Music Handbook 2022

Music Puor

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Music 2022 At Rangi Ruru we believe that music gives students a voice. Through music our students learn about humanity and the possibility of joy and wonder. Their imaginations are developed—vital for individual and social wellbeing as our students strive to enhance their own lives and the lives of others.

We also believe that music assists in the development of empathy, a tool to build communities that bind us together in the face of crises that are an increasing part of our complex world. Music at Rangi Ruru is a creative outlet that forms a common global language, through which our students are supported to express individuality and collaborate to become curious and connected global citizens.

Our Music team is passionate about ensuring that through music we help our students understand the difference between mere achievement and success in life. Music is what makes us human and can connect us all.

Ka whangaaia, ka tupu, ka puawai. That which is nurtured blossoms and grows We look forward to welcoming you to our music community.

Janet Kingsbury Director of Music

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At Rangi Ruru music is integrated

achieved an 100% success rate which

into the heart of our community, well beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. Students are featured in every facet of school life as soloists, and in small and large ensembles—at assemblies, chapel services, studentinitiated events, connections with the Rangi alumnae and wider whānau.

Our students take part in local and national school-based festivals and competitions, and are frequently invited to feature in a wide range of community events and functions.

Through this real-life approach, our musicians gain the skills and dispositions to contribute positively through music to communities they may become involved in beyond school.

included two of only five Outstanding Scholarships awarded in New Zealand, as well as the Top Scholar in Music.

External studies have shown that students who are involved in extensive musical programmes do very well academically. We see this research strongly backed up in our Rangi community.

Rangi Ruru is consistently one of the top performing schools in Music in New Zealand. As a school, we strongly support NCEA as a robust and highly regarded academic qualification, with our results consistently being amongst the highest in the country. These include Outstanding, Top Scholar, and Premier Scholarship awards, with each category including Rangi Ruru musicians. In Music, our students have achieved a 95% music scholarship success rate in the last eight years, including several Outstanding and Top Music Scholar Awards. In 2019 we

In the past 10 years 67.5% of the recipients gaining our senior Gold Braid Academic and Leadership awards have been students involved in some aspect of our music programme. Many of these students have received offers of scholarships both in New Zealand and overseas for tertiary study where they have continued to be innovators and leaders in their fields and beyond.

The continuous cycle of learning as a result of the legacy of students who have moved on from Rangi Ruru is an important part of our ethos.

The development of younger musicians is fostered through inspiration from senior students, who then move on to make room for the younger ones to move through. Our Music alumnae often keep in contact and return to engage in workshops and mentoring with current students.

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Amelie Spinks 2020 Head of Music

Amelie is a primarily a bass player, both electric and upright, and she also plays guitar, sings, and writes original material.

Growing up she was exposed to music in a variety of genres. This resulted in her starting the bass in Year 8, with the reasoning being that it is an important part of a wide range of genres.

Amelie played bass in the Rangi Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, and Sinfonia. She was principal bass in the NZ Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the Christchurch All Girl Big Band and the UC Christchurch Youth Orchestra. She played bass in the combined Rangi Ruru and Christ’s College productions of West Side Story

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(2018) and Evita (2020). In July 2020, Amelie was selected to take part in the International Conservatorium Van Amsterdam Summer Jazz Workshops.

Currently studying jazz bass at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Amelie credits her first public performance in Year 9 as the catalyst to develop her skills “It made me realise that I enjoy performing and that I wanted to improve.

Rangi helped me get excited about where my instrument could take me and pushed me to practice.”

Amelie was also able to enjoy academic success while continuing with her athletics training to a high level— exemplifying our ethos of believing in the development of the whole student through providing an inclusive environment for students to be their best, and above all, be themselves.

Amy Clough Rangi Old Girl

A high achieving Academic and Music Scholar, Amy was awarded Elite Academic Colours for Scholarship two years running, the Special Prize for Excellence in Year 12, was Dux at the end of Year 13, and won NZQA Outstanding Scholarships in Music and History.

Her exceptional ability as an oboist, academic, musician, singer, percussionist and chamber music coach was recognised by her holding all Rangi Ruru’s highest awards in Music: Elite Music Colours, Music Colours, and Silver Fern Awards for national representation in music—in addition to her being awarded an A+ for her study in oboe at the University of Canterbury during Year 13.

Amy was a national semi-finalist in the NZCT Chamber Music Contest, principal oboe in Rangi Sinfonia, a member of our award-winning senior choir ‘Resolutions’, and played in the orchestra for two senior productions: oboe in West Side Story, and percussion in Evita. Outside of school, Amy was an oboist in the 2019 and 2020 NZSO National Youth Orchestra, a member of the NZSO mentoring programme, principal oboe in the NZ Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and Christchurch Youth Orchestra. She also performed with

the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra as an intern in 2019, the University of Canterbury Chamber Orchestra, and the New Zealand School of Music Orchestra.

A mature, perceptive student, Amy related to and interacted positively with people of all ages. A lateral thinker displaying a high degree of professionalism in all her activities, Amy’s enthusiasm for learning, her high intellect and enquiring mind, along with her capacity for application stood out in a school that is known for its academic achievement.

Amy is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Music at Victoria University, majoring in Classical Performance on oboe. During this time, she has had performance opportunities with groups such as Camerata Chamber Orchestra, Hawke’s Bay Orchestra and Orchestra Wellington. She has also had the privilege of being a part of several recording projects for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

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Programmes Our music programme, titled The Stellar Programme, provides a personalised learning environment.

• Musicians are supported within a framework of inspiration, challenge and empowerment • Opportunities to extend musical horizons are provided through experiencing a wide range of musical pursuits • Mentoring is available from leading creative and forward-thinking musicians • Students are encouraged to be involved in the wider academic, sporting, cultural and service programmes at Rangi Ruru 8

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Music is offered as a subject to all, with increased specialisation and personalisation as students progress through NCEA Levels 1 to 3 and Scholarship. Students are exposed to a diverse range of musical styles and genres through performance and creation of original music. These areas are always supported by the exploration of musical context, analysis, and music literacy. Skills in live recording and mixing are developed using a range of current music technologies. There is an emphasis on the development of the whole student through our integrated approach to wellbeing, along with opportunities to develop leadership skills in all aspects of the teaching and learning programme.

We offer highly regarded co-curricular programmes: • • • • • • • • •

Choral Orchestral Jazz Chamber Music Stellar Strings Rock Band Percussion New Music Musical Theatre

Instrumental and vocal tuition is available to all, and performance artists, teachers and composers are engaged as part of our Artist in Residence programme. All groups consist of students across year levels who learn from and support each

other. The students give freely of their time to work beyond the school day to further develop and deepen musical skills and understandings.

Stellar Music Scholarships are available for students in Years 7 and 9. As part of the scholarship package students receive discounted tuition fees, a generous grant towards instrument/vocal lessons, and are given free access to individual mental performance coaching. Music scholars are well supported and given many opportunities, through the Stellar Enrichment Programme (StEP), in a caring and inclusive environment.

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Performance Links 2021 Rock Bands, Percussion, Jazz Band

2021 Chamber Music, Rangi Players, Rangi Sinfonia

2021 Resolutions, Rangi Voices

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Further Information The Rangi Ruru Music Department staff go above and beyond to facilitate and include the best possible quality and range of musical experiences for the students.

Three full time music staff (in specialist areas of art/classical, world, jazz and commercial music - including music technology) are supported by part time staff: a music administrator, directors in Choral and Jazz genres, and 20 itinerant instrumental and vocal teachers, many of whom are among Christchurch’s leading musicians.

Key Staff Janet Kingsbury B.Mus (Hons), LRSM, LTCL, ATCL, AIRMT, Dip.Tchng.

Director of Music j.kingsbury@rangiruru.school.nz

Jeremy Thin Grad.Dip.Tchng, MA, Mus.B, ATCL Head of Junior Music j.thin@rangiruru.school.nz

Henare Kaa B.Mus, Grad.Dip.Tchng Contemporary Music h.kaa@rangiruru.school.nz

Ashleigh Mowbray B.Mus (Hons), MMus Music Administration Assistant a.mowbray@rangiruru.school.nz

Helen Charlton Mus.B, Grad.Dip.Tchng Director of Rangi Voices and Resolutions h.charlton@rangiruru.school.nz

Lana Law B.Mus (Performance Saxophone) Director of Jazz Band l.law@rangiruru.school.nz

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