Sheldon Rocha Leal, Phd

Dr Sheldon Rocha Leal is the Academic Registrar at Academy of Sound Engineering. One of the leading private institutions of higher learning focusing on audio and music production as well as production of visual media, located in Auckland Park, Johannesburg. He was formerly the Director of Culture and Music, at Southdowns College, as well as the Head of Operations of the Southdowns Academy of Music situated in Pretoria, South Africa.

Academy of Sound Engineering was started in the late 1990s and has been responsible for the education and training of many successful sound engineers and producers. Leal holds a PhD in Music Industry and Curriculum Design from the University of the Free State as well as a Masters degree in Music Industry and Education and Honours degree in Music Education, Arts and Culture Management and Technology in Music Education from the University of Pretoria. He also holds a BA from UNISA in Law and Psychology.

Previously he was the National Head of Sound Engineering and Music for EduCor and prior to that he was the Head of Popular Music at the National School of the Arts. Leal sat on a committee that generated the present national music curriculum for GET, FET and HE as well as committees that established a youth arts festival in Johannesburg and doing research and hosting a show for the United Nations on the influence of South African on international music trends. He was also a part-time lecturer at Allenby and the University of Pretoria.

Leal has judged and adjudicated various music competitions such as the St Andrew’s Viebz Competition, the Radio Pulpit Gospel Competition, University of Pretoria Acapella Competition, the National Eisteddfod, Springs Eisteddfod, Randfontein Arts Festival and Nelspruit Eisteddfod. He also served as a vocal mentor on the Angolan version of The Voice.

He has also been called upon to do Music commentary on various television and radio stations including eTV, ENCA, SAFm, Metro Fm, Kaya Fm, Star Fm, 702, Cape Talk and Classic Fm. He furthermore has contributed his knowledge to various podcast including the Eurovision Context podcast aired from the United States.

Besides an educator, academic and music pedagogue, he is also a singer and songwriter and has written songs for artists such as RJ Benjamin, Karen of Idols and Lira. Leal is a registered member of SAMRO and has presented various talks and workshops at Moshito. He has also been a guest speaker at the IEB National Music Conference as well as the Nelspruit Arts Festival.