2011 - Semester Two
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2011 - SEMESTER TWO AT THE HELM IN 2012 On 1st February 2012 , Professor Henry Johnson stands down and Dr Graeme Downes will take over the reins as Head of Department of Music and the Theatre Studies Programme. Henry will be on Research and Study Leave during 2012 and will return to teaching in 2013. Graeme is looking forward to a summer holiday and finishing some research projects before starting his new position. THE FACE OF OTAGO’S MUSIC DEPARTMENT IN 2011 An Interview with Maddy Parkins-Craig What motivated you to become a music student? As soon as I heard about the contemporary music programme at Otago I decided to apply. I couldn’t think of anything better than getting a qualification in something I was already obsessed with.The department also sounded like it had fantastic members of staff, with industry experience, and the contemporary performance papers particularly appealed. Can you describe the course you have followed during your studies here? What have you enjoyed the most? I entered the course with my main focus being performance? I wanted to learn as much as I could about drumming, and work with as many people as I could. While I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘45 performance program, and frequently recommend it, I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed other aspects of my degree (the biggest surprise being how much I enjoyed theory papers...). My interest in composition and songwriting developed into obsession early in my degree as well. This is largely because of MUSI135, by far my favourite paper of my degree; Ian and Graeme balance each other perfectly in this paper. They explore diverse approaches to songwriting and their enthusiasm is highly contagious and inspiring. How do you feel about being ‘shown off’ as one of our successes at Otago? I was initially pretty nervous about the whole thing, but in the end I’m happy to stand up and rave about the department. It will never be without its flaws, but nonetheless it’s a fantastic environment to learn in; as a student I was never without inspiration or support from the staff. What are your plans for next year? My plans for once I finished my degree were, for four years, get out of Dunedin, and fast. I was going to move to Auckland and try to get work as a session musician, with the hopes to end up in London eventually. However I’ve recently changed my mind, agreeing to stay in town next year in order to keep 1 working with my band Hunting Bears, and I’m now in two celebrity concerts - at the Vector Arena in looking at applying for masters in composition. Auckland on the eve of the Final of the World Rugby Cup final, with the New Zealand Symphony What’s the ‘big dream’? Orchestra (broadcast on national television) and at World domination! Or, to be able to support an earlier concert in the Christchurch Theatre Royal myself comfortably enough through music-related where he sang with the famed American mezzo employment, be it teaching, writing, performing, Frederica Von Stade as well as with Dame Kiri. or a combination. I’m happiest when writing and performing my own music, and around like-minded people, so basically anything that makes this possible. STUDENTS IN THE NEWS Corwin Newall and Alex Campbell-Hunt have had compositions accepted for performance by the NZ Symphony Orchestra in their 2011 Todd Readings. There were many entries for this event, and only 10 were accepted so this is a fine achievement by these two students. There are also awards available at the readings, so we wish both Corwin and Alex all the best for this. Voice student Kawiti Waetford with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Three students travelled to compete in the Kawiti was the selected New Zealand singer to Christchurch competitions in July. Maia Vegar won participate in the summer course of the Solti-Te the major 19 – 25 years Scholarship, and the British Kanawa Accademia di bel canto in Castiglione Art Song, and she was second in the Lieder and the rd Della Pescaia in Italy where he also worked with Oratorio. Simon Watson was 3 in the Folk Song. baritone Sir Thomas Allen. Kawiti won the Maori Voice student, Angela Woodward, along with song award at the NZ Aria in Rotorua, singing with many other high school and University students, has the Auckland Philharmonic, and also was guest been involved in an organization called ‘The Chicks speaker and performer at the Te Pounamu Awards Project.’ This project was set up by Volunteer Otago for 2011. He was the recipient of the Ngarimu VC to help young musicians and bands with their on- Maori Battalion Scholarship which he received stage skills by providing workshops taken by local at Parliament Buildings, and also sang for this successful musicians. They have also organized gigs occasion. at Chicks Hotel in Port Chalmers where these groups Two promising young vocalists whose studies can practice what they have been learning. The are being supported by the Dunedin RSA choir, groups can also use these gigs to learn more about Alex Wilson who is in the second year of a vocal the music scene and expose their own original music scholarship, and Ben Madden, who was awarded to the public. a scholarship this year, sang solo items and a duet Students Josh Clark, pianist and Kurt Murphy, at the choir’s Reflecting On concert at the Dunedin flautist, each performed at the 125th anniversary Town Hall in August. concert of the Royal Dunedin Male Choir at the end of June. Philip Neill Memorial Prize 4th year student Alex Campbell Hunt has won the Voice Student Michelle Willyams was one of two annual Philip Neill Memorial Prize in composition, Otago students to receive a scholarship (set up in with his piece Piano Trio. This prize dates back to 2006 by the Dunedin City Council and the Otago the 1930s and is highly regarded, so this is a fine Community Trust) to represent the city at the annual achievement for Alex. This trio also recently won the Aspiring Leaders Forum in Wellington. Lilburn Prize for composition at the university. Baritone Kawiti Waetford has featured in high profile events nationally and internationally; he NZSO/Todd Corporation Young Composer receives sponsorship from the Dame Kiri te Kanawa Awards Foundation and appeared alongside Dame Kiri This year two student composers were chosen as 2 finalists for the NZSO/Todd Corporation Young Composer Awards in Wellington. Corwin Newall’s piece Hang in There and Alex Campbell-Hunt’s piece Progress were workshopped and performed by the country’s leading orchestra, with composer mentor Ross Harris in attendance. They were also provided with a recording of their compositions. Corwin’s piece had already won the inaugural Dunedin Youth Orchestra Audrey Reid Composition Competition. Former Otago music student Emma Hutton, who three years ago was selected as the Girdlers Scholar, a prestigious award regarded by many as the undergraduate equivalent of the Rhodes Scholarship, has completed her BA(Music) at Cambridge, and has started her new job teaching music at St. John’s College School in Cambridge, one of the best private prep schools in the United Kingdom for children aged 4-13. Emma will be one of the teachers responsible for educating the choristers of The Department is pleased to have a new sunny study space the college choir which has a distinguished tradition available for our postgrad students of religious music and, since the 1670s, a choir which sings the daily services in the college chapel music production. Informed by 12 months ethno- during the university term. During the holidays graphic field work, this thesis examines the produc- the choir performs in the United Kingdom and tion of local popular music (referred to as Lokal overseas, as well as undertaking a busy recording music) in Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua schedule. Emma also continues her cello and New Guinea (PNG), and hypothesises that popular piano performance and recently won a place in the music production provides a space in which notions Cambridge University concerto competition. of identity and belonging are mediated, negotiated and reconfigured. Dif- AND FROM OUR ferent spheres of the POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS music industry are examined in order to Adriann Smith highlight how fun- My PhD was in performing arts on the theatre damental notions of studies side. The topic was ‘Revealing Pakeha identity are embedded Culture in Theatrical Performance’. The work was throughout popular a multi-disciplinary piece using both theatre studies music production. and social science research techniques. I found the This thesis poses that commitment to the selected artists to revealing the identity in Port Moresby is embedded in the PNG culture of Aotearoa/New Zealand in their works notion of ples, which revolve around specific places, inspiring. ideas concerning traditional culture, and indigenous concepts concerning social expectations and obliga- I am currently in Wellington and hope to do some tions that link people to rural places. work on the role (social) that being involved in amateur theatre plays in the lives of those who take Tracy Rohan part. This year I have completed a doctoral thesis Oli Wilson that investigates experiences of music teaching Oli has also handed in his doctoral Thesis, and learning within culturally diverse school entitled Ples and the Production of Lokal Music in communities and examines the ways cultural Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, examines how diversity informs pedagogical practices in music indigenous Papua New Guinean notions of education. The research included field work in high identity and belonging are embodied in popular schools in Auckland, Sydney, Seattle and Cleveland.