I recently wrote an article for The Listener (it's in the October 6-12 edition) about the Tironui Music Trust, a music education programme launched in 2006 by former Montana Wines managing director Peter Hubscher and his wife Pam. Funded by the Hubschers, the trust provides instruments and tutors in low-decile schools in Papatoetoe, South Auckland. It grew out of Peter Hubscher's love of classical music (his father was an original member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) and his conviction, shared by Pam, that children from low socio-economic backgrounds can benefit in all sorts of ways from music tuition. I spent a day watching the kids involved in the programme rehearse for their big concert of the year and came away deeply impressed by the commitment not only of the tutors but also the principals and staff of the schools involved (not to mention the children themselves, who clearly enjoy their music enormously).
Video producer Baz Caitcheon of bazzacam was also there that day and captured some wonderful footage of the kids playing. You can see from the sparkle in their eyes that they love what they're learning. Baz also interviewed two of the principals whose support has been crucial to the scheme, along with a couple of the inspirational tutors. If you have four minutes and fifty seconds free, it's worth watching.
If you want to know more about the Tironui Trust (and no, Peter Hubscher didn't put me up to this), you can go to the website here. While there's no provision on the site for making donations, the Hubschers are keen to introduce the programme more widely and are looking for other sponsors who might be able to help.
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