Thank you to everyone who attended the MENZA Conference 2023
He Hononga: Connecting Within and Across
We’d really value your feedback.
Workshop evaluations:
Conference Survey:
Click here to start survey
Casio Teacher survey link:
Click here to start survey
This year’s MENZA conference has an overarching theme of hauora where the potential of music education to support wellbeing and health will be shared and collaboratively explored.
Over the three days there will be opportunities to learn about how we can connect within ourselves through music to support wellbeing and with each other across our different sectors, subject disciplines (considering music as a means to connect across the curriculum), and across Māori and Pākeha perspectives on music education.
Central to the conference are puawaiata presenters and workshops where indigenous music pedagogy will be centralised and explored in a generative, biculturally collaborative, space. Keynote presentations and workshops will cover music and movement, taonga puoro, purakau through music and movement, and singer-songwriting, with offerings for all sectors: Early childhood, primary, intermediate, and secondary. There will also be an opportunity at the end of this day for Māori music educators and artists to connect with each other at a networking hui, as a way of recognising the importance of self-determining spaces for Māori to enable indigenous music/arts pedagogy to thrive in Aotearoa.
This year, the conference will be held at Tauranga Boys College in Tauranga. For further information about the conference contact: admin@menza.co.nz
Tauranga Boys College
Dr Anita Collins is an award-winning educator, author and researcher in music education and brain development. She has interviewed over 100 neuromusical researchers in Canada, USA, Scandinavia and Europe, she is a TEDx speaker and TED-Ed writer and author of The Music Advantage. Anita is probably best known for her role as onscreen expert in the ABC’s successful documentary Don’t Stop the Music.
Website: Better Bigger Brains
Horo was mentored by the late Dr Hirini Melbourne and Dr Richard Nunns and was the winner of the inaugural Dynasty Heritage Concerto Competition in 2001. He has represented New Zealand music in Europe, Asia, South America and Oceania.
In 2009 Horo was described as the “master of his generation” by Maori cultural magazine, Mana and has collaborated with New Zealand composers such as Gareth Farr for the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the NZTrio. In 2010 Horo collaborated with UK film and concert composer, Paul Lewis (composer) on the Legends of Rotorua project for chamber ensemble, storyteller and taonga pūoro.
Horomona Horo performs and handles the full spectrum of the taonga puoro instruments with a measured skill, historical and cultural understanding as passed down to him by his mentors. His ability to perform solo as well as collaborate so broadly through an extensive musical knowledge of style and process, has led to Horo performing and presenting as a New Zealand representative in Europe, Australia, Asia and South America.
Dr. Jeremy Mayall is a composer, performer, artist, and researcher from Hamilton, NZ. His work is primarily in music, sound art, installation and multimedia formats, with a focus on exploring his fascination in the interrelationships between sound, time, space, the senses, and the human experience. Collaboration is at the core of much of his multi-sensory work, and projects have included work with musicians, dancers, poets, aerial silks performers, theatre practitioners, scientists, perfumers, bakers, authors, sculptors, filmmakers, pyrotechnicians, lighting designers and visual artists.
He is also the CEO of Creative Waikato In this role, he is leading the Creative Waikato team as they support artists and arts organisations to make sure the Waikato thrives with prospers with diverse and transformative creative activity. Outside of this role, he is a composer, performer, producer and artist, as well as being a researcher and sometime postgraduate supervisor in the School of Media Arts.
Chris has played drums in bands since his teenage years, and has made a living as a professional musician performing, recording, composing and teaching in a dizzying array of settings. He studied Jazz at the Wellington Conservatorium of Music (AdvDIpJazz 1993-1996), and Ethnomusicology at VUW (DipArts 2000). Chris has had music therapy in his sights since first encountering it while living in the UK in 2003, and is currently studying towards his Masters of Music Therapy at VUW.
Collaborating with people in music has always been Chris’ passion, and this has led him to working in a diverse range of musical contexts. An experienced touring musician, he has travelled the country and the globe. As a recording artist, Chris appears on over 50 albums, as well as documentary and film soundtracks. As a composer, Chris has collaborated with film-makers, choreographers and theatre directors.
Chris is a passionate educator, maintaining a private practice as well as having held artist-tutor positions at Auckland University, Unitec, Massey University, and Victoria University of Wellington. Chris lives in Auckland with his partner and two children, and is relishing the new horizons music therapy and the work at RMTC is opening up for his musical practice.
Warren Maxwell has been a professional working musician/composer for the better part of two decades (Southside of Bombay, Trinity Roots, Little Bushman & ex. Fat Freddys Drop).
Warren is a kaiako o te reo Māori at Kuranui College in the Wairarapa. But prior to 2023, held the position of Associate Professor at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts. Maxwell has also composed for film and television, performed at numerous Festivals Internationally (Byron Bay Blues Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Celtic Connections, WOMAD N.Z, Big Chill Festival U.K, Roskilde Festival and numerous others).
In October 2016 he was invited to Antarctica as part of Antarctica N.Z’s ‘Artist Community Outreach Programme’. Since then, Warren’s creative focus has pivoted; focusing his composition and research around environmental re-connection (Tūhono ki te Taiao) and the impending Anthropocene.
In 2018 Warren was commissioned to compose the opening of the New Zealand Arts Festival in Wellington, celebrating Traditional Seafaring Navigation knowledge (Mātauranga Māori) which included a 300 piece choir. The event was attended by 20,000 strong audience and recently won ‘Best Arts or Cultural Event 2018’ for the New Zealand Events Awards.
MENZA Conference 2023
1-4 October 2023
Registration on Arrival at the Conference will be available Sunday Evening 1st Oct and the Morning of Monday, 2nd Oct.
The general programme is below - click here for information on the different workshops.
Download the programme booklet: Programme MENZA conference 2023One double exhibition booth, Promotion of company on stage prior to Keynote Speakers, advertisement, and the Gold Sponsorship Package
Opportunity to hold a workshop presentation, Complimentary ticket to Conference Dinner, Promotion of company on stage prior to Keynote Speakers (banner), advertisement, and the Silver Sponsorship Package.
Insert in conference pack, advertisement, and the Bronze Sponsorship package
Complimentary Registration, One single exhibition booth, Logo with link to your website
Trade tables will be set up in the Gym at Tauranga Boys' College. Monday and Tuesday from 5-6.30pm features the “Mix and Mingle”, sessions specifically for delegates to mingle and view the trade tables while listening to music. Includes drinks and nibbles. We also offer free sponsorship for Charitable Societies/Affiliates. Interested in sponsorship or wanting a stand at the conference? E-mail: admin@menza.co.nz