Music Education

Each year the Music Commission’s Musicians Mentoring in Schools Programme places professional musicians in schools to act as mentors, supporting teachers/kaiako and students/tauira from Years 7 to 13.

Mentors conduct interactive workshops with students on growing their understanding of the structures and processes of popular music composition, performance and production. Mentoring also creates meaningful learning experiences that nurture the next generation of Aotearoa’s music industry and guides career pathways.

Our annual feedback from teachers and students consistently shows the long-lasting inspiration young people feel after meeting a working music professional, as well as holistic gains in confidence, individuality and self-belief among students.

More than 150 musicians have participated since the Musicians Mentoring in Schools Programme began in 2001 – including Jon Toogood, Laughton Kora, Julia Deans, Joel Shadbolt, Mazbou Q, Louis Baker and more. You can meet our mentors here.

The Programme is free for priority schools to participate and our mentor selection and appointment procedures meet with requirements of the Vulnerable Children’s Act (2014) for adults safely working with youth.

To find out more or to request a mentor booking, please contact education@nzmusic.org.nz

Pictured: Aro (Mentors under Musicians Mentoring in Schools Programme) | Photo credit: Tom Grut