Kia ora e hoa mā!

Thank you all for coming along to be a part of the Rangatuone workshops and performance. I thought I’d reach out to say hi before we meet up and to give you a couple of things to think about before we play.

How does this all work?

On the day, I will be using a series of hand gestures and signs (that I will show you), and your job is to simply interpret them on your instrument. There is no right or wrong way to do this; it is just about your own musical voice and expression. Essentially, we are a collective composition ensemble.

Do I need to have experience in improvising?

Not at all! Although having an improvising language is really great, there is no need to be fluent in this. Some things you may want to consider before we all meet are:

• How many ways can I play my instrument, and what are the tonal possibilities?
• What kind of music excites me, and do I identify strongly with it?
• How do I listen to other musicians around me, and could I converse with them musically?
  

Will I have to play on my own at any point?

Definitely not. But if you are a confident soloist, please let me know because there are lots of spaces for solo instrumental sections.

Will we be reading music notation?

No. The gestures I will teach you all symbolise things found within music theory, but you will not need to know these things prior. Do feel free to bring some written material along to the workshops if you find it helpful. Again, it is totally up to you how you play.

Can I have a go at conducting?

Yes! I always encourage others to try their hand at conducting as it is a lot of fun.

I look forward to making music with you all.

E mihi ana,

Riki