A/muse - Transforming lives through music. Interviews with artists, bands, musicians and those who love music

In episode 16, I sit down with Dity Maharaj from Coridian.  This is the second member of the band to feature on the show.  The great thing for this one is that he is the singer and we talk about his approach to write melody and lyrics to music.  Check it out! ---- A Little Dity Bio   Born in Fiji in the early 80s and migrating to NZ in the early 90s, growing up in a Hindu household, I picked up a lot of good wholesome values in my youth. By the time I was 11 our family was split when my parents divorced, the experience taught me a lot about staying true to oneself and to never compromise on your ambitions of a happier life. I spent my teens with my father, a very progressive Hindu, who encouraged me to walk down my own path in life, and pursue my own passion & interests.   I enjoyed music and singing, which was something I learnt from my mother. I always enjoyed Disney animated movies - Aladdin being an all time fav singalong. During my adolescence I took part in the school choir & musicals - learning piano and guitar as a hobby.    In my early 20s I went to Karaoke bars with friends, and it was there where I observed good mic techniques from a very talented Maori female singer.   It was not until I was in my mid 20s that I joined a casual rock band, which evolved to us taking ourselves more seriously as "Mile High". Over 5 years we reached many milestones together, but in 2013 decided to call it quits. After taking a year off music, I was itching to get back into the scene - to which my path led me teaming up with the Raven brothers - forming Coridian in 2015. Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0lR9RQShdwXD9IW4V7veyR YTMusic - https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCeuq7ueevEtM07RZjXG9BRg YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf8sBkYLJ7FfYTdy1uM2q3Q/featured Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coridian_band/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Coridianband

In episode 15, we sit down with TeMatera Smith and discuss music in a very detailed conversation that covers a lot.  It was an absolute blast speaking with him! ---- Te Matera Smith is an international Engineer, Producer, Musician and Entrepreneur, now based in Auckland NZ. Having worked with many International top-level artists, He’s locally best known for his work with artists such as Troy Kingi.   Label Owner / Director AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Ltd (AAARecords) www.aaarecords.com Studio Owner / Director Red Room Studios NZ www.redroom.co.nz Production Company Owner / Director Luma Audio Visual Creative www.lumaavc.com

Episode 14 is a goodie! Steve Shyu is not only a music reviewer, but he also has his own radio show along and plays the guitar for 'Fire For Glory.'  His attention to detail is honestly awesome.  We had such a great chat, this episode went on a little longer than normal! ----- Steve Shyu, aka. Paul T Gheist, is a radio show host, DJ, music reviewer and musician. His new weekly rock show Ampstack Radio kicked off at the beginning of 2021 and has DJed at various bars around Tamaki Makaurau, playing electronic music, rock and heavy metal. Steve was also recently enlisted as a guitarist for punk rock group Fire For Glory, and also plays bass and violin. In his downtime, Steve enjoys reading music news, listening to music, and a good craft beer. Links: Ampstack Radio: https://www.mixcloud.com/steve-shyu/ampstack-radio-with-paul-t-gheist-4-jan-2021/ Reviews by Steve: https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/authors/32654

In episode 13, we sit down with songwriter Nur Peach and discuss her passion for music. Such a great conversation was had here! ------ Nur Peach grew up surrounded by music and has been singing all her life. Born in New Zealand’s beautiful Coromandel Peninsula, and having lived there all her life, she has always been surrounded by the inspiring beauty of nature. As the daughter of a professional musician, there were always musical instruments around and performance opportunities since a very young age. At the age of five, Nur began to write her own songs. By the time she was nine years old, Nur had already performed in many places in New Zealand and around the world, including Israel and busking on the streets of Paris, accompanied by her father Dylan Wade on guitar. It was at that age that Wade began to teach his daughter how to play guitar herself, and that same year when she began piano lessons. Today, Nur writes and accompanies herself on both guitar and piano. In 2013, Nur won the Intermediate section in the Purple Cake Day “Kenya Song Challenge,” and in 2015, she was the Waikato regional winner for the APRA Lyric Award at the Smokefreerockquest. In 2016, Nur was the Waikato regional winner of the Play it Strange “Get Connected” song writing competition for her song “Feel the Sun,” which she recorded at Roundhead Studios. Her four-track acoustic EP, “Hello World,” released in 2015, is much played on many people’s stereos. She is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Music (specialising in popular music) at The University of Auckland. Nur combines folk, pop and rock into her own distinctive sound. Her songs' inspirational and uplifting lyrical content is both personal and universal. Her mission is to inspire people to create positive changes in both the world and themselves. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nurpeachmusician/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurpeachmusic/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa1pXUyWIcO5ROS95yP0mBw Tumblr: https://nurpeachmusic.tumblr.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nurpeachmusic SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-899012847 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0X6gyIJT3PVqVmxpwFZTK9 Bandcamp: https://nurpeach.bandcamp.com/releases

Episode 12.  I sit down with one of my former students, DANI.  Her songwriting was an inspiration to a lot of other students at school and I discuss a couple of the tracks she wrote towards the end of her time at Waiuku College.  Check this episode out! ----- A blossoming Contemporary Christian artist from Auckland, New Zealand. An ordinary girl expressing her love for God and music to connect with a wider audience. From the beginning of her songwriting, DANI would find herself experimenting with different genres of music, finding different ways to speak her mind. She often speaks about real issues that occur in her life or finds inspiration through others.  “It’s a waste of a song if you’re just in it for the beat”.  DANI has always been serious about lyrics as she believes words impact other people. She strives to write songs that inspire or raise conversations. Diving deeper into her music, DANI narrates life and faith through its raw essence.  Instagram - @_musicallyrefreshed_ FaceBook - @MusicallyRefreshed Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/217IeU5VdM4Kl7dTojIqn7?si=sPFrpnhFRU6plyXFaANKyQ

In episode 11, we sit down with another teacher at Waiuku College, Mr Mulligan.  Not only does he teach Math, but he is also passionate about music! ------- Nick teaches Math at Waiuku College and helps instruct in the college’s music department. In 2009 he secured a contract to record his song ‘Sin Destino’ through the national secondary school songwriting programme ‘Play it Strange’. He studied musicology at the University of Auckland and has performed at venues such as The King’s Arms. Nick taught music at King’s School in 2012 and 2013, helping facilitate their initial ‘rock programme’, teaching young people how to perform on a stage. Between 2016 and 2018 he recorded his album ‘Mulligan RPM’. He wrote, recorded, mixed, and produced the album entirely by himself using Sony Vegas Pro software. YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU8wNAn-ZziUWfg3l5x-aojKJpvq85Kyr Play it Strange: https://playitstrange.bandcamp.com/track/sin-destino

In episode 10, I get to have an extended talk with both Jonnie and Mikey from the Auckland band, "Outside In".  Not to be missed! ----------- OUTSIDE IN Auckland prog-rockers Outside In invite you on an engrossing journey through a spectrum of emotions and sounds – from intense grit, gloom and poignancy to potent and climatic psychedelic euphoria.   LINKS https://open.spotify.com/artist/51MD8M6AcMdzGtgJXblv37?si=SlAibYKdR2GU8JaF2q8OGw        http://www.facebook.com/outsideinnz https://www.instagram.com/outside_in_nz/ https://twitter.com/OutsideInNz https://www.youtube.com/user/outsideinnz https://soundcloud.com/outside_in https://outsideinnz.bandcamp.com/ https://itunes.apple.com/nz/artist/outside-in/534136009 https://outsideinnz.bandcamp.com/

In episode 9, we sit down with Chris Moutter of Cafe Fistfight.  There is a lot we discuss here with some great answers. ---------------------------- "For anyone who has yet to catch these guys in concert, they are probably best summed up by how they describe their debut single, "An oven-baked heavy hitter packed full of protein and sprinkled with cheese." Here we have a band who refuse to take themselves or their music too seriously, yet are producing incredibly complex arrangements, and are a stunning live act. The first time I saw them play they had this as the opener, and last night they used it as a closer, but it works incredibly well in either place either warming up the crowd or leaving them wanting more." - Kev Rowland Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafefistfight YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPEnorfxy_kt3i-11eu-Ecg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafefistfight/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6fXbEgE7XRppTJVZAwIzYg?si=fFh4b4OWT5WrqhOV7R_GWQ

In episode 8, we talk to Sophie Hamer who was also a former student from Waiuku College.  Sophie is now part of the Dunedin Symphonic Orchestra while also starting her Honours degree at Otago University. ----------------------------------- "I have recently completed my Bachelor of Arts, majoring in music, including cello performance with Heleen du Plessis, and minoring in statistics. I am looking forward to studying honours in music this year, furthering my studies with the cello. Since beginning to learn the piano at the age of 6, I have always loved playing music. I started the cello when I was 7 and since then it has always been my favourite instrument! I especially enjoy making music with other people and I am a member of the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, Cellists of Otago and the Dunedin Youth Orchestra, with whom I enjoyed performing the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto last year. I also love sharing my passion for music with young people at the Saturday Morning Music Classes where I teach cello and clarinet. In my spare time, I enjoy watching football, reading and playing the saxophone, which I have recently picked up and am enjoying the challenge of learning something new."

In episode 7, we sit down with Shannon who is also Head Of Music at Birkenhead College to talk about his band Swerve City.  Since he is also a music teacher, like myself, Shannon discusses some key points that I believe will resonate with a lot of students and musicians. ------- Swerve City is a band from Auckland, New Zealand that seems drawn together by fate. The new single “Sink Like Stones” is a scathing attack on the leaders of the world, for their mishandling of climate change issues to date. Fierce guitars scream like Valkyries, the rhythm section pounds like war drums, the bass line infiltrates your senses, while the vocals and lyrics cry out like a megaphone in protest, that something has to change. Adam Forsdyke (Drums) hopped into an Uber one night, driven by the unsuspecting Kevin Ashby (Lead Guitars, Vocals). Around the same time, Shannon Coulomb (Bass) and JP Carroll (Guitar, lead vocals) were toying with the idea of creating something new, to accompany the pair’s respective solo projects (Imposter Syndrome, Arrays). JP and Kevin shared the stage when their former bands (Armed In Advance, Fire At Will) had played shows together several years prior. At Swerve City’s first band meeting it was discovered that, unbeknown to them both, Shannon’s parents had purchased Adam’s grandparents’ house. The scene was set. Swerve City is on a mission to create music that is a salve for life’s problems. The band stands for loyalty, camaraderie and humility; Four would-be comedians on the same page, one where openness to opportunity is valued, and the word ‘no’ has been removed from the vocabulary. The sound is one of blistering and melodic leads, expressive and composed bass lines, jack-hammer drum arrangements, thunderous guitar riffs, and emotive vocal melodies and lyrics that tackle everything from fear of the future to ancient philosophy. Thoughtful and ambitious, vehement and assured, Swerve City is a band with a plan, and all the pieces are falling into place. LINKS: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4xH86pYR5YjE8bYFOBcscs Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPXprNZMFz3T_feWci85MQ/featured Instagram: https://instagram.com/swervecityband Facebook: https://facebook.com/swervecityband

In episode 6, I get to sit down with the incredible Mathew Bosher.  This is an episode you don't wanna miss! ----------- Mathew Bosher is a vocalist and guitarist (Domes, Magnalith, Decortica). He has been an independent artist and also on a major label; he launched Rothko Records to support his work. One of his projects was to create a new band from scratch, working remotely using agile principles and recording on a 1939 lightship moored on the River Thames 18,000 kilometres from home. He has toured internationally through Japan, South Africa and Australasia. He writes about music here: https://www.mathewbosher.com/tag/music/ Latest music: Magnalith - Intimacy’s End - Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/1WnfJgBiqJAHQUcpdqDpOX - Official music video https://youtu.be/IJ9DAWAya_s

In episode 5, we talk with Kev Rowland.  With a wealth of musical knowledge, he shares how he hears music in order to then write about it.  This episode is different because Kev has, in my mind, one of the best ears out there.  While he openly admits he doesn't like every style, he discusses what is paying attention to when writing reviews.  Absolutely worth your time!

In episode 4, we sit down with Jenni Smith, a former Waiuku College music student, to discuss her current career plans and to talk about her upcoming song.

In episode 3, we sit down with Josh from the Auckland band 'Fire For Glory'. Make sure to subscribe and like to see all the episodes!

In episode two of A/muse, we speak to Kris from the Auckland rock band, Coridian.

In episode one of A/muse, we speak to JP about his solo project, 'Arrays'.