by NZ CATHOLIC staff
AUCKLAND — Three former pupils of St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Glen Innes, won a national songwriting competition on May 30.
According to Frances Carter, who taught music at St Pius X for nearly 10 years, until the end of term 1 this year, the school has been involved for the past eight years with a music mentoring programme run by the New Zealand Music Commission.
The members of winning group Tempo Style, from left, Julia Tu’uga (now at Auckland Girls Grammar), Meleseine Puletau (now at Selwyn College, Auckland), and Maxine Vaihu (now at St Mary’s College, Auckland).
“This programme, funded by the Ministry of Education, provides a musician for a couple of hours each week for six weeks,” Ms Carter said.
“A small group of year 8 students get the opportunity to be mentored in writing and producing songs.”
The music group won the 2014 New Zealand Music Commission songwriting competition
with their song, Islands, in the Hook Line and Singalong competition.
The song also won the primary school division of the Association of Performing Rights Artists Uke-Can-Do-It songwriting contest at the Auckland Ukelele Festival at the end of last year.
The song will now be part of the programme for the 2014 NZ Kiwileles Festival.
Ms Carter now works at Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School in Flatbush, Auckland.