ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
I love helping students to fulfil their potential, build their confidence
and chase their passions through music!
KO WAI AU
KO WAI AU
Tēnā koutou,
Nō Kōtirana, Ingarani, me Tenemāka ōku tīpuna
Ki tae mai ōku tīpuna ki Aotearoa i te tau 1840
I tipu ake au i Heretaunga
Nō reira, kei te hia tuku mihi ki te mana whenua o tērā rohe, ki a Ngati Kahungunu iwi
Kei te Whanganui-a-Tara au e noho ana
Kei te hia tuku mihi ki te mana whenua o tēnei rohe, ki a Te Ati Awa iwi, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika
Ko kaiako puoro au!
Ko Grace tōku ingoa
He whakatauki hei whakakapi; whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa!
I'm Grace, a music tutor in violin, guitar, vocals, songwriting, music theory and recording. I grew up in Hastings with ancestors hailing from Scotland, England and Denmark arriving to Aotearoa in 1840. I now live in Wellington. My acknowledgements to the mana whenua of Heretaunga, Ngāti Kahungunu, and of Wellington, Te Ati Awa, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika.
A whakatauki that I'd like to share to conclude this introduction with is "Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei" - Seek the treasure that you value most dearly, if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain. This is a great attitude to bring when learning and seeking the treasure of music!
MUSIC BACKGROUND
MUSIC BACKGROUND
I grew up in Heretaunga (Hastings) and found my way to Karori, Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) in 2017 to begin studying Commercial Music at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa (Massey University of Wellington) to pursue song-writing.
I've been immersed in music for as long as I can remember. When I was four years old I decided I wanted to be a singer! I loved music and melody and I started playing the violin at age 10, and at the same time, also began writing songs. I performed my first original song at 11 years at my intermediate school talent quest.
I can tell you that I was very shy and nervous for that first performance. But that's what has formed my passion for teaching! I know how scary it can be to put yourself out there, but I also know learning an instrument builds your character, develops your brain, grows your confidence and gives you beautiful ways to express your thoughts and feelings. I'm here to walk alongside you and help you push into those exciting new spaces!
EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
I've tutored children and adults, with a wide range of musical experience and abilities throughout the last 10 years.
I'm an active singer-songwriter, performer and musician and you'll find me performing around town and sharing my love for waiata with the Welly community.
In 2021, I self-produced, recorded and released my independent debut album 'Ruminations', recorded at the brand new facilities at Massey University in Wellington. I've performed at multiple local established Wellington venues such as Meow, Moon, Southern Cross Bar and many Hawkes Bay wineries. (I've even performed in parts of Asia!) You can find links to the music and to live recordings of my works in the social media bar at the bottom of each page.
Regarding my classical achievements, I placed second in the Hawkes Bay - Young Musician of the Year for classical singing in 2016 and received NCEA music scholarship. I have also worked my way through both ABRSM and Trinity exams knowing the requirements for these and the techniques the examiners are looking for.
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Commercial Music 2017 - 2019
Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa // Massey University of Wellington
Advancement of Compositional Skills, Performance, Sound Engineering and Musicianship.
ABRSM - The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
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Music Theory Grade 5
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Singing Grade 8
Trinity College London
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Violin Grade 8