Mike's Minute - Matariki Songwriting Competitions

In 2011 Dame Hinewehi Mohi, came to the office of Play It Strange. Hinewehi was known to us all. She brought with her an esteemed reputation of cultural prowess and involvement in projects of Māori Culture. And it was in that backdrop that Hinewehi wished to speak to us. And she did.

Hinewehi was aware of the Play It Strange evolution of secondary school students and the songwriting competitions that we had been running for some years and as a contracted cultural ambassador for Ak City Council she was on the lookout for events and programmes that carried the Matariki concept way up high. 

 Hence,  Hinewehi came to us intent on sharing a songwriting competition for Auckland City students leading to a ten track album of finalist songs with the Matariki Festival woven into the lyrics. We, at Play It Strange were very keen on this and a contract was put together between Play It Strange and Ak City Council to run a Matariki Songwriting Competition so that it timed in with the 2011 Matariki Festival. And so it came to be.

Hinewehi, myself and the esteemed songwriter Jordan Luck  received songs that were written and entered by a number of secondary school students – from both teachers, parents and the students themselves – and we listened to them very closely and we were hugely impressed.

It didn’t take long for the three of us to select ten finalist songs that were then headed to Studio 203 in Auckland and their in-house producer Andrew Buckton. We would pop in and listen to them taking shape and the excitement was palpable.

The winning ten song album was manufactured in CD format and put on the Bandcamp platform.  The response was excellent and the winner took the stage at a Matariki Festival concert held and managed by Auckland Council. The winner was: Eden Tautali with her song ‘Poukura’ and her performance was magnificent. Eden attended St Cuthbert’s College for girls. It is worth noting that Eden also won the National Schools Poetry Award with her poem ‘Nan’.

Listen to the Matariki Songwriting Competition 2011 on Bandcamp HERE

With the success of the songwriting competition in both song entry numbers and the impressive standard of composition, the Auckland council funded a second competition to be run in 2012. Again the three judges were delivered another array of songs written by secondary students and again ten songs were picked as finalists and recorded with Andrew Buckton at Studio 203. This time the winner was Petra Bullock and her song ‘Scarlet’. Petra attended Takapuna High School.

As in the prior year, Petra, as the winner, performed at an Auckland Council managed concert and the response was wonderful.  This was followed by a run of CDs, carrying the ten tracks , being widely disseminated and posted on Bandcamp which as we know travels the universe! Petra has gone on to tertiary music studies in Wellington and has made real progress in the music industry.

Listen to the Matariki Songwriting Competition 2011 on Bandcamp HERE

Thematic songwriting competitions bring with them the real chance for young writers to utilize their imaginations and bring forth the ‘voice from within’.  The popular songs of the last fifty years have evolved with structures that project songs as they really are. Which is what? They are the truthful embodiment of a songwriter’s philosophy and broad intellectual purpose.

This has been very much realized in the Play It Strange Matariki Song Competitions and the circumference of that determination is clearly stated on the ‘dust jacket’ of the 2011 album. This goes:

Matariki; the Māori New Year signals a time for connecting with and giving thanks to the land, sea and sky….  It is also a time when people gather together to share rituals, entertainment, hospitality and the embrace of a learning culture.

While the Matariki songwriting competition did not continue past 2012, I am so pleased that we are launching a Te Reo songwriting competition this year, judged by Play It Strange alumni Callum McDougall, now known as “Rei”.

Weheld a small Matariki Concert last week which Rei is performing at.  It’s great to be able to celebrate the Māori New Year once again at Play It Strange.