"At the age of eight I was given the choice between piano lessons and joining Brownies. After one session at Brownies, dancing around a plaster toadstool and learning how to tie plaits, I was unimpressed: piano it was. Little did I realise that this simple decision was to affect the rest of my life....."

Ritmico Online Editor, Communications Coordinator and IRMTNZ member, Cathy Martin, pens an ode to her first piano teacher.

"In my experience, playing ornaments in time is often the most difficult aspect of the performance. It's easy to get bogged down in the detail.....and forget about the most fundamental and important aspect of music: the pulse." 

In this article, cellist Robert Ibell suggests ways for string players - and others - to execute ornaments, and shares an exercise that can be applied to any instrument. 

In defiance of the uncertainties created by Covid-19, the biennial Classical Guitar Festival was held at the Nelson Centre for Musical Arts (NCMA) Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 January 2021. Musician and tutor, Miles Jackson, reports.

The multi-cultural choral traditions of Aotearoa New Zealand will be explored and celebrated this July at the New Zealand Choral Federation’s biennial national conference, Choral Connect. This year, delegates from around New Zealand will be able to attend the event either in person or online via a virtual conference platform. NZCF Chief Executive, Christine Argyle, explains.

Young Artist Recitals and Chamber Ensemble:
Hear from New Zealand’s next generation of classical music talent!
 
After a rigorous national audition process, the Wakatipu Music Festival showcases 13 young musical talents (ages 16-26) set to take the stage. The Young Artist Programme provides an opportunity for selected artists to perform on-stage at the festival, receive coaching by industry experts, and participate in career development workshops.... 

Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa – Mātauranga a Puoro o Aotearoa (MENZA) is one of the largest, strongest and most motivated subject associations in New Zealand....

Celebrating the music of Aotearoa, NZ Music Month Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa is “a 31 day celebration of homegrown talent across the length and breadth of the country”. This NZ Music Commission initiative has attracted the support of leading music industry organisations since its inception in 2000, and includes concerts, new recordings and media events such as Waiata/Anthems – a 7-part documentary series streaming on TVNZ On Demand.
 

Wellington Branch Chairperson, Louise Logan, has been on the Branch committee for nearly 30 years. It's rewarding work, as she explains to Communications Coordinator (Coco), Cathy Martin. 

Sadly, inappropriate behaviour exists in music education as in other sectors of society, and cases that have gained the attention of our national news media may simply scratch the surface of a much wider problem. In order to safeguard our teachers and students the regular provision of a criminal record is a requirement of all IRMTNZ members.

Members are reminded that your Personal Criminal Conviction record needs to be renewed every three years – and for many members that time is now. It’s easy to obtain your criminal history from the Ministry of Justice and there’s no charge.

Request your Personal Criminal Conviction History record online via the Ministry of Justice website. The form can be:

• Completed online and submitted digitally OR
• Completed online, printed, and submitted by post OR
• Printed, completed by hand and submitted by post.

The Ministry of Justice reply to you should be forwarded to our Registrar, Elene Anderson: registrar@irmt.org.nz.

For guidance please refer to our excellent Student Safety Policy in the Members Only area of our website. 

If you have any concerns about the safety of a student (whether child or vulnerable adult) please contact your Designated Safety Person:

• North Island – Sian Williamson sianw57@gmail.com
• South Island – Janey Seed janey_seed@xtra.co.nz

LAIRMT is a special category of IRMTNZ membership for members who have obtained at least 500 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points over a three-year period. Our Leading Associates are role models, inspiring other members to become more active, and they also demonstrate to the wider public our commitment to CPD.

If you think you are eligible for LAIRMT membership you can find the application form in the Members Only area of our website. Don’t be shy - the more Leading Associates we have the more our professional credentials shine!

LAIRMT status is awarded for three years and as this membership category was first introduced three years ago, many LAIRMT’s are due for renewal this year. Our Registrar, Elene Anderson, will contact you when it’s time to renew – have those CPD Points Schedules ready!
 

This NY 1889 Steinway B Conservatory Grand (#67237) is an 85 key piano with fretwork music desk and Victorian legs, completely rebuilt in the USA in 2005.  The rebuild included new soundboard, bridge recap and restringing.  Auckland Steinway expert David Jenkins reported ‘the acoustic structure of the instrument is excellent.’  He cited good string resonance, replaced dampers, hammers, key bushings, shanks, agraffes and Renner whippens.

This perfect instrument for a teacher or serious student is on the North Shore of Auckland, with potential buyers welcome to inspect the piano.  Asking price is $40,000.  Please contact Jen at jenryck@gmail.com or on 021 752 215 for information.
 

Celebrating Dame Gillian Whitehead

BLOG: Recently, Dame Gillian Kaware Whitehead celebrated her 80th birthday.  Dame Gillian is one of our most prolific and respected composers, with a profoundly “spiritual connection to her Maori heritage. Elizabeth Kerr looks back at her career.

LISTENING: There are numerous audio and video recordings of Dame Gillian’s works on the SOUNZ website. Here are a few to whet your appetite:
Three Windows in the Weather (2008), featuring poems by Greg O’Brien (reciter) with Ben Hoadley (bassoon) and IRMTNZ member Emma Sayers (piano).
Puhake ki te rangi (2006) performed at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts (2018) by Rob Thorne (taonga puoro) and the New Zealand String Quartet. The title “translates as ‘spouting to the skies’ and is a celebration of whales”.
Piano Trio (2005), inspired by "the changing perspectives of patterns in water - in the bubbling of streams, the tumble of a waterfall, in the spiralling eddies where stream meets lake at sunrise". Performed by the NZ Trio.

LECTURE: In the Lilburn Lecture 2019 Dame Gillian spoke about the revival of taonga puoro and her use of them in her compositions. Well worth a listen. 

Regionals: 2 – 24 June
Cadenza and Finale: 13 – 23 August
Finale: 28 August
See the calendar here.

Saturday 19 June, 7.30pm
James Hay Theatre, Christchurch
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketek 

Voice Teaching in Aotearoa
23 – 25 July, Queen Margaret College, Wellington
 

IRMTNZ CONFERENCE 2022
Embracing Cultural Diversity
Rotorua: ​25 - 28 January
For further information including the Call for Papers visit the Conference webpage