KIMBRA - Somebody You (Used To) Know?

March 28th 2012
In August, 2002, the Music Commission programme coordinator, observed and filmed Chris Diprose musician mentor, working with a young Kimbra Johnson in Year 8 at Berkley Middle School recording a song created by her group “Solitude” (Shaun, Vinnie and Reiner, the other members).

Now, 10 years later, with single name recognition, ‘KIMBRA' has achieved in excess of 129 million YouTube hits to date, her duet with Gotye reaching no.1 on the British charts - the first New Zealander to achieve this. She won the ARIA Best Female Artist 2011 and 3 of her of her hit singles made Triple J's Hottest 100 - the world's biggest music poll. Her 2011 album Vows has reached Platinum sales status in Australia and Gold in New Zealand and is due to be released in the USA in May.

Back in Hamilton, 2002, Kimbra commented that Chris "got the band to work better together as one & gave positive encouragement." (On her evaluation form) She ranked his ability to lead and guide the students in their music making as excellent (along with his knowledge of the music industry). Kimbra certainly has something to teach us all now about success in the international music industry! (The Music Commission file noted her as an incredible talent, one to watch)

At High School she was given mentoring with Anika Moa and Anna Coddington as part of the Music Commission's "Bands Mentoring Contract", when she reached the national Smokefree Rockquest finals 2004 & 2005, winning the national female musicianship award. She was placed Runner-up overall at age 14, out of hundreds of entries, and as a soloist up against bands.

Glen Common, director of Rockquest Promotions says, "SFRQ is particularly proud of Kimbra's international success and wish her the very best. Her fabulous results are not entirely unexpected!" he adds.

The New Zealand Music Commission ‘Musicians Mentoring in Schools programme' started in Auckland, late 2001 and began to operate in the Waikato in 2002 ...
These school based musician-mentoring programmes have been supported by the Ministry of Education and administered by the New Zealand Music Commission. Currently more than 40 % of the mentoring contract operates outside of the main centres and engages high proportions of Maori and Pasifika students. Mentors work in Kura, Parent Teen units, Area Schools, as well as with special needs students. With the encouragement of teachers the programme seeks to address the enormous need for more music development opportunities for students in schools.
Chris Diprose, the mentor, was raised in Raglan, played the drums, guitar, saxophone, keyboard and piano as well as bass. He participated in Rockquest with success at regional level while at high school and went on to complete a degree in music composition at WINTEC. He set up and worked from his own ‘Dudley Studio' in this period.
In 2004 Chris was the singer/songwriter/producer of the album ‘Straightline' described in NZ Musician's magazine as one of the best albums to come out of Hamilton in recent years.

 

Back to Education News