Tune in to life

Music provides a unique lifeline at Aorere College - more than just entertainment, it's giving kids basic tools to reach their goals, finds Rowena Orejana.
The four young men collectively take a deep breath then launch into Elvis Presley's Teddy Bear. Their voices take off in different directions, then come together, blending, harmonising, giving the classic rock'n'roll piece a theatrical gloss.
It is a bit jarring to listen to young men sing a song from their grandparents' era in a musical style that is even older. You keep expecting them to break into a rap, but they prove they can hold their own in this genre.
Zion Tesese, Josh Pawa, Michael Peseta and Jake Fruean from Aorere College's award-winning barbershop quartet, Four Elements. They won first place at the recent Young Singers in Harmony national competition.
"We love to sing," says Zion. "Any opportunity, we sing. Even at exams." They all laugh. In a more serious vein, he adds, "It's an honour for all of us to be a part of history and also for coming first."
Music is the soul of Aorere College, inspiring some students to pursue a career in the performing arts while giving others the basic tools to reach their goals in life.
"The thing that really appeals to me is the discipline that is associated with the programme," says principal Patrick Drumm.
"It's teaching students the strategies and pathways to success.
"You're turning up, you're prepared, you work as a team, you practise hard, you work hard, and from your hard work success comes. And that's exactly the same in classrooms, in universities, in life in general."
Doug Nyce, head of the department, says the school has a long tradition of excellence in this area. The department enjoys tremendous support from the school's administration as well as its board of trustees.
A tradition in the school is weekly singing assemblies where more than 600 students gather to sing. "It's important that all students are offered opportunities in all disciplines because each child has their own strengths and weaknesses. Their aptitude for music may be very high. If you don't give them an opportunity you'll never know what they could have done," says Mr Nyce.
Mr Drumm says music gives the school the opportunity to show the students they can be the best even if they come from a low-income area, and that they can make their lives better.
"One of our big jobs here in our community is building confidence in our students and their parents that we can succeed," says Mr Drumm. "In our music programme we are showing that we are the one of the few schools in our area that is able to go out and compete with the high-decile schools and compete very successfully. We are well respected in that."
He says the success in this area allows the students to believe in themselves. "Once you get success, it sort of breeds success."
Singing their praises
Aorere College's choral groups have enjoyed a fantastic year. Clashchords, also a barbershop quartet, won third place in the same competition. The Front Row Choir received the performance award at the Big Sing Nationals. Past pupil Awhina Waimotu won the Sounz NZCF Choral Composition prize for her original composition, Te Atua. Miss Waimotu is now studying music at Victoria University.