Family Concert Fundraiser

7 August 2010

Bring an instrument and your whanau and join the Raukatauri Music Therapists for a unique fundraising concert.

The Saturday afternoon concert includes performances by The CeleBRation Choir, The Flying Bisons, Julie Herbert, and our very own Music Therapists.

The finale item will be a chance for all the audience to join in, so bring along percussion or any other instrument.

Tickets can be purchased at www.rmtc.org.nz.
Adults - $20, children - free.

All proceeds from this event go to the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre.

When: Saturday, 7 August 2010, from 2-3pm,

followed by afternoon tea and a chance to meet the performers

Where: Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, 429 Queen St, Central Auckland

Free parking at Church carpark, including disabled access.

BUY TICKETS HERE

STARS ALIGN WITH MATARIKI

1 June 2010

Maori New Year celebration is back

The Maori New Year is again being celebrated late in June with a one-off concert and gourmet hangi featuring some of the nation's leading musicians and our top ex-pat chef.

For the second year in a row, celebrated cooks and artists are joining forces to mark Matariki, the Maori New Year, at Ngaruawahia's Turangawaewae Marae on Sunday 27 June.

Some of the country's leading performers, including Hollie Smith, Anika Moa and Don McGlashan join international chef Peter Gordon and comperes The Topp Twins in a four hour music and food spectacular.

Other prominent musicians featuring include indigenous Australian singer and songwriter Emma Donovan of the Gumbaynggirr nation and Kiwis Anna Coddington, Erakah, Hinewehi Mohi with Joel Haines and Ben Tawhiti.

Gordon, a descendant of Ngati Kahunguni ki Wairarapa, is digging in to some fancy kai to again put a modern twist on the heritage hangi food at the marae of King Tuheitia.

He leads a team of chefs preparing the gourmet hangi to be served to the public and VIP guests who include the Maori King and local body dignitaries.

Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year.

Singer/songwriter Hinewehi Mohi says the event provides a unique opportunity to showcase Maori culture in a contemporary style while still respecting Maori traditions.

"Peter brings a global perspective to the traditional hangi and the music has a strong Maori influence too. Introducing modern interpretations demonstrates that Maori culture is continuously evolving."

Included is a special performance of Karetao (traditional puppets) by Dr Te Ahukaramu Charles Royal (Tainui) and Taonga Puoro (traditional instruments) players with a contemporary mix of textures and sound effects by Paddy Free (Pitch Black).

NZ sculptor Brett Graham of Ngati Koroki Kahukura is designing the set and stage backdrop for the event. Graham has represented NZ at the major contemporary art exhibition in Italy 'Venice Biennale'.

More than 600 guests are being catered for at the event. Peter Gordon's gourmet hangi menu includes spicy marinated chicken, stuffed pork belly cooked in banana leaves; pork loin topped with a red curry coconut paste and stuffed boned rolled legs of lamb.

Peter Gordon is joined by the Turangawaewae Marae chief cooks. He says all the dishes have been devised to add a twist to the usual hangi fare. "We like to take a fusion approach using local ingredients where we can supported by a range of taste enhancements common in Maori cooking. I am sure guests will be very satisfied with what is both a tasty and a traditional indigenous menu."

A gifting and planting ceremony of 50 native trees supplied by the 'Naturally Native Nursery' and donated by Nga Whenua Rahui will take place at the Marae prior to the event.

The event is sponsored by Air New Zealand, Foodstuffs, NZ Internet Services, Tainui Group Holdings, Te Puni Kokiri, Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Tourism NZ and Waikato District Council.

Tickets: Adults: $100 available through our website (www.rmtc.org.nz), or phone 0-9-360-0889. Includes admission, powhiri, gourmet hangi by Peter Gordon & concert.

A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the Auckland-based Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre (RMTC) to go towards providing music therapy for special needs children of school age and younger.

Issued for Aroha Events by Pead PR

Three grand pianos played on stage simultaneously

A wonderful one-off performance of Mozart being played on three grand pianos simultaneously was the latest fundraiser for the Raukatauri Centre.

The concert, on 30 March at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre in Epsom, utilized the talent of three excellent soloists from Auckland University, backed by the "The Auckestra".

Mozart's Concerto for Three Pianos is rarely performed because of the logistics of getting three grand pianos on one stage, so this was a chance for the audience to experience something very special.

The programme for the night also included Beethoven's Concerto No 2.

The soloists are graduates of Epsom Girls but currently attend Auckland University doing piano performance.  They are Tina Kim, Nayoung Koo and Lucy Zeng, and "The Auckestra" is conducted by Peter Thomas.

This unique musical evening raised $2,300 for the Raukatauri Centre.

2010 Workshops

The Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre is once again offering a range of professional development workshops in 2010.  Please see the attached flyer for details and enrolment form.  Early enrolment is advised as spaces are limited.