Music students put on an evening of outstanding performances for a supportive crowd earlier in the month.

The annual concert was a chance for students to showcase their work that for some students involved being assessed for Solo and Group Performance NCEA credits for the concert.

Earlier in the term, the Music department hosted a workshop by Alistair Fraser who is a well known composer, performer and maker of Taonga Puoro.

Traditional Maori instruments were used to show students how to enhance their compositions and a recording was made of a Waiata composed by Senior students, Raeval Oliver and Tamara Tokona-Rapara. Alistair and the girls worked together to decide on which were the best instruments to use and where they should be played to bring out the meaning and message of their waiata.

After a couple of run-throughs the waiata was recorded with the Taonga Puoro played by Alistair Fraser - helping the students work towards composition credits. The other students were also keen to hear more of the instruments and to find ways of including them in their own compositions.