Kia ora koutou

​It is not possible to speak at this time without referring to the kaleidoscopic impact the Covid-19 experience has had on us all, and for each of us a unique pattern was carved into what we thought was our ‘normal’. 

In his Judith Clark Memorial Address at the IRMTNZ Conference 2020, Emeritus Professor Peter Walls ONZM shared insights into Beethoven’s life as both pupil and teacher, with reference to the relationship between keyboard instruction and composition. Julia Walls reports.

Helene Pohl, Monique Lapins and Gillian Ansell – three quarters of the dynamic New Zealand String Quartet – gave a refreshingly vivacious masterclass at the IRMTNZ Conference 2020. Cathy Martin reports.

 

Borrowing an idea from the Harry Potter books, Christchurch teacher, Christy Wan Mooi Phang-Yau, brings fresh energy to her studio. Wendy Hunt reports on her IRMTNZ Conference 2020 presentation.
 

Matthews Tyson, Director of St Cecilia Music Examinations International, explains the traditions and developments in music examinations and the role St Cecilia plays in supporting music education in the 21st century.

‘Shop local' is our mantra as we re-start the economy following the Covid-19 lockdown. We’ve asked a few of our favourite retailers to share their sales pitch.
 

KBB Music has New Zealand's biggest range of Woodwind, Brass and Orchestral String instruments and has 15 stores nationwide! We are also the exclusive Kawai Piano distributor for New Zealand.

We are Lewis Eady and we are music!
Lewis Eady has been in business for 140 years so we know a thing or two about quality instruments.

 

At Music Planet, we live and breathe music and are passionately dedicated to helping hobbyists, students and musicians succeed in their musical endeavours.
 

At Piano Traders, we're enjoying seeing you back in the shop and helping you with all your musical needs!

Simply Sheet Music offers a more affordable way to buy educational sheet music and theory books in New Zealand. 

SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music is far more than a music information centre. With a constantly growing collection of over 21,000 NZ music resources, we represent the music of more than 500 composers!

During the Covid-19 lockdown online video communication apps threw a lifeline to teachers and students. Teachers share some candid observations....

"One of my young ladies has found the party button on her Mum’s phone to set the screen up. Last lesson was complete with balloons, party hats, disco lights, stars and costume changes, like a ‘70’s night club!" 

Amateur pianist groups for adult pianists of variable skill levels– a best kept secret or a rising movement? Affiliate Individual member IRMTNZ, Mark Bevin, explains.
 

Margaret Edmonston (1932 – 2020) LTCL AIRMTNZ DBM  
With much sadness the Invercargill music community has lost a valuable music teacher, accompanist, organist and piano duettist. Margaret Edmondston passed away on 9 January after some years of ill health. 

Tania Dyett (1925 – 2020) FTCL AIRMTNZ
The Wellington violin and yoga teacher Tania Dyett, who was a vivacious and forceful musical personality, passed away a few weeks ago. When asked to write an obituary, the amount of fascinating events in her life were almost overwhelming.

COVID-19 GUIDELINES: Although we're at Alert Level 1, it's possible that Covid-19 may again disrupt our teaching practices. Thanks to our MENZA ITM colleagues for putting together this useful set of guidelines for the teaching studio. 
 
TEACHER RESOURCES EXCHANGE: There's plenty on offer for classroom, group and private studio teachers at the TKI Artsonline Teacher Resources Exchange, a forum where teachers can share ideas, including instrumental teaching, music literacy and tech resources. 
 
BLOG: Recent experiences have taught us that there’s more than one way to engage with our students, and this Core Education blog presents a persuasive case for video as a useful supplement to face to face lessons. 
 
PEDAGOGY: The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy is a goldmine for piano teachers, featuring webinars, free articles and The Piano Magazine which has options for 1 month through to 2-year subscriptions (digital and/or hard copy). 
 

NZCT Chamber Music Contest Finals
Wellington, Fri 7 and Sat 8 August
Live and live-streamed!!!

Entries, including for compositions, remain open until Friday 3 July. District and regional rounds will not be live.