Fostering music in the BOP

Bay Music School director Adam McLean. Photo: John Borren.

Bay Music School is taking on two new music teachers this year to provide music education into 35 classrooms across seven schools.

'I started with three classes in 2019,” says school director Adam McLean, who has been a primary school teacher before embarking on a full-time music career launching both Bay Originals and Bay Music School.

'A massive amount of kids wanted to be part of it and I couldn't take on any more, so we have two new staff with tertiary qualifications coming on board to teach.”

Five of the schools require the music classes to be held before or after school hours or during lunch times, but Taumata School and Tahatai Coast School have the classes running during normal school hours.

'Their principals say the community is demanding music and that they see a lot of benefits from their children going to the classes. Their teachers have also commented on the benefits,” says Adam.

'Taumata and Tahatai Coast schools are amazing because they see the opportunity to do music during school time allows for more kids to do music.”

The vision of Bay Music School is expressed in its mission statement: ‘Fostering our music community to support the hauora of our rangitahi'.

'Everything we do is based around improving the wellbeing of the children and community and obviously they're learning music along the way,” says Adam.

'We feel that there's more to music than just learning a skill. It's about being part of a group in a community. And when you feel part of a community, you're happy.”

He's received messages from satisfied parents too.

'One messaged me to say her son's concentration in class has improved. He was tough work but by the end of the year he was engaged and his mother was saying that his concentration, his happiness, his everything has improved. That was a really awesome email to get.”

Adam was recently awarded a Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year medal for his contribution to community music. As noted in the nomination, in 2020 he organised a music gig to raise money for a music development fund, and during the COVID-19 lockdown he boosted spirits in his community by doing free gigs on Facebook Live, and also works with local suicide prevention groups.

'We've raised about $16,000 so far for The Foundation of Music and all the money goes towards helping kids into music, giving instruments to teachers that have the leadership to lead music and supporting music. We'll be doing work with kids that deserve music, kids with disabilities, or helping a teacher to learn guitar.”

As well as developing the music school, he is a trustee of Creative Bay of Plenty, plans to continue working on his own music and hopes to release another single this year.

'I just want to focus on the bigger picture right now, on getting as many kids involved in music as possible, and for the end of the year organising some concerts and cool little events.”

You may also like....

0 comments

Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.