Creative ID: 671
Hamilton
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths):
I have been writing and performing original songs for over thirty years and have NZ On Air funding for three new bilingual children’s music videos to support the release of a 2022 album for tamariki. I am also an early childhood teacher at a Māori kaupapa centre with a primary teaching degree and a graduate diploma in ECE. I recently completed the Level One Orff certificate in music education.
My track record of experience and success – or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with:
I have several songs on Spotify with 12K streams and 132K views on release last year. I gained NZ On Air funding for my new children’s bilingual album and have recorded a new rock EP for adults. On my first rock album in 2019, I worked with well-known producer/guitarists, drummers, and a bassist. I have a te reo Māori track currently playlisted on Dunedin’s Radio One – in the top 100. I have been featured in international music mags and blogs for my rock tracks and have been playlisted on radio stations here and overseas with my children’s bilingual tracks.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes:
Through my role as full-time kaiako at a local kindergarten, I had the opportunity to work with a senior music lecturer on a project with the children retelling a Māori legend through music and movement, which was a great success. One of my songs was included in the repertoire for the show. We then created a teacher workshop, which we delivered as a video workshop (due to 2020 Auckland lockdowns).
I have worked with children aged 0 to 12 during my teaching career, and mainly 0 to 5-year-olds since graduating with the Grad Dip in ECE in 2015. I have developed a 6-week programme and have been training my co-star for potential workshops with tamariki in early learning centres and junior classrooms.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice:
Being part of the Creatives in Schools programme would be a great opportunity to develop my Orff music education practices and fit perfectly into my plans to work with tamariki in learning communities – supporting their learning in creative expression and te reo Māori. It would also help my co-star and I to build up our delivery skills for the live show, which I am planning to tour next year when the new album is released in April.