Tribute "Birdie" Mboweni has aced the art and science of balancing business and pleasure.

While she serenades music lovers by night, by day Mboweni will be a university lecturer.

The talented Mpumalanga-born jazz artist says she could not be separated from her love of music and teaching and couldn't pick a side.

The 31-year-old will from next month lecture first and second-year students at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

"I have been appointed as a lecturer in nature conservation, teaching ecotourism biology and environmental conservation to BTech students and, in the second semester, I will be adding other subjects.

"I am really excited about the challenges of teaching because I have been a student once and I know how students can be: they can press your buttons! But I am looking forward to sharing my experiences."

Her new journey as a teacher has not deterred the musician from her musical path as she is currently cooking the deluxe edition to her debut album and prepares to tour.

"I have always been interested in nature conservation as I travelled a lot from a young age. I was raised in a church background so my music interest comes from there.

"Growing up I had what I like to call a scattered passion. I loved doing a lot of different things. I wanted to be a writer. I loved singing and at some point I also wanted to be a doctor because I love science and I loved maths but eventually I developed other fears and I thought no, I can't do this doctor thing."

Her first love is music. So much that when she was called for her interview at the Pretoria-based university she pleaded with the interviewing panel for an earlier time slot so that she doesn't miss her flight to a performance abroad.

"The day that I was supposed to come for my interview I was also flying out to Tanzania to perform in September so I had to ask them to shift my time slot to earlier instead of late in the day. So very early in the morning I was the first person that they interviewed and I really enjoyed the interview as nervous as I was. So when I got the job I was really really excited about it."

Her self-titled debut album is doing well following various tours all over Africa last year.

The MaGumede hitmaker, originally from Bushbuckridge, says she has always had a thing for nature conservation.

"My love for nature sort of developed to a great extend where I ended up studying [for] a qualification in ecotourism at TUT.

"I was always interested in the nature conservation side of things. So I ended getting a six months internship down in the Cape and a job on an island in the West Coast where I worked for just under two years."

After two years in the field, the musician packed her bags and headed back to Gauteng where she went on to earn her BTech degree and then her masters last year.

"My whole personal approach to academia and teaching is that it needs to be relevant to people's everyday lives and today's cultures. That is the area I want to focus on as I start this new journey."

madibogoj@timesmedia.co.za