Coastella Community Schools Music Initiative 2019

Giving back to the Kapiti Coast and having strong community engagement has always been a huge focus of The Coastella Music Festival, and things are no different in 2019

Coastella Music Festival is proud to be engaging the local community through the Community Music Initiative. Now in its third year, the program engages Kāpiti Coast primary school students in music workshops during February, and also offering students a chance to perform live at the festival on February 23rd.

In past years the program has featured The Nukes, Craig Smith (wonky donkey man) & Imon Starr. In 2019 its proud to be holding Taonga Puoro Performance workshop with Rob Thorne Ngāti Tumutumu (iwi) .

Rob who is a Taonga Puoro composer, performer and anthropologist, was last years Creative NZ / Jack C. Richards 2017 Composer-In-Residence at the New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University, Wellington.

“It is so exciting to have Rob sharing his wealth of knowledge of our traditional instruments with the youth of Kapiti and it will be magic to see the students performing with him at Coastella”, Festival Director Gerry Paul.

The workshops will be aimed towards senior primary aged students and will focus on teaching the students about the relationship between culture and sound while exploring within the fluid gap between traditional and modern perspectives. They will come to experience the simplifying but empowering effects of improvisation within performance that will translate into everyday living and identity. It also give students the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of the arts as well as the creative process.

A number of schools will be visited covering all areas of the Kapiti Coast region, beginning Friday February 15th across a three day period. Paekakariki , Kapanui in Waikanae , Paraparaumu, Te Ra Waldorf in Raumati and Te Kura-a-iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano in Otaki .

Two promising students from each school will then be selected to perform with Rob at Coastella.

The opportunity for students to perform alongside professional musicians will contribute to the development of emerging young artists in the Kapiti community.
The community music initiative also thanks the local area community boards from around the Kapiti region for the funding support which has enabled the programme to be more affordable to the schools participating.

School Workshops:
25 to 30 senior students
The 90 min workshop will take the following format:
15 intro to instruments (history, culture, function)
35 composition
30 practice
10 pre-performance

3 group instruments in use:
Tumutumu kōhatu: tapping stones
Pakuru: tapping rods
Porotiti: spinning disc

Solo instruments:
Koauau: flute
Nguru: flute
Putatara: horn
Pukaea: horn
Purerehua: bullroarer

Soundscape with waiata.
An existing soundscape composition with a meaningful narrative will be given to the students to develop and learn, that will lead into accompanying a waiata at the finale (that they will learn prior to the day of the workshop).This will be provided in the form of a youtube link and written manuscript on their return to the new school year. The students will be able to develop the soundscape as much or as little as they are inspired to.

PERFORMANCE:
15 min solo intro
15 min group performance

2019 COASTELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Saturday 23rd February, 2019
Southward’s Car Museum, Kapiti Coast

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