Our mission is simple: to inspire every student’s growth, confidence, and music — because teaching is never just about the notes.
At the heart of MusicSchool.Online is Carina Harding, CEO of Fame Music Academy. Carina began teaching piano and organ at just 16, and has since dedicated her life to music education. Though classically trained, she’s performed and taught across countless genres, bringing real-world versatility to her students.
Together with her husband, Eddie Harding, Carina worked as a session musician for many of South Africa’s leading Country, Afrikaans, and Pop artists, contributed to theatre productions under top directors such as Richard Loring, and led the country’s most successful function band of its time, Gypsy.
In 1992, Carina launched Fame Music Academy in Benoni, pioneering Yamaha’s “laboratory system” — one of the first in South Africa to allow teachers to train multiple students at once. This standard of innovation and excellence still drives the academy today.
Music isn’t just a career for the Harding family — it’s a way of life. In 1991, Carina and Eddie’s son, Denholm Harding, became a multi-instrumentalist under their guidance before joining SA supergroup Just Jinjer in 1997. Denholm went on to tour globally and produce albums for leading artists including Johnny Clegg, Prime Circle, Jesse Clegg, and The Voice SA winners.
Carina continues to write all of her own curriculum, giving students the freedom to learn any song they love, across all genres and decades. Many students also choose to pursue Trinity College UK exams, where Carina’s students consistently achieve above-distinction results, with average marks above 90%.
With more than five decades of experience, Carina embodies the perfect balance of talent, passion, and dedication — setting the foundation on which Fame Music Academy and MusicSchool.Online proudly stand today.
Carina Harding, CEO and founder of Fame Music Academy, has devoted her life to music for more than five decades. She began teaching organ and piano at the age of 16, and over the years her passion and dedication have helped thousands of students discover their own musical talents.
Classically trained yet versatile across genres, Carina has performed with some of South Africa’s most celebrated artists and contributed to major theatre productions. Together with her husband, Eddie, she led the legendary function band Gypsy and worked as a session musician for many of the country’s top performers.
Today, Carina continues to combine her deep knowledge and experience with an unwavering commitment to her students. She personally develops her own teaching curriculum and ensures that every learner, from beginner to advanced, receives patient, professional, and inspiring guidance. Her legacy of excellence is the foundation on which Fame Music Academy — and MusicSchool.Online — proudly stands.
