Shona Laing

It has been a while since I did a profile on an ex Hutt Valley High School student, so why not restart this section of my blog with a big name in New Zealand music! Meeting the very successful Shona Laing recently is probably the inspiration behind my blog revival.



The following has been taken directly from Shona's website, which you can get to by clicking on the title of this post.

Shona Laing has always had an ambiguous, sometimes turbulent relationship with the music industry (who hasn't). Integrity and respect have always been non-negotiable for Shona.

She is an intelligent and hugely talented singer/songwriter who surfaced as a result of extensive television exposure on the show New Faces in 1972 with her song 1905, dedicated to Henry Fonda.

Still a teenager she collected gold discs, Rata Awards and represented NZ (twice) in the Tokyo World Song Festival before relocating to the UK where, amongst other things, she was a member of Manfred Manns Earth Band.

Following her return to New Zealand she released a number of albums for both Pagan and Sony, as well as extensively touring Australia (Glad I'm Not A Kennedy was a number nine single there) and the USA where she supported Erasure. Shona has an extensive catalogue of material that not only spans three decades but continues to endure, and endures well! She has currently completed her new album "Pass the Whisper".

This is Shona's comments about her new albumn - "Some old songs are revisited including Kennedy and Soviet Snow. Other songs are as old but have only really found their place recently. It is all played, acoustic guitar-based, with the colour of penny whistle, Northumbrian pipes, bhodran (the Celtic drum), acoustic upright bass, brushes vocals.

The process of finding the players and the place and time has been so natural, no industry pressure at all and I feel it is the best work process Ive ever been through"

Don't miss out!

Sound Unit Level 2

The blue books should all be handed in. If you did not hand it in you will need a legitimate reason with a note, such as a medical certificate if you were sick. A reminder that if you did not hand this in you will no longer be able to continue with Level 3 PA and recording standards.

A big list of congratulations.

Congratulations to Jonny Hurn, Hayden Richardson, Leon Philipsen, Matt Steele and Cindy Xia. Jonny was placed in the Top 20 in the 2009 Play It Strange Songwriting competition for his song, 'Who am I'. Jonny won a $500 NZ Rockshop credit, a recording session, and his song will appear on the 2009 Play It Strange CD that will come out later in the year.

Hayden Richardson will be off to Christchurch the next school break as he has been offered a place as part of the 2009 New Zealand Secondary Schools Brass Band. Matt Steele and cultural captain, Leon Philipsen, have both successfully auditioned as members of 2009 New Zealand Youth Jazz Orchestra, which will be rehearsing and performing over the second week of October. During the last school break Cindy Xia competed in the Hutt Valley Music Competition, gaining four 1st's, including one for her NCEA Level 1 composition 'Moth', one 2nd, and she won the scholarship for 16 years and over.

Matt Steele - Legend!

Most definitely no myth about Matt. This past weekend in Tauranga, Matt's band, 'Manner's Matter', which includes our fabulous Cultural Captain, Leon Philipsen, performed in the competitive Youth section of the National Jazz Festival.

Matt has walked away with THREE awards!
* KEN MITCHELL TROPHY - Best Original Composition
* BILL HOFFMEISTER TROPHY - Most Outstanding Pianist
* DEREK JACOMBS - Award for Innovation

Well done Matt, we are all so proud of you.

Legendary!

Gospel Choir

Thursday 23rd April, 1 - 4:30pm.
Friday 24th April, 1 - 4pm.

Don't be late.

Volante Rehearsal

Friday 24th April, 9am - 3pm.
Bring some lunch

Level 1 Sound Tech

Well done to those that have completed everything. For those that have something yet to hand in I want these by Wednesday, so I can give you some marks before Easter. Please remember that this unit is a prerequisite for all future sound units, so there are some of you who need to put in a bit of time NOW!

Due Dates - Level 3

By 10am Thursday April 9th the following is due to me:

Completed Composition 1
Completed Arrangement 1

Completed by this end of the holidays should be:
Context assignment (although you have a couple more weeks)
Sound - Blue book Level 2
First stage of Research assignment (some of you will be well into the time consuming second stage by this point if you are not doing Composition or Arrangement).

Due Dates Year 11

Hebrides is now!
Composition draft is due no later than 4:45pm Thursday 9th April. This draft should be a copy (not an original), of your completed first composition. Draft means that there will still be things to complete or places to rework, but generally most things are done.

Hebrides Overture

Assignment time. This in class assignment is a kind of a cross between a test and typical assignment. You are not allowed to take anything into the class spells, or out of it. However you can study in between time, using your memory of the questions to guide your study. The assignment goes over 4 and a bit spells.

Spell 3 Tuesday 31st March
Spell 4 Wednesday 1st April
Spell 5 Thursday 2nd April - only a couple of minutes each during usual practical spell.
Spell 2 Monday 6th April - Library
Spell 3 Tuesday 7th April - Library

The following is a video of the powerpoint given in class. There will be no sound attached but it gives you the reminders you might find useful.

Level 1 Sound - Element 3

All presentations are due this Friday Spell 1, April 3rd. Presentations can occur in many ways, (written, visual, verbal,)just make sure you have all the information asked of you accurately and clearly stated.

Sound Technology

Sorry, I have been a bit slack on making sure that this blog has been updated regularly this past month. I shall try to do better.

Element 1 should be complete, Element 2.1 should have been handed in and Element 2.2 should be done before Friday. That leaves us 2.3 and Element 3 to complete.

Please remember that you can get on and finish the lot by yourselves, however if work is not all in before the end of next week (Elements 1 and 2 worksheets) then I will not be marking the work. Good luck.

Check the Music Boards!

This week's timetables are up and so is the Volante list.

Sound Unit Level 1 Element 1.1

It was wonderful to see so many of you at my Friday morning class. I know getting out of bed early on a Friday for an optional class can be a strain, but I know that you will find it worthwhile.

Don't forget to hand in Element 1.1 this Monday, and collect Element 1.2 off me.

Welcome to 2009

I hope everyone is well rested and looking forward to the new year. Just a reminder to all students wanting to learn music through the itinerant system at school, get your forms in by Wednesday of of Week 2, as new timetables will be going up for Week 3. I will do my best to place everybody but be aware priority is given to students taking classroom music first, then to Year 9 students, and then those who have previously been learning. Some instruments, such as guitar, bass and drums, have significant waiting lists, so if you are thinking of taking an instrument for the first time, I suggest you try your hand at something else. Please note that there are no keyboard/piano lessons offered at HVHS in 2009 for those not studying NCEA Music.

See you all soon.
Mrs D.