, maybe I need to do a bit of work before I get involved here. I've had a few a few sour experiences, but it's okay. It's it's all about learning. I don't regret anything.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:42

Yeah, you mentioned that. Have you ever written or any any other songs been inspired by those experiences?

SPEAKER_02 1:49:48

Uh yeah, like I wrote a whole album when I was still releasing on SoundCloud. Yeah. That's where that song Smile is from.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:54

About knew it.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:56

There was so there was a girl that obviously kicked off the songwriting. Um And I'm very grateful because I was listening to a lot of edge here and there. So I kind of enjoyed the whole tortured poet kind of vibe.

SPEAKER_04 1:50:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:50:08

And um that's where I started with songwriting.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:10

But I think some artists just imagine these things. You think I think a lot of them are probably they write from personal experience. So that makes more authentic. I've seen I think I saw an interview maybe with Billie Eilish or Taylor Swift, where she she'd been writing these songs from the time she was like nine, ten. Obviously, she wasn't in a relationship then, but it was like imagined. Maybe it's from past life. Yeah, imagine dragons. Experience.

SPEAKER_01 1:50:32

Yeah, past life.

SPEAKER_02 1:50:33

Um no, a lot of my songs are based on real life. Like a lot of the songs that do well. Yeah. People can actually sense that energy in the song. Yeah. So most of those are written based on actual experience. But there's a few songs that I have fabricated, but they sound really funny, like the Give Your Sister All My Love Song. That That was a funny song.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:53

But I mean You don't have a friend that you fancy this, isn't it? Yes, he didn't. No. Yeah. Um But you wanted to speak about dentistry? What else about dentistry? There's only so much one can speak of dentistry. I was gonna ask you, where is it going? Yeah, what's the plans?

SPEAKER_02 1:51:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:08

Where's dentistry going? Bedford View Dental Care. Yeah. Your own Hey Dr. Niger like Job.

SPEAKER_02 1:51:15

I like Joe Bug because I mean I have a lot of family here. And I mean there's a lot of opportunities to study further as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:22

Yeah, it can give you a lot of exposure, yeah. And I'm not talking about radiographically.

SPEAKER_02 1:51:31

Yeah, uh I like Joe Bug. I I I do enjoy what the dentistry is currently having me. I I'm working with someone that is teaching me a lot and um exposing me to a lot of different ways of practicing. Or not not different ways of practicing, but different ways of making yourself better. And I I used to um always think, you know, you must stick on one on one pathway. And he's taught me about that. That whole analogy I was telling you about treating you know, treating one thing versus treating the patient holistically, how he compares he he sat me down and he said, You're not just writing a line or a verse, you're writing a song. There's layers to it.

SPEAKER_03 1:52:14

Explain to us lyrically.

SPEAKER_02 1:52:15

What okay, sure. What's happening?

SPEAKER_03 1:52:18

Okay. Don't worry.

SPEAKER_02 1:52:20

So I was having a bit of a tough time, and I don't know if any other younger dentists could relate to this, but you see a problem, you address the problem, you fix the problem. But you need to you're fixing the problem within context, right? And you need to obviously treat someone holistically, and we you your aim is to improve or maintain the situation, right? If it's already great. Um, and my boss told me this whole analogy, he gave me this whole analogy of you must treat your dentistry and your treatment like how you treat your songs, because that's like second nature to me now. So instead of if someone wants like something as simple, I'm gonna use like the four chord analogy, right? Like that's what you want, right? Like as simple as it gets, message received. But if you want to just go that step further and make an improvement and make someone feel something that they didn't expect to feel when they were, you know, at face value, you could instead of doing this, you kind of wanna Okay. Did you see how your facial expression just changed when I played that way? Yeah, yeah. So that's kind of how he told me to practice dentistry. And I know I didn't say much when I was playing that, but you gotta be very creative with how you work with people and I mean obviously within limits, but I'm saying you gotta really be aim to make a difference, I suppose.

SPEAKER_03 1:53:52

You don't just treat things at face value.

SPEAKER_02 1:53:54

Yeah, you don't treat them at face value. You you wanna really change someone's life. Um, you wanna make it better for them, right? And I feel like doing this is better than just doing. So I feel like that's how you could that's how I was told to practice dentistry. Um just go that extra mile and make things a lot better for someone. Um, because everyone has those experiences at the dentist and has their past um stories at the dentist, but you need to just be your own person, build your brand, be be different, be good different.

SPEAKER_03 1:54:33

Coincidentally, that's what I think differentiates a dentist from a great dentist. It's having those that ability beyond the clinical skill to identify like, you know, soft skills so you can be empathetic towards that person. And having that emotional caution to understand that it's not just about like them, you know, coming in and walking and saying, Oh, I hate this place, I hate the dentist, or whatever. It is a lot more than that.

SPEAKER_02 1:55:01

Everyone's gonna say that. I mean, that is the job you picked on, you working on people in your chair, they're awake. It's the thought of someone injecting you and someone working on you, it can be daunting for someone, especially if they haven't had regular trips to the dentist. I mean, they hear all of these sounds and they don't know what to expect. If you can tell someone without scaring them exactly what needs to happen in layman's terms, I feel like someone appreciates that a lot more than you just, you know, then before you even start treatment. I feel like if you if they know what they're in for, if you're on the same page, I think that's the best thing you could get in dentistry. Obviously, you still have to do the clinical work and you have to do it well. But for me, I think the biggest and the most important part is being on the same page. Because you you can't go wrong there.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:52

If you become like a big rock star type thing, uh musician will remember us. Uh we'll remember us, you better. But would you do dentistry still?

SPEAKER_02 1:56:03

Yeah, I might I might not because our jobs require a lot of mental focus. I can't be thinking about my tour or my gig while working on a living person. I can't I can't do that. And there's been times where like you you really, really have to lock in. You're working millimeters away from from danger. One small slip up, or if you take something for granted, something can happen just like that.

SPEAKER_03 1:56:31

And there's your musical career gone as well. Is that the reputational association?

SPEAKER_02 1:56:36

Because I'm you know what I always had to ask uh my boss, or he what he asked me, like, are you a musician that does dentistry or a dentist that does music on the side? And I told him, I I don't know. There's a lot of questions that I don't have. Good answer. I I I don't have that figured out yet. Um I think it's fine to not have that figured out because I'm still doing relatively well in both of them.

SPEAKER_04 1:56:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:00

Um I agree with you. But I think I may have to do music in that regard if it blows up.

SPEAKER_04 1:57:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:08

Mind you that everything is subjective. Like your career is dependent on whether people like you, either as a dentist or a musician. If people don't like you, then you're not gonna have a sustainable career.

SPEAKER_03 1:57:20

Wait, I won't ask him for your opinion. Do you think that's true, what he said? I think that's true. I think that's true. I think that's true. Yeah. Okay. What do you I would have thought yes, you would have had a different opinion. What would you have thought? Like sometimes you can be great at what you do, but you don't have to be like like lawyers, for example. Oh, no. Not everyone likes them. No way, no way. The most successful guys in uh i in private practice anywhere. Oh, you have to have people like you. You don't necessarily have to be the best technical technically the best anything. If you're not getting clients or patients, then it doesn't matter. It really doesn't.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:58

I I I understand both minds of where you're saying because a lot of people are really excellent at what they do, and patients know that going in, that they're maybe they're not like the friendliest or anything, but they get the job done. Um but for me, I feel like if if people don't like you, they're not going to come to you, either as a dentist or a musician. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 1:58:15

Because we're all service providers, dude. At the end of the day, you you're giving a service and people need to trust and believe in the service. Otherwise they'll go somewhere else. Well, you listen to something you're saying.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:27

You're not going and picking up a a a handpiece and working straight. You meet you having a conversation with them first. Like that's your first impression. No pun intended, first impressions are important.

SPEAKER_03 1:58:37

Yeah. That's another dental joke.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:39

Yeah. Yeah. I I I would probably have to pick up the music if it got to that stage. Because I can't be I can't have my mind in two really big arenas that was a music pun at one point.

SPEAKER_03 1:58:53

So but what how do you think you're doing enough now in both spheres of practice? Unintendedly. That's such a l sounds like a very loaded question. I'm doing a lot more. Yeah, it is. Because I mean like I'm I'm trying to figure out are you doing enough in in the music side of things?

SPEAKER_02 1:59:08

I don't think I'm doing enough in the music side of things. I feel like I'm doing a lot, but not enough. Um Do you want to?

SPEAKER_03 1:59:18

Do you want your music career to overtake your is it a passion? Can I call it a passion?

SPEAKER_02 1:59:23

It is a but my music. Yeah. Yeah. I I don't know if I want that. I've always wanted to be someone that proves that you can do both. And I don't know if that's possible yet. Um one of my friends, uh actually at your talk, um, Maxine, she was like, I hope it gets to the point where you have to choose. And that was also a beautiful thing to hear. Like, she hopes that I have both opportunities and I'm spoilt for a choice. Because I don't know if it's possible to do both. Mind you, I'm doing all of this and I don't have any big, really big commitments. I don't have a family. I don't like my own family, I don't have a wife and all of that. So I have all of this time to do it. If and when that time comes, I don't know if I'll have time to spread myself as that. Who's gonna play at your wedding? Probably me. What? Well, I'm right.

SPEAKER_03 2:00:15

No, we can you no no you I really would. As long as you've got Wi-Fi there for his YouTube. He's sort of double-up beats.

SPEAKER_02 2:00:22

I need some classic 2000s.

SPEAKER_03 2:00:25

Who are your favorite artists and things like that?

SPEAKER_02 2:00:27

Like what do you listen to? I speak to the uh I mentioned the 1975, but I've really been listening to a lot of Justin Bieber, like Swag One and Swag Two, and one of the biggest reasons I like those two albums is because another two of my favorite artists' work. Like, you know the The Riff from Daisies was written by this guy.

SPEAKER_03 2:00:44

You know, hey, b you know uh like Justin Bieber's baby? Yeah. I thought it was a woman when I first heard it. The song.

SPEAKER_01 2:00:52

Yeah. Baby.

SPEAKER_02 2:00:54

We're all at that phase of of wondering like Justin Bieber's this child, everyone had his opinions. And I was also like but sus of it. As you grew, man, like I think after that album Believe or something like that, that was I really started to enjoy his music. And then when he just dropped this last year, I started running around the same time as well.

SPEAKER_03 2:01:13

So Beauty and I've beats. Remember, that was one of our standards songs. Yeah. We have some memories with Justin Bieber.

SPEAKER_02 2:01:21

On my way to work, I listened to like I don't listen, I don't like shuffling music. I listen to albums. Okay. Like on my Apple music and stuff. Yeah, me too, actually. And I also play play that, like if I'm I play music if my patients request, or there's one kid who wanted Taylor Swift the one time. So like while I'm busy working on him, he was so brave. Um humming the music while like while you're operating. While I was working. And I was like, that's this is so cool, man.

SPEAKER_03 2:01:49

Sorry? No, go on? Oh no, I don't give my patients an option. They're subjected to listen to what I have to do. But then they they actually love it. Yeah, because a dictator. Uh like that.

SPEAKER_02 2:01:58

Sometimes I do I play what I want to hear. Like But if if I'm if you know if time's not an issue, I I ask them what do you want, especially if there's someone that comes regularly or something like that. Why do you like listening to albums? Because what? Because I feel like it's like you that you set your vibe for the day.

SPEAKER_04 2:02:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:02:17

Because when you listen to Shuffle, it's really unexpected. Like you could have It's an emotional roller coaster. It's an emotional roller coaster. I want to know what I'm getting myself into. Like familiarity.

SPEAKER_03 2:02:27

Aaron Powell So an album is like a story almost. It is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:02:30

It's like icing the garden. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:02:33

Yeah. And also like some songs don't become hits, but they're really good songs, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:02:38

They're really good songs. They're like hidden gems. Yeah. Yeah. The reason I said like icing the garden, that was a whole story. That was a whole moot that I wrote at the end of 2024 based on events that happened at that time. Okay.

unknown 2:02:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:02:50

Yak wants to probe. I knew. Yeah. Probe? Yik? No, I mean, we gave you the opportunity. I don't think you want to talk about it. It's probably so fresh. 2024. Like, well, it's not even two years.

SPEAKER_02 2:03:03

No, it's I've had these moments in my in my personal life that and what happens in your personal life does sometimes you have to go to work with that in your mind, but you have to try and block it out and stuff like that. So if there's anything, any bad things that have happened, I'm so glad I have my music too, for it to be the outlet. Yeah. Yeah. Podcasts? Listen to any.

unknown 2:03:24

Or watch.

SPEAKER_02 2:03:25

I listen to the Why Did I Become a Doctor podcast. Do you listen or do you watch? I recently started listening to it when I was driving. Swack. But I watched most. I watch most of the time. Okay, where do you listen? Apple Music Podcasts. No, no, it's just co podcasts, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:03:40

Why why did you Is it a different experience to what? You don't want to see us.

SPEAKER_02 2:03:43

No, no. I I watch most of them. Okay. In fact, like when I'm getting ready for work or something, or in between, or at work sometimes.

SPEAKER_03 2:03:50

Do you have a uh like is it a different experience to listen versus watching? Do you find that not really?

SPEAKER_02 2:03:57

Yes, it is. It is. Because I can see the reactions of people.

SPEAKER_03 2:04:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:04:01

Um So do you prefer watching? I prefer watching.

SPEAKER_03 2:04:04

I prefer doing both. I prefer doing both. Watching. I mean it it's a different experience. Like I've I've watched an episode and I've listened to an episode.

SPEAKER_02 2:04:13

I like seeing everyone's facial expressions, but it's also like I met a few of the people that have been on the show. Uh Doctor, like who? Oh, I don't know if you'll remember, but Dr. Hafaji, he gave a lecture in KZN at the end of last year. That's the same lecture I sang at because my song doesn't have to be a good one.

SPEAKER_03 2:04:29

So he'll remember he'll definitely remember.

SPEAKER_02 2:04:30

I I don't know. But anyway, he he came up to me and he greeted me because I was where he was walking, and I was like, what? Like, you know, like I I'm very humbled when I meet people that are like super successful in their career, and then I see them on the podcast.

SPEAKER_03 2:04:43

I'm like, hey, I know that person. And then when you see them in real life and you realize they they're actually cool people, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:04:48

They're very nice people. I mean, I've met a lot of I'm very fortunate to be where I am because also Alvin is really well respected in in the community as a dentist. As a person as well. He's a nice person. And his wife is one of the orthodontists in Peter Maritzburg. And I mean, he knows a lot of I mean, referrals to specialists like surgeons, prostodontists and stuff. I I met Dr. Ashen Singh through uh Alvin as well. Yeah, people are good, man. Yeah. You just gotta go out there and say hello, right? You just gotta greet. Yeah. I mean, uh it's it's it amazes me how nice of a conversation you can have. Because obviously before meeting someone, you you hear how good their reputation is. You must think, you know, they probably don't like uh small talk or conversations, but they are really amenable to it.

SPEAKER_03 2:05:35

It's all these assumptions that we have, right? Yes. We see them, we think like, you know. And that's based on the or they're so but then you actually speak to them.

SPEAKER_02 2:05:43

It's like Yeah, they're very well they also have like character. Yeah. Like they're like interesting people, and what they do is just like, you know, I mean, it's it's amazing, but I'm saying they interesting and characteristic people first. Any other podcasts? Any other podcasts? Uh there's the Tiny Disc technically counts as a podcast. Yeah, I love it. Tiny Disc concert.

SPEAKER_03 2:06:06

That's music. No, so they speak on it. They speak on it in between, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:06:10

And then there's um another NPR series where they break down how music is made and stuff. Okay. Um that's what I really like. I like Charlie Charlie Pooth on TikTok. Yeah, man. I love Charlie Pooth so much.

SPEAKER_03 2:06:21

He's so good on TikTok. It'll make you want to be like this musical.

SPEAKER_02 2:06:26

He really um simplifies it. See, that's the way he does that. He breaks it up. And he explains it to people. Yeah. That's how um Alvin practices. That's really like he explains things so well and it makes you so interested in what you're doing. In fact, someone, if you explain something well enough, sorry to go back to dentistry. I feel like some people already start feeling better knowing what's happening.

SPEAKER_03 2:06:47

They understand. Of course, yeah. Like they already start feeling better if you can fix it. But it's easier said than done, hey. Like you can go and give them all information and you haven't explained it to them because they haven't understood it.

SPEAKER_02 2:07:02

Yeah, but that's what that's what I'm saying. That's the whole that's you have to really, really explain it to him. You you know from a professional point of view. But if you can and I'm sure Charlie put this like he doesn't talk about mixing and mastering and all that. He talks about what people hear.

SPEAKER_03 2:07:16

In a digestible way.

SPEAKER_02 2:07:17

And and for for us working on on patients, on living people, they don't care about what file system we use or beveling. They don't care about beveling. What they care about how how you made them feel. Did you take away their pain? How did you know what's the outcome of it? So I feel like that's the comparison between music and dentistry again. The way Charlie Pooth explains all of his music and breaks down his songs to the elements that people can hear. I feel like people will appreciate that a lot more when they hear the final product. Um same with dentistry. If they can understand this particular problem that you're having is one consequence of something that else that's not really happening in the mouth, and we need to do things to fix the overall cause of it, people appreciate that much more. And they s if you see them smile when they first came in pain, before you've done anything, or like at least get some type of relief and understanding of what's happening. I think that's one of the best feelings ever.

SPEAKER_03 2:08:16

Have you made a song for your parents? My parents? No.

SPEAKER_02 2:08:20

Bhajani, if you will. I started singing Hindi earlier this year to try and impress my parents. And they were they were impressed.

SPEAKER_03 2:08:27

Yeah. Maybe we'll end off with the Hindi song. What? Do you have any? Can you do a Hindi? I can. Not right now. Not right now. Yeah. But do you take requests? Yeah, I can take requests, but only if I can sing the song. What is it?

SPEAKER_02 2:08:46

Oh, I I know I know Kalhona Ho, I know Havyan by Arjit Singh. I know I know Avanjavan. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:08:55

I don't know any of these things, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:08:56

And now I had to learn some Chutney songs for this comedy show. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:09:00

K Sip and me.

SPEAKER_02 2:09:01

Well, yeah, we were that was one of the things. We were basically doing our own four chord thing.

SPEAKER_03 2:09:06

You know, Ivana's dad is a Chutney. He's got his. Total Bhagwani. Yeah, Total Bhagwandi. Wow. It's quite popular. Yeah. I'll play it for you later. Does he is that what he is doing? He does Chutney.

SPEAKER_02 2:09:17

Yeah, he's got like albums. See? Talent runs in in these healthcare workers' families.

SPEAKER_04 2:09:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:09:23

Talent runs. But yeah, I'm enjoying the process. Do you guys have any questions about the dentistry?

SPEAKER_03 2:09:30

Yeah, like what what's what's next? So you spoke about the dentistry part of it, you know? But what's what's next for you in dentistry? I mean, so you're working there as a as uh an associate at the practice. Do you have any other intention?

SPEAKER_02 2:09:44

Like I am studying a postgrad in aesthetics at the University of through the University of Western Cape right now. Aaron Powell As in dental aesthetics or dental aesthetics, yeah. Okay. So I'm getting obviously inspired to start studying again and all of that, and it is making me look at things in a in a different light, and that's before we even did the hands-on stuff like that. What's that about? Aesthetics. What do they teach? Well, aesthetics in terms of anything that someone deems as an aesthetic concern, even if it's a back tooth. Um who the lecturer is there? Uh I know Prof. Mulder. Yeah. Then they've got a few other lecturers that do certain lectures, but he gives most of our lectures. Prof. Rihanna Mulder. Oh yes, yeah. I think his wife's a periodontist as well. Okay. Yeah. But I'm looking forward. We're going to Cape Town for like a week one hands-on. Or not Cape Town. Yeah, it's a period. I think. Probably.

SPEAKER_03 2:10:35

And the the does the Dr. Smile, Alex? He's in Is he there? Has he lectured there?

SPEAKER_02 2:10:41

I don't know. He's not in any of our programs. Okay. But yeah, I I've always wondered these things because isn't Dr. Haverjee also there? Oh, okay. I think Prof. Foster was also lecturing Martin Forster. Martin Foster, yeah. He was lecturing there. He was one of my supervisors as well.

SPEAKER_03 2:10:57

I just I just remembered now what what where I was going to with the questioning about do you listen to podcasts and things. Do you have any feedback for us on this podcast? What can we improve? What are we doing well?

SPEAKER_02 2:11:10

I think you guys are doing a great job. Um it made me very excited and I'm super grateful to be on the podcast because you guys have why am I grateful? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:11:18

I think for the listeners out there, I think Yesh and I can unanimously agree that you're probably like one of our biggest fans. Do you agree? Based on what he's told us, yeah. Like all the feedback. Yeah, no, but he also watches quite religiously. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:11:31

I made my mom and dad watch it as well. The episode with Riyadh Musa. Because they know him from material, isn't it? Yeah. Like that was so Indian. They know him from material, isn't it? Um so they loved hearing the backstory. And I feel like we're in this age, South Africa specifically, South Africa's getting out there. Um, you guys are part of that. And I feel like what do you mean? When when I when I was learning About dental school. If you search up on YouTube, there's very few videos about dental school in South Africa or dentistry in South Africa at the time. Maybe there's more now. But I feel like podcasts like this could maybe give someone going into dentistry or specializing some type of feedback or a teaser of what's about to come. Because you guys speak as well, clinicians, there's some clinical stuff mentioned, but you're talking to the person that's doing all of it. And um that's why I'm so grateful because you guys have had some pretty big guests on the show. And I'm uh I'm coming from all the way from Verilum. And I had big imposter syndrome coming here because yeah. But I'm grateful to even be on the show. I feel like you guys are doing a doing just and you're highlighting South African the experience of a South African dentist or a healthcare worker for that matter, and you're expanding your horizons, not just dentists, not just doctors.

SPEAKER_03 2:12:55

Well, dude, we are very grateful to you, man. I mean, coming all the way here. You know, you're a special person. Like you do dentistry, you are brilliant at your arts and craft that you do. Like you get every time you picked up the guitar and did something, I had goosebumps. I even got emotional at the one song, the smile one, I think. Oh, okay. Yeah. And uh yeah, you're brilliant, man. Like it's really cool. Can't wait to see you where you go and what you do.

SPEAKER_02 2:13:24

Thank you so much. Same, yeah. I mean, as I said, I don't know where it is, but I know that there's great things ahead. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:13:29

Yeah. So you are you are one, you'll form part of the list of those great names that we we had on the show. Part of the community.

SPEAKER_02 2:13:35

One of the central one of the reasons I'm grateful for this is because I would love to w watch it five years from from now and be like, wow.

SPEAKER_03 2:13:45

See where it's gone. Yeah. Imagine all that time. Like I had this thought, or I had these doubts, or I had these, you know.

SPEAKER_02 2:13:53

Listen, I I have so many there's a lot of things I'm insecure about and doubts, and as I said, imposter syndrome. But uh I don't know, you just gotta That's human, right? That's human. Uh even at maybe you guys can will differ on this opinion. I feel like sometimes when you question if I was in another profession, what would it have been like? Um or you have like a really hectic day at work or something. And I'm speaking to like younger dentists specifically because I don't know if it's normal to love your job every single day. I think it's important to admit that there are challenges and that's what's supposed to you you overcome them and then you get stronger and better at what you do. Um I've had challenges with my music where I didn't want to play music anymore. And I've had ch days as a young dentist where I was like, Am I am I cut out for this? But at the end of the day, I'm still here and I'm still doing what I and I love dentistry. I really do. I love um making a difference in people's lives. I mean I fully agree with you. I I I don't think it's I I don't think anything comes without a bit of a challenge. There's always a rock in the road or a bump. I I think it's I think it's normal to have those days and those thoughts. It's a healthy thought process. Not every day, obviously. If if that's outweighing the joy you get from it, that's a problem. But I think it's yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:15:20

I think you know what my philosophy is, right? I don't know if you've watched my episode. Yeah, it's it's well, basically it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 2:15:26

Yes, I've heard some movement.

SPEAKER_03 2:15:28

But also it's it's like you gotta have a nine to five in order to fund your hobbies, and eventually you'll find one of those hobbies that will become a passion, and your passion, that passion will replace your nine to five. And I think you're on that path right now because this is a passion. You still have a nine to five, you still have to go to work and like do the dentistry part of it. Who knows? Maybe the dentistry is also your passion, could possibly be.

SPEAKER_02 2:15:50

It is. Can I say I really love working with the what's the right way to say elderly patients? Yeah, elderly is fine. Yeah, I feel I felt like elderly was like a kinder way to say it. Um because and maybe a lot of people were related, I never got to help my own grandparents. So whenever someone comes in, I'm like, they like my my RG, my Aja. So I treat them the same way. Similarly, all of those experiences I had as a kid, I try and make it different for the kids that I work on. Because whether or not they go to me, say if I'm not in Meritzburg, any dental experience from that one that they've had with me, I want them to be braver than what they were initially. And I really love working with with kids as well because you are uh playing an important role in their perspective of the dentist going forward and how they take care of their teeth. You know how we spoke about ComServe and only doing extractions, and one of the good things in ComServe is that I had to learn how to um work on kids without any topical gel or the long needle or the language barrier. Because I knew basic conversational Zulu, but and they're meeting me for the first time and I'm poking them, I'm dressed in a in a suit. Scary. And I developed my own way of like telling them you know this is it, and the kids that came in crying left smiling. Obviously not all of them, but that's that's what I enjoy about my job now as well. Because is because I had to learn that in ComServe and had to go an extra mile to make kids feel more comfortable in the chair. That's why what I enjoy about my job.

SPEAKER_03 2:17:37

Lovely, man. Do you have like a default song that you always like a song that you just default to? Like what's the one if you pick up a guitar?

SPEAKER_04 2:17:44

Like do you have that?

SPEAKER_03 2:17:46

Is that a what inspired you? Like all of those.

SPEAKER_02 2:17:50

They play like. It's my go-to.

SPEAKER_03 2:17:53

Yeah, what's your go-to song?

SPEAKER_02 2:17:54

Oh, it's for the longest time, and probably still now it's Stay by Justin Bieber. That's why I brought it up.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:18:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:01

So maybe we must hit that in closing then, huh?

SPEAKER_02 2:18:03

Yeah, sure, sure, sure.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:04

Yeah. I will do that. But you still don't but you didn't give us any feedback. Like you said, it's a great podcast. Any any criticism? Any uh where can we improve? Yes, not drinking coffee, first of all.

SPEAKER_02 2:18:15

No drinking coffee before. No, but seriously, seriously. Anything we can improve on? Putting me on the spot here. Nothing. Now you're gonna put when I criticize you, so you're gonna put you're gonna edit funny faces on me, isn't it? Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:27

Um I think we need to, like, I ideally, I would love to start an episode. You know, like how these like all the big podcasts, they always start with like I don't know what it's called, but like almost like a trailer teaser of all the exciting bits so that it gets to Yes, yes, yes. But that requires like work, you know.

SPEAKER_02 2:18:47

No, it requires a bit of you make the video, you make the podcast first. Yes. Save that. That's already like three hours, yeah. Yeah. Duplicate that in another project and then just trim and crop the best parts and put music kind of music in there.

SPEAKER_03 2:19:01

But it was that easy. Yeah, you could you can see these are musical.

SPEAKER_02 2:19:04

Yeah. Duplicate that because I know it sounds a lot easier said than done as well, but you could literally do that. Uh also if you guys need a need a jingle for your podcast, you must let me know.

SPEAKER_04 2:19:14

Hmm. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:19:16

Oh, by the way, I didn't tell you guys, but I I sampled a dental drill in one of my songs.

SPEAKER_04 2:19:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:19:22

What software do you use? Ableton. Ableton. Ableton. So you're like you you you take a mic, you put a drill there, you record it.

SPEAKER_02 2:19:28

No, no. So I recorded the it was quite a process. So I took my phone. Yeah. I was at work and I had some time to myself. So I pressed the drill. I used a fast handpiece and a slow handpiece, but the fast hand piece sounded a lot better.

SPEAKER_05 2:19:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:19:40

Um and I just let it go. And then I took that into Able. Well, I exported it.

SPEAKER_03 2:19:46

That's the mic from your phone, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's a really great mic. Great mic, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:19:51

And I transferred that into Ableton, edited it, pitched it down, put a lot of reverb on it. And it sounds like an ambulance coming from. I'm not I can't play the song for you because it's kind of it's like it without context, it sounds a bit weird, but it's like What's the name of the song? Jim Crush.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:08

Jim Crush. So we can hear that and listen to it on Spotify or you know.

SPEAKER_02 2:20:10

No, it's not RG. Jack is laughing now.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:12

It's another You're telling me all of this number is uninspired by Jim Crush.

SPEAKER_02 2:20:16

No, so you know sometimes you write songs. You write songs to get You write songs to get people talking about who it is. That's why I go to the show. Yeah. So I even wrote a song about like my cousin's friend. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:30

Who you crushed on all. Yeah, but like it I didn't write. Jim is good. Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_02 2:20:37

No, no, but like as I said, I wrote these songs for fun to get people talking um about what this who the song could be about.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:45

Okay, well believed you. So play us out then would stay. And yeah, I must say thank you so much, man.

SPEAKER_02 2:20:50

Thank you guys so much for having me. I'm I really enjoyed it. I hope you guys did too, and I hope everyone that listened.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:55

No, no, definitely. And I mean, yeah, I'm like so inspired to like watch the space, uh, just looking at what's what's to come. And uh in my own personal bias opinion, I hope that uh the option is very clear for you. Because I mean I don't know what your dentistry skills are, but you're obviously very skilled at the the music stuff. So I hope it takes a time there. Biac once we sign you up, bruh. Like on the lake, put you on the let's make it happen. Let's make it happen. Get you in uh what do you call it, uh a regular spot in Plato uh in Kingsfield. Yeah. Or if I move up to Jailburg. Get you a national spot. Yeah. Yeah, move to Jailburg.

unknown 2:21:32

Dr.

SPEAKER_03 2:21:33

Knight will miss you though, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:21:34

He will um because I'm going up to to study for like a whole week in July, that's during school holidays, right? In UWC. And they were joking and they were like, no, we have to find someone else, obviously. And I was like, if you need to, I'm not gonna be here for a whole week. If you need to, then get someone. He's like, Kiosh, you know how I'll say I'll try and impersonate him, sorry. Like, kiosh, you know how funny I am. You know, I I don't I wouldn't just let anyone work here. I'd rather just close the practice. Oh man, I'm so grateful for him. And uh he's so specific about what he does. Uh sorry, I know you wanted to close. No, no, carry on. I have to give a shout out to him because please, well. That man is meant to, he's been so patient with me. Um, because whenever I was like having my own doubts about myself, um doubts about myself if I had something in my personal life that is affecting my dentistry, you know, he would talk some sense into me, and he's been the most patient, most generous person. His mom makes us lunch like every day, by the way. Oh, lovely. So that's amazing. It was like freshly caught. You got lucky, you got lucky, yeah. I got very lucky. That's why I don't I don't hate, I don't have anything bad to say about Peter Maritzburg. His wife is um Dr. Rangan, Dr. Mother Rangan, the specialist. Because I work for Elvin, I'm able to like have those phone calls if I need some advice. Even if it's uh a a patient that I'm referring to the specialist, I'm allowed to like phone them. That's a very humbling thing to do because I don't think that's a normal thing to happen. Usually it's just emails and referral letters and stuff like that. But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:23:07

Yeah, man, you got lucky.

SPEAKER_02 2:23:09

I have to give that man a shout out because he's he's really good at what he does and he's a good person as well. Very family-oriented.

SPEAKER_03 2:23:17

I'm getting those three Ps there. He's patient with you from paying marriage work and and persevering.

SPEAKER_02 2:23:24

We don't this that was not strip today. Yeah, but I'm very grateful for you guys, and thank you for having me. Excited to see where your podcast goes. It's already going to insane places and to where the music and the dentistry takes me. Sweet, man. Sweet. Play us out. Okay. Wait, let me tune my guitar first. I feel like it's out of tune. Okay, while you're doing that, I wanted to ask, what does this do? So it changes the pitch of um. So you can play certain open chords, but it's as if you are changing the pitch. So when I tune my guitar, I'll show you what it means.

SPEAKER_03 2:24:05

I might keep this in so cool. Like that thing has an auto-tuner on the top. Yeah. That's normally another gadget.

unknown 2:24:13

Oh, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 2:24:13

So it tells if my if my string is flat or not.

SPEAKER_03 2:24:18

I'm keeping this in there.

SPEAKER_02 2:24:19

Okay. Yeah. I mean this is like this is actually my go-to song that I play, but I don't sing it. That sounds so nice, right?

SPEAKER_03 2:24:37

Yeah, that sounds like some bossing screen.

SPEAKER_02 2:24:40

So I'm gonna use stay as an example of why I use that capo. So the actual song is up here. But that sounds too rigid, right? Whereas if I put this capo here, I can play an open chord and let it ring it. It feels more capital. Yeah, a capo. So I could put it up here.

unknown 2:25:04

Softer.

SPEAKER_02 2:25:06

But specifically with this pitch, instead of having to play this, I can just do this.

SPEAKER_00 2:25:32

Do it to the new, so do it, change, do what I can, for the body does it good, do you stay, do the stay, I do the stack, do it to do that, so do it, I do, that's good, do you? I did, I did, so L Lady Smith, 29th May 2026, is coming out and it's gonna be on all the platforms.

SPEAKER_02 2:26:21

On all streaming platforms. Yeah. And it's a song about childhood and nostalgia and taking that mental road trip to make yourself feel better about that.

SPEAKER_03 2:26:29

And not about a girl at all.

SPEAKER_02 2:26:31

It's not, it's got nothing to do with a lady or a girl.

SPEAKER_03 2:26:33

Yeah. Sweet. Thanks, Kiash. Thank you guys so much. Thanks, bro. Ah, shut.

SPEAKER_02 2:26:41

You can put some auto-tune on the last bits. Put some autotune on the last bits. I thought I would be able to hit those notes.

SPEAKER_03 2:26:47

Oh, that was great. See what it sounds like.