Merna Nicholls’ [Art in Jazz]

Merna Nicholls has lived many lives in music. From a childhood in Eersteriver filled with harmonies, to detours through Political Science, to earning both a Masters and a Doctorate in Music Education — her story is as layered as her sound. A classically trained singer who found freedom in jazz, she’s now preparing to release her debut album while stepping onto the stage at Art in Jazz 3.0 this Thursday at the Cape Heritage Hotel.

We spoke to Merna ahead of the show about the balancing act of academia and artistry, her upcoming album, and what audiences can expect from her set.

Firstly Congratulations, Dr. Nicholls! Balancing teaching, music, and a doctorate is no small feat – how did you manage that?
Merna: Thank you! Yoh, it was a really intense three and a half years. I was working full-time as a music teacher while doing my doctorate, so the two were constantly speaking to each other. My thesis was about challenges in music education, and because I was living those challenges every day in the classroom, I could bring that straight into my research. And then the research would give me new ways of approaching the classroom. So it was like this cycle – practice informing theory, and theory informing practice. That kept me going. Of course, it meant a lot of late nights, early mornings, and missed social things, but because there was purpose to it, it didn’t feel like just suffering. It felt like building something.

You first went into Political Science before finding your way back to music. What pulled you away, and what pulled you back?
Music was always the thing, you know. Always. But when it came time to study, my dad just wasn’t for it. He said music isn’t a career, it’s not stable, and I must go do something proper. I loved history and politics in school, so Political Science felt like a reasonable choice. But my heart was never really in it — I was always singing, always in choirs, finding ways to keep music in my life. Eventually it just became clear: this isn’t sustainable, pretending I don’t want to be a musician. So I made the switch.

Do you still keep up with politics?
I do, not like before, but I still care. It shapes us, it shapes our country, so you can’t just ignore it. And I think, in a way, it also shapes how I write and what I choose to sing about. Maybe one day I’ll find a way to really merge both. But right now, music has my full attention.

You were classically trained but now lean into jazz. How did that transition happen?
Classical was my foundation — that was the structure, the discipline, the technique. Jazz came later, in high school and more seriously in my postgraduate years. And what jazz gave me was freedom. Classical taught me precision, but jazz taught me expression. So when people ask me what my sound is, I always say it’s a mix. You’ll hear the control of classical, but you’ll also hear the improvisation and vulnerability of jazz.

Your debut album is on the horizon. What can you share about it?
This album feels like a mirror of my journey. It’s rooted in jazz, but it carries that classical influence strongly. Some tracks are originals, others are re-imaginings. For example, one is a classical piece I reworked through a jazz lens, and another was written by a pianist friend of mine who knows exactly how to challenge me. It’s exciting but also terrifying because it’s personal — it’s me putting my story and my sound out there without hiding behind other people’s music. But I think it’s time.

Will audiences at Art in Jazz 3.0 get a preview?
Yes, definitely. I’ll be performing two songs from the album — one that’s very much that classical-meets-jazz world, and the other is that new piece written for me. It’s nerve-wracking because it’s fresh, but I also love the idea of letting people in while the music is still being shaped.

Beyond the new songs, what else can people expect from your set?
I’ll be paying tribute to women who’ve really inspired me: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sara Gazarek, Nomfundo Xaluva, Judith Sephuma — just incredible voices that shaped how I see myself as a woman in jazz. There’ll also be some standards, some re-interpretations, and I’m working with such an amazing band — Kyle Damons on keys, Sibusiso Matsimela on double bass, and one of my own students, Ethan Lamont on drums. That’s a full-circle thing for me, sharing a stage with someone I’ve taught. It makes the set even more special.

Art in Jazz is about bringing music and visual art into dialogue. How do you connect with that idea?
I love it because at the end of the day, all art is storytelling. A painter uses colour, I use sound — but we’re both trying to communicate something, to move people. When those two worlds meet, the story expands. The audience doesn’t just hear or just see, they feel both happening at the same time. That’s powerful.

Heading into Thursday, how are you feeling?
Nervous, for sure. But more than that, I feel excited. This show feels like the start of a new chapter. I’ve been in the books, in the classroom, in research for so long, and now it’s time to bring that into performance again, to share new work that really reflects me. I hope the audience feels the honesty in the music, because that’s what I want to give — not perfection, but truth.

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Catch Merna Nicholls live at Art in Jazz 3.0 this Thursday, September 5th, at the Cape Heritage Hotel in collaboration with Sisonke Gallery.