Update on Musicians Mentoring In Schools

Anna Coddington.

Term 3 - a little chilly outside but great warmth and excitement in many classrooms!  The Music Commission's Musician Mentors are working all over New Zealand at a variety of schools and with students from different year levels. An update of who is about in these early weeks of the term ...

Horomona Horo (Taonga Puoro specialist of international acclaim and all round soul man) has been working in the Far North again, with students at Kura in Panuguru, Kaikohe and Ohaihau. In the south, Ben Campbell (who over the years has recorded 3 albums, had 11 NZ top 30 singles and picked up a Tui for the highest selling single in 2008) has been sharing some of his magic songwriting with students at Rangiora and on the West Coast. Anna Coddington too heads for Greymouth soon and will be sharing her talents and wisdom with students in central Auckland at Diocesan and Auckland Girls' Grammar. Mike Fabulous will be passing on ‘the (black)seeds of wisdom' in the music rooms at Logan Park High School Dunedin throughout this term.

Flip Grater's new album, While I ‘m awake I'm at War is getting great reviews as is her mentoring out in rural Karaka ... Paula the teacher from Karaka Primary said "Flip was wonderful. The group were in awe of her talent and she worked really well with them! She is so talented. The kids are looking forward to the next session tomorrow. We are very grateful to have her as our mentor!"

Philip Hadfield from Cut Off Your Hands has entered the hallowed halls of Auckland Boys' Grammar and is guiding students through their compositions for NCEA. Phil has noticed from the schools he has been in recently that there is a need for lyric development in particular. We encourage all teachers to learn further about guiding songwriting! Take a look at our web resource on this here; Charlotte Yates Songwriting for Groups parts 1-3.

Peter Jefferies is back at Waitara High again, no doubt encouraging and recording more amazing young songwriters in Taranaki. ‘Up the road', as they say, Sticky Filth's Craig Radford works with students at Devon Intermediate in New Plymouth.

Tonga Va'ea Marsters from Three Houses Down will be bringing his many talents to the students at Liston College this term and doctoral student, composer and heading for Fairfield College in the Tron is hip hop producer, Jeremy Mayall (aka One Fat Man). Anonymouz (aka Matthew Salapu) was just a little west of that with the students at the Nga Taiatea Wharekura last week.

Jimmy Christmas (Luger Boa, The D4) has a busy term with St Peter's, Remuera Intermediate and Green Bay all on the go, whereas Liam Ryan is running a regional cluster in Tasman, with students from 6 schools coming together. Liam's bringing a creative music approach to students who rarely get to musically collaborate with their peers.

And these are just the first weeks of term ... We are making arrangements and bookings all the time to get our wonderful mentors out into NZ schools where we can around their busy professional lives. If you are involved in a school don't to forget to check out the Application Form for Musicians Mentoring in Schools here - just complete and send it through!