Emily Bruce sings for her degree

Rising jazz-singing sensation Emily Bruce had her first encounter with UCT at the tender age of 11 months.

Her next two years were spent going to "varsity with mum everyday" to attend the UCT Educare Centre at La Grotta, while her mother, Val Bruce, worked on her Bachelor of Arts degree.

Twenty-six years later, mother and daughter still make daily trips to UCT, where Val is assistant to the executive director of UCT Libraries and Emily, 27, is a College of Music student who graduates with a Performer's Diploma in Music (jazz vocals) this week.

Emily's debut album, This Love We Share, was released in March this year, when she also wowed Cape Town Festival audiences with her Vivacious Voice – a title she officially holds after beating back 146 national hopefuls to scoop top prize in a songwriting competition of the same name in August.

"My album's on the Heart 104.9 playlist and I was pleasantly surprised by the listeners' overwhelming response and requests to buy my CD after the station interviewed me," Emily says.

"In between gigs," she giggles, "I hope to record another jazz album next year and try not to end up in the same venue as my mom every day."