#MusicExchange: Maya Spector

“I've known the players for years and they are all just such fantastically talented and dedicated musicians,” Spector says.

I caught up with Maya Spector last week:

The new decade means...

More compassion and more fluidity.

Fame is about...

Giving back to the communities you come from.

Retirement will happen when...

I can’t find the energy to perform anymore and when I’ve saved enough of a nest egg to live a comfortable, chilled life.

I don't do:

I have discovered I’m not really into hiking. I like a good solid, flat walk. The incline ain’t my thang.

What does music mean to you?

Music to me is best summed up in a little personal quote I use: “I don’t live for music, I live because of it.”

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My music is about:

The adventures and mis-adventures of my dear heart.

I would love to co-write with:

Jimmy Nevis.

Where do you go for inspiration to create?

The dog park, to people watch.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your work?

Definitely that I hardly ever have to wake up early and sit in traffic.

The song you must do in every show:

My original song entitled My Simple Little Song because it always makes me smile and it turns into a sing-along, even if the audience doesn’t know it at first.

Any funny moments on stage?

I’m a super clumsy person and I’ve tripped (and sometimes fallen) on stage more times than I can count, especially when I’m in heels.

My heroes:

My mother, Ruth Jacobs-Spector, and my father, Brooks Spector. They have both overcome great hardships in their lives and have made it possible for me to live and have the life I have today. And all the people that protect our earth’s wildlife.

My style icon:

Tracee Ellis-Ross, she is such a style queen.

Which living person do you admire most and why?

Cardi B, she seems to be true to her authentic self and she makes some of the hippest noises. I love a good sound effect.

What is your most treasured possession?

My upright piano. Her name is Felicia and I inherited her from a family member.

It’s your round. What are you drinking?

Pink drinks.

Dream gig to do:

Blue Note (Tokyo, Japan).

What makes you stand out?

My ability to adapt to new environments and situations fast.

Nicknames:

Maya-Papaya, Maya the Bee, Airport (because all I do is, ‘com-plane, com-plane, com-plane’).

If you were not a musician, what would you do?

I would be an interior decorator.

Who would play you in a Hollywood blockbuster and why?

Jennifer Lopez, because a girl can dream!

Pick five words to describe yourself?

Emotional, indecisive, loyal, empathetic and hungry.

Five favourite SA albums:

Pieces of Africa - Kronos Quartet
Out Time - Melanie Scholtz
Leyland - Josie Field
This is My World - Concord Nkabinde
A Cry, A Smile, A Dance - Judith Sephuma

Greatest movie ever made:

Beetlejuice, directed by Tim Burton.

What books are you reading?

At the moment, I am re-reading Dune by Frank Herbert and Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes.

What song changed your life?

Don’t’ Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin.

Who do you love?

My furbabies - Lilu and Lala.

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What is your favorite word?

Deliciousness.

Favorite fashion garment:

Gold-hooped earrings.

Give us some real proper slang and what it means:

I don’t really use ‘proper’ slang, I just make up things as I go along, for example, ‘Plesieriel’ meaning ‘You’re really welcome’.

Top of your bucket list:

To go skydiving.

Your greatest achievement:

Recording a self-funded album.

What do you complain about most often?

Loud noises and hunger.

What is your fear?

That I’ll lose my sense of humour.

Happiness is:

The path of least resistance. Sleeping with lots of blankets on the bed, eating Japanese food everyday and sitting in the sun.

On stage, I tend to...

Tell the back stories to what inspired all my songs and how I’ve met the band members that I’m playing with, no matter how embarrassing the stories are for me or the band.

The best life lesson you have been taught:

Everyone has a role to play in your life. You just get the choice to decide if you want to continue playing alongside them.

Do you get worked up whilst watching a sports game on TV?

I have never been interested in sports.

Where would you like to be right now?

On stage.

Do you do charity work and if you do, what do you do?

Pre-Covid-19 times I used to volunteer at a local soup kitchen, called Souper Troopers and I taught music at a couple community centres around the city.

Wishes and dreams:

That my music will help me to see more of the world. World tour is big on the dreams agenda.

Social Media handles

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