Young songwriter gifts prize to Marian School
When student Rawiri Kapa-Hakeney won a Caritas music competition he decided to give back to his school.
A Hamilton student who won a song-writing competition has decided to give his prize back to the school that helped him to the top.
When Marian School teacher and music co-ordinator Louella Dinnan first suggested that 13-year-old Rawiri Kapa-Hakeney enter the competition, he told her he didn’t write songs.
The Caritas SINGout4JUSTICE competition invited year 7-10 students to write a song about environmental justice that linked in with the Caritas theme ‘United by our common humanity’.
With a little encouragement from Mrs Dinnan, an idea from his dad and lots of help from his band mates, Rawiri wrote and recorded a song that judge Don McGlashan described as “a great vocal performance with a simple strong idea”.
“There’s some anger and strength, originality and confidence, which is why I like it a lot.
“Here’s a songwriter that’s taken the brief, and decided to make the song feel like a call to action, rather than a melancholy sigh.”
Rawiri’s song, which can be heard at www.caritas.org.nz, is about the impact farming has on the environment. It tracks three generations of a family and their attitudes towards sheep farming.
“It’s about how damaging chemicals are that are being put into the land and about the effects of having too many animals.” Rawiri said.
Rawiri won $500 worth of music vouchers which he chose to give back to his school as he felt it had been a collaborative effort. Mrs Dinnan said Rawiri did not have to give the prize to the school, and they were hoping to buy something music related with it.
“It’s an amazing, very special gift.”
