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Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Ode To Ōtara: A Symphony Of Hope, Culture And Call For Support
Article – Mary Afemata – Local Democracy Reporter Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' was written centuries ago, but this week it became a powerful celebration of unity through music, bringing together youth as they rehearsed for an upcoming concert with the Auckland Philharmonia and the Sāmoan music education initiative, Sol Fa. Dozens of young musicians performed 'Ode to Joy' at a Sistema Aotearoa rehearsal, welcoming Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith to Ōtara's Music and Arts Centre on Tuesday. The rehearsal was part of the lead-up to their annual 'Pese! Fasi! Pūoro!' concert and provided Goldsmith with insight into the talent, discipline, and pride of South Auckland. However, when asked about increasing government investment in community arts, the minister was cautious. 'It's amazing to be out here and to see the smiling little faces as they're exposed to the wonderful world of music,' Goldsmith says. 'There are few greater things than being part of a group making music together. 'We can't walk in with a chequebook and throw money around. We're maintaining arts funding in a very tough environment, and we're encouraging agencies to invest widely, from professionals to grassroots groups like this.' Sistema Aotearoa, which partners with over 60 South Auckland schools to provide free orchestral education, is widely celebrated for its impact on tamariki. But board member Tasha Hohaia says the programme's success has been achieved despite limited resources. 'We make magic happen with the little we have. And with just a little bit more, we could reach more,' Hohaia says. 'It's critical to have Māori and Pasifika whānau supported in classical music. We have so much to offer the world.' Iain Rea, General Manager for Sistema Aotearoa, says the programme goes beyond music education. 'Sistema Aotearoa is much more than a music programme, it's also about community development and the programme has been going for almost 15 years. It's hugely supported by the community, it's as much about community building as it is about music.' One example is Reece Ferrer, 19, who joined Sistema Aotearoa as a child and is now a tutor. 'I joined when I was five, so that was back in 2013. I currently do midwifery at AUT, but I've been with Sistema basically for 14 years. Sistema to me is much more than a music programme. 'It helped me build my social skills and helped me connect with the community in Aotearoa.' Ferrer, who learned the violin and flute, has forged connections with fellow students through Sistema Aotearoa, and is now giving back to her community as a young adult. For parents like Terry Filipo, whose son plays the violin, the change is deeply personal. Filipo's son is a Year Four student at Flatbush School, and she hopes he will gain discipline and self-belief from the programme. Filipo says the programme exposes children like her son to new spaces. 'I look at my son and see a future that's more open because of exposure to classical music. It's an investment, not just in music, but in how our kids see the world. 'It's a practice. Whether it's a sport or an instrument, you learn commitment, and that progress follows discipline. 'It's a type of cultural exchange, which is important not just musically and not just skill-wise but their perspective … it's allowing them to expand on their worldview even as young people.' Filipo stresses the need for government funding and support. 'It's extremely important … Without the funding and without the support that Aotearoa Sistema gets, children that come from certain areas … may not go to schools [with access to] this type of music or even this type of culture.' 'It is an investment, even for our music industry. We have so much to contribute … We don't support small, we support big.' Rene's son has participated in the Sistema Aotearoa programme for three years, starting in Year Two. He plays the cello, and Rene believes the opportunity might not have come without it. She says the programme teaches more than just music; it nurtures confidence and opens doors. She adds that the programme fosters engagement and uncovers hidden talents, strongly endorsing the initiative. 'I think without the awareness of the programme, it may not have been an opportunity that he would have pursued. 'I think it's very crucial, opening up their eyes to different opportunities, different disciplines. So it's not just about the musical ability, but it offers a wide range of, I guess, perspective and life lessons as well that they can carry through to other areas of their lives. 'It's much better to have our kids engaging in this kind of activity rather than on the couch and so forth.' William Kingi, Sistema Aotearoa's youth adviser, says the programme opens doors that would otherwise remain closed to rangatahi. 'Even though this community is under-resourced, we're culturally rich. Classical music allows our kids to participate in spaces that might feel foreign, but instead, they feel like they belong. 'Sistema helps level the playing field. Not a lot, but just enough to change a life.' That potential was visible during the rehearsal, as students beamed with pride while performing for their families and friends.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Ode To Ōtara: A Symphony Of Hope, Culture And Call For Support
Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' was written centuries ago, but this week it became a powerful celebration of unity through music, bringing together youth as they rehearsed for an upcoming concert with the Auckland Philharmonia and the Sāmoan music education initiative, Sol Fa. Dozens of young musicians performed 'Ode to Joy' at a Sistema Aotearoa rehearsal, welcoming Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith to Ōtara's Music and Arts Centre on Tuesday. The rehearsal was part of the lead-up to their annual "Pese! Fasi! Pūoro!" concert and provided Goldsmith with insight into the talent, discipline, and pride of South Auckland. However, when asked about increasing government investment in community arts, the minister was cautious. "It's amazing to be out here and to see the smiling little faces as they're exposed to the wonderful world of music," Goldsmith says. "There are few greater things than being part of a group making music together. "We can't walk in with a chequebook and throw money around. We're maintaining arts funding in a very tough environment, and we're encouraging agencies to invest widely, from professionals to grassroots groups like this." Sistema Aotearoa, which partners with over 60 South Auckland schools to provide free orchestral education, is widely celebrated for its impact on tamariki. But board member Tasha Hohaia says the programme's success has been achieved despite limited resources. "We make magic happen with the little we have. And with just a little bit more, we could reach more," Hohaia says. "It's critical to have Māori and Pasifika whānau supported in classical music. We have so much to offer the world." Iain Rea, General Manager for Sistema Aotearoa, says the programme goes beyond music education. 'Sistema Aotearoa is much more than a music programme, it's also about community development and the programme has been going for almost 15 years. It's hugely supported by the community, it's as much about community building as it is about music.' One example is Reece Ferrer, 19, who joined Sistema Aotearoa as a child and is now a tutor. 'I joined when I was five, so that was back in 2013. I currently do midwifery at AUT, but I've been with Sistema basically for 14 years. Sistema to me is much more than a music programme. 'It helped me build my social skills and helped me connect with the community in Aotearoa.' Ferrer, who learned the violin and flute, has forged connections with fellow students through Sistema Aotearoa, and is now giving back to her community as a young adult. For parents like Terry Filipo, whose son plays the violin, the change is deeply personal. Filipo's son is a Year Four student at Flatbush School, and she hopes he will gain discipline and self-belief from the programme. Filipo says the programme exposes children like her son to new spaces. "I look at my son and see a future that's more open because of exposure to classical music. It's an investment, not just in music, but in how our kids see the world. 'It's a practice. Whether it's a sport or an instrument, you learn commitment, and that progress follows discipline. 'It's a type of cultural exchange, which is important not just musically and not just skill-wise but their perspective … it's allowing them to expand on their worldview even as young people.' Filipo stresses the need for government funding and support. 'It's extremely important … Without the funding and without the support that Aotearoa Sistema gets, children that come from certain areas … may not go to schools [with access to] this type of music or even this type of culture.' 'It is an investment, even for our music industry. We have so much to contribute … We don't support small, we support big.' Rene's son has participated in the Sistema Aotearoa programme for three years, starting in Year Two. He plays the cello, and Rene believes the opportunity might not have come without it. She says the programme teaches more than just music; it nurtures confidence and opens doors. She adds that the programme fosters engagement and uncovers hidden talents, strongly endorsing the initiative. 'I think without the awareness of the programme, it may not have been an opportunity that he would have pursued. 'I think it's very crucial, opening up their eyes to different opportunities, different disciplines. So it's not just about the musical ability, but it offers a wide range of, I guess, perspective and life lessons as well that they can carry through to other areas of their lives. 'It's much better to have our kids engaging in this kind of activity rather than on the couch and so forth.' William Kingi, Sistema Aotearoa's youth adviser, says the programme opens doors that would otherwise remain closed to rangatahi. "Even though this community is under-resourced, we're culturally rich. Classical music allows our kids to participate in spaces that might feel foreign, but instead, they feel like they belong. "Sistema helps level the playing field. Not a lot, but just enough to change a life." That potential was visible during the rehearsal, as students beamed with pride while performing for their families and friends.
West Australian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Bill Thompson: Music is the universal language of understanding and connection
From Mozart to Billie Eilish, music has the power to move listeners in deep and profound Ode to Joy is a soaring anthem of hope and elation, while Adele's Someone Like You is a sorrowful ballad that can bring listeners to that emotional connection doesn't always translate across cultures.I was recently involved in a study led by my PhD student Marjorie Li that looked into how Western listeners perceive emotions in two distinct musical styles: Western classical and Chinese do this, music experts curated a series of 10-second sound clips — half Western classical violin music and half Chinese traditional music played on an erhu, a two-stringed bowed sound clip was selected to reflect one of four emotions: happiness, sadness, agitation and with Dr Kirk Olsen, a colleague from Macquarie University, we recruited 100 listeners of white European descent and based in the UK, US, New Zealand and the most interesting finding from this research was that the listeners tended to perceive Chinese music as 'agitated' and Western music as 'happy'. In a world of geopolitical conflicts headlined by the US-China trade war, could music play a role in bridging divides and fostering understanding?An earlier study by the same research team suggests it found that teaching people to play a musical instrument from an unfamiliar culture, even learning to play a single tune, can diminish or even eliminate biases about that that study, 58 white Australians were randomly assigned to learn either the Chinese pipa or a Middle Eastern oud (both instruments are similar to the lute).After a two-hour lecture on the instruments' cultural and musical background, the would-be musicians spent another couple of hours learning to play a folk they were more empathetic toward people of different cultural learners felt more connected to Chinese people, while oud learners felt more connected to Middle Eastern Lennon understood this anthem Give Peace a Chance became a rallying cry of the anti–Vietnam War movement, uniting millions across borders under a shared call for didn't end the war, but it gave voice to a global Donald Trump's trade negotiators to pick up a Chinese pipa to help find an amicable end to the ongoing tariffs dispute is a bridge too there's no doubt music can build unity if we're all singing the same tune. Dr Bill Thompson is a professor of psychology at Bond University
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Yang Zi begins filming new drama with Hu Ge
8 May - Yang Zi is officially shooting her new drama, "Born to Be Alive" (also known as "The Tree of Life"). Sharing the good news on Weibo, the actress posted several photos from the launch of the drama, writing, "The tree of life blooming in barrenness has love and hope. The answers are on the way and there are miracles in life." It was revealed that the drama will also have Hu Ge is a special role, with the actor confirming it online, writing, "Let's feel the love and nature together on this land of endless life." Hu Ge also stars in the drama According to Baidu, the drama stars Yang Zi as Bai Ju, a girl who was adopted by her family in Golmud, Qinghai. When she grew up, she established the first yak research and experimental base in Qinghai and started a yak beef food processing factory. She leads the villagers to abandon their traditional way of making a living by mining coal and poaching through ecological production, lifting them out of poverty. This marks the third collaboration between Yang Zi and Noon Soonshine following "Battle of Changsha" and "Ode to Joy". The cast and production crew at the launching ceremony (Photo Source: Yang Zi Weibo)
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
On its 100th birthday, the Boston Civic Symphony looks back and forward
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up As an additional gesture of gratitude, Noya said, the orchestra is inviting the audience to sing along with collaborating ensemble Chorus Pro Musica (which is celebrating its 75th anniversary) during the 'Ode to Joy' chorus. Vocal scores are available on the orchestra's website. Advertisement Noya, who has directed the Civic Symphony since the 2017 departure of longtime conductor Max Hobart, took interest in the job because the orchestra is 'an integral part of music history in Boston,' he said. 'One-hundred years. How many similar organizations last that long in the Boston area?' The Civic Symphony still does include students, though rather than the high schoolers of the early days, the youngest members are now pre-professionals from local music schools such as NEC, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Longy School of Music. Advertisement A handful of current and former players in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, including cellist Mickey Katz, violinist Sophie Wang, and violist Roberto Diaz (now president of Curtis Institute of Music), temporarily joined the ranks of the Civic Symphony during their student days. During the years between 1979 and 1992, when Hobart was both leading the Civic Symphony and performing in the BSO as a violinist, it sometimes happened that the conductor became professional colleagues with a musician he'd first met as a student in the Civic. However, most of the musicians in the Civic are players who 'could have gone on to have a professional career, but chose to do something else,' Noya said. They're software engineers, or doctors, or teachers, or stay-at-home parents, while also being 'capital-M musicians.' Musicians like Jan Steenbrugge, who played in the Civic under former music director Hobart while studying violin at Boston Conservatory around the turn of the millennium. After returning to his native Belgium, he shifted career paths to his family business, real estate. That left little time for music, but after he saw opportunities in the real estate field in Boston — a city he'd become fond of — he realized there was 'enough business to move the whole family' in 2011, and eagerly dusted off his violin and re-auditioned for the Civic. 'I suddenly had all my old friends from the orchestra back. It was like I never left,' he said. Hobart remembered him. Even his stand partner was the same. Max Hobart, who also served as assistant concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, led the Boston Civic Symphony between 1979 and 2017. Boston Civic Symphony In the Civic, people do tend to 'stay for a long time,' said Katz, who has been a member of the BSO since 2004. When Katz Advertisement One of those was Newburyport-based violinist Nancy Hayes, who has been a member for 45 years. She said she was driven to found her own community music school in Newburyport, The Musical Suite (now Zach Field Drums and Music) because of the positive experiences she had in the Civic. It was an antidote to her own childhood memories of intensely competitive and stressful music programs at the elite Juilliard School, where she didn't find the 'sense of wonderment and joy' she craved. 'Max had a way of encouraging musicians while also asking for disciplined practice, in order to get the most out of each player. That combination of inspiring and yet being really tough on learning was part of what I wanted to bring into my own school,' Hayes said. When Noya arrived, Hayes noticed a similar 'contagious positivity' in the Venezuela-born conductor. Music director Francisco Noya conducts during a rehearsal of the the Boston Civic Symphony, which is commemorating the orchestra's 100th anniversary with a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 on Sunday, April 27. Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe In an interview, Hobart repeatedly expressed how proud he was of the ensemble. 'People just raved' about Civic performances, he said. The internationally respected conductors Kurt Masur, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Colin Davis all attended Civic concerts at his invitation when they were in town conducting the BSO, he said; afterward, though they concurred Hobart was a capable conductor, most of their praise was expressly for the musicians. 'They don't shy away from difficult repertoire, because they really want to be there, and they take the time to rehearse,' said Katz, a member of the BSO since 2004. Advertisement Noya pointed out the 'amazing amount of dedication' he sees from the players. 'People come quite prepared to rehearsals,' he said. 'I'm always encouraging people to play with passion, especially our musicians that are not professional. I say, why are you here? You're here because you want to make music. So enjoy every second of it.' The social aspect feels important as well for many of the musicians, especially the volunteers. 'Everybody knows: Monday nights, don't bother me,' Steenbrugge said. 'Monday night is orchestra night. That's my sacred space.' Especially in 'these really weird times, a lot can be said without saying anything when you get together and play music,' he said. Noya would 'love to see' the orchestra endure into its second century and beyond, he said, 'continuing to provide high quality performances, and the opportunity for the citizens of Boston to make music at the highest possible level.' Though Sunday's performance at Jordan Hall is the symphony's final date of the season in town, there's another community collaboration on the calendar. Noya splits his time between the Boston area and Nantucket, where his wife, Elizabeth Hallett, is superintendent of public schools. On June 22, the Civic will travel to Nantucket for the third year in a row, where Noya will lead a benefit concert for music education on the island, with student musicians from the schools and Nantucket Community Music Center joining the symphony on stage. 'In the end, we're all drawn together by our devotion to studying music,' said Hayes. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
