Blog - Kathryn Lauder

Format of the AS91421 Exam and study checklist

The video below gives a basic overview of the format and types of questions you can expect in the NCEA L3 Harmonic and Tonal Conventions exam. Scroll down for a study checklist you can use to start your exam prep. If you’re looking for a bit more help, try the AS 91421 Learning Programme.…

Getting started on a composition

Getting started on a composition assignment is much easier if you’ve already got an idea that you want to write about. Having a reason to write a piece of music helps you set up the mood of your piece right from the start, ensures that you have something to communicate in your music and can…

White Cat – Movement 1 from ‘Miss Brodie’s Cats’

The three short movements that make up my orchestral pieces, ‘Miss Brodie’s Cats’ were inspired by the three feline characters in my charge when house sitting for a week in Onehunga. They’re dedicated to Sally Brodie, whose sense of humour is infectious. ‘White Cat’, movement one from the set, was recorded and then performed by the Auckland Philharmonnia in 2003.

Setting of Jenny Bornholdt’s poem, Instructions for how to get ahead of yourself while the light still shines

I set this fantastic poem, Instructions for how to get ahead of yourself while the light still shines by Jenny Bornholdt to music in 2002 when I was working at Diocesan School for Girls’ and wrote it especially for the Year 7 and 8 choir at the school at the time. I wanted to capture…

Aue Io – by Carol Storey, orchestration Kathryn Lauder

In 2016, I had the honour of orchestrating Carol Storey’s beautiful piece “Aue Io” for a performance by the Tauranga Intermediate School Choir, Members of Opus Orchestra, Taonga pūoro musicians: Horomono Hora and Joel Komene, conducted by Timothy Carpenter. You can view the performance below.

Why you should work on your scales

Learning to play your scales and arpeggios really well will help you develop as a pianist and as a musician. When you play scales, you’re strengthening your fingers, the coordination between your hands and preparing yourself for scale passages which occur in a lot of music. You can also use your scale practice to…

How we’re using Noteflight

Noteflight is an online tool that you can use to write and playback music over the internet. It’s reasonably priced and is a great tool for music students. It’s possible for music teachers to set up a safe space on Noteflight where their students can share music and access online resources. This year, I’ve started…

Online Piano Lessons – 5 tips for students

Here’s 5 simple tips that will help you have a great online piano lesson. 1. choosing which device to use If you have a laptop computer or chrome book, use this for your online lesson. The benefit of using a device with a large screen, is that you’ll be able to see the annotations that…

Preparing a spoken introduction for a performance

These days, when you attend a concert, it is quite common for the performers to engage with the audience and share a little bit about the pieces that they’re going to play. This post is designed to help you if you find that you need to prepare a spoken introduction before a musical performance.…