Music News - Auckland students perform with NZ music greats
The Deceptikonz performing with the 'Bring It On' dance group from Selwyn College
22 May 2006 - 0 Comments
For a bunch of Auckland secondary school students, last night was the musical highlight of the year when they got to play on stage with NZ’s best acts.
The 45 students from 18 Auckland secondary schools were on stage and under the spotlights with Yulia, Steriogram, The Exponents and Deceptikonz.
In the midst of New Zealand Music Month, the youngsters were the focus of the Band of Strangers concert at the Auckland Town Hall - The EDGE®.
Band of Strangers is a concept of Neil Finn and Brent Eccles who held Band Of Strangers concerts in 2000. The Play It Strange Trust saw this concept as a great way to put the spotlight on emerging, top musical talent in Auckland schools.
The Play It Strange Trust was formed to encourage young New Zealanders to develop interests and skills in music, composing and performance.
At last night’s concert, groups of instrumentalists and vocalists among the students swapped roles as each musical mentor performed three or four songs.
The student performers, Year 12 and 13 secondary pupils from the Auckland region, applied online and auditioned for the privilege.
Last night's concert also featured performances by two young musicians from last year’s Band of Strangers Songwriting competition, Lydia Gammie and Nicholas Barratt.
Play It Strange Trust chief executive Mike Chunn – himself a former member of high profile local bands Split Enz and Citizen Band – says the concert represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young musicians.
“Play It Strange is about young people celebrating life through the music they play and write. NZ music is on a roll and the Band Of Strangers concert showcases the best musicians currently tucked away in Auckland secondary schools.
“Last night’s concert gave the student performers the night of their life. But it was more than that – it gave us – the audience – a musical experience we will never forget.”.
Anyone who can play a musical instrument or sing was eligible to audition and there were genres of music to suit most musicians.
“The four acts enabled drummers, violinists, bassists, singers, cellists, rappers, guitarists, keyboardists to perform,” Chunn says. “We believe this concept will grow in time and other players - such as oboists, tuba players and others – will be able to be part of the event in future years.”
The performers at last night’s concert were:
Performing with Yulia
Name - School - Instrument
- Celeste Oram - Diocesan School - Piano
- Ai Shimazu - Michael Park - Harp
- Courtney Pelkowitz - Macleans College - Violin 1
- Dan Bee Shin - The Corelli School - Piano
- David Choi - King’s College - Violin 2
- Edward King - King’s College - Cello
- Jenny Chung - Saint Kentigern College - Violin 1
- Kareena D'Souza - St Cuthberts - Violin 2
- Steven Barry - Glendowie College - Keyboard
Jessica Handin, Julia Broom, Iselta Allison and Georgina Cooper from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra also accompanied the performance.
Performing with Deceptikonz
Name - School - Instrument
- Wellington Soolefai - Manurewa College - Bass
- Chanelle Kanova - Papatoetoe - Vocals
- Leo McMaster - Avondale - Rapper
- Renee McLennon - Diocesan School - Vocals
- Papatoetoe High School dance group - Papatoetoe High School - Dance
- Kiristinna Loane - Selwyn College - Dance
- Gentiana Shebani - Selwyn College - Dance
- Anastasia - Selwyn College - Dance
- Narisa - Selwyn College - Dance
- Chelsea MacKiven - Selwyn College - Dance
- Ashleigh MacKiven - Selwyn College - Dance
- Krissy Rangi - Selwyn College - Dance
- Tyrone Toniu - Selwyn College - Dance
- Tyrone Tangata-Makiri - Selwyn College - Dance
- Richard Sikuea - Selwyn College - Dance
- Mapa Tuipolotu - Selwyn College - Dance
- Jason Siakifilo - Selwyn College - Dance
- Kotare Liddell - Selwyn College - Dance
- Grace Silipa - Selwyn College - Dance
- Trevor Toniu - Selwyn College - Dance
- Rebekah Loane - Selwyn College - Dance
Performing with Steriogram
Name - School - Instrument
- Alex Freer - Macleans College - Drums
- Alex Ferrier - St Kentigern College - Bass
- Anthony Brownson - Sacred Heart College - Rhythm Guitar
- Charlotte Nicklin - Baradene College - Vocals
- Gene Humphreys - Papatoetoe High School - Bass
- James Combe - Sacred Heart College - Lead Guitar
- Jonathan Wilson - Rutherford College - Drums
- Michael Elliott - Rutherford College - Bass
- Nick Campbell - Rangitoto College - Drums
- Nikita tu-Bryant - Macleans College - Vocals
- Pete Hodkinson - Lynfield College - Rhythm Guitar
- Richard Tchernegovski - Manurewa High School - Lead Guitar
- Romy Hooper - Baradene College - Vocals
- Sam Allen - Papatoetoe High School - Lead Guitar
Performing with The Exponents
Name - School - Instrument
- Alex Ferrier - St Kentigern College - Bass
- Barney Chunn - Sacred Heart College - Lead Guitar
- Ben Bamford - Sacred Heart College - Bass
- Bryan Bae - Rangitoto College - Lead Guitar
- Celeste Oram - Diocesan School - Vocals
- Charlotte Nicklin - Baradene College - Vocals
- Elroy Finn - Sacred Heart College - Bass
- Jae Hyun Kim - Rangitoto College - Bass
- James McCully - Rangitoto College - Drums
- Nick Hayes - Rangitoto College - Drums
- Pete Hodkinson - Lynfield College - Vocals
- Philip Kim - Rangitoto College - Rhythm Guitar
- Renee McLennon - Diocesan School - Vocals
- Richard Tchernegovski - Manurewa College - Lead Guitar
- Romy Hooper - Baradene College - Vocals
- Steven Barry - Glendowie College - Piano
- Swap Gomez - Penrose High - Drums
- Emily Bouwhuis - Takapuna Grammar - Violin 1
- Jo Griffiths - Takapuna Grammar - Violin 2
- Louis Newton - Takapuna Grammar - Viola
- Alice McSherry - Takapuna Grammar - Cello
Jessica Handin, Julia Broom, Iselta Allison and Georgina Cooper from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra also accompanied the performance.
About the musicians
Yulia moved to New Zealand from Russia, taught herself English and signed a record deal with Sony Music New Zealand and has released two albums – all within the past three years. She has performed with Russell Watson, Ivan Rebroff and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Yulia won two Tuis at the 2005 New Zealand Music Awards.
Steriogram is a five-member melodic rock / hip hop amalgam whose video happened to be spotted on the Internet by an American A&R man – and the rest, as they say, is history. Steriogram signed to Capitol Records in 2002 and immediately had a huge hit in “Walkie Talkie Man”.
Deceptikonz is a leading Hip Hop group based in South Auckland and comprises MCs Savage, Devolo, Alphrisk and Mareko with Brotha D at the helm. Signed to the Dawn Raid label in 2000, Deceptikonz has set the standard for premium NZ hip hop.
The Exponents have legendary status in NZ pop music history. The band features the lead singer and songwriter Jordan Luck. Luck has written more Top 20 songs that any other NZ pop writer.
About Play It Strange
The Play It Strange Charitable Trust was formed in November 2003 to encourage young New Zealanders to develop interests and skills in music, composing and performance.
In promoting this purpose, the Trust also wishes to:
1. provide young New Zealanders with positive role models;
2. give life skills to young New Zealanders, such as self-confidence, reliability, responsibility, communication and leadership; and
3. encourage and facilitate opportunities for young New Zealanders to make and experiment in music that reflects New Zealand's unique characteristics.
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