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Regional | Education

Music helping to engage and inspire rangatahi

This year 30 students were selected to take part in the Prime Ministers Youth Program to help pave a positive way forward for rangatahi who have faced challenges. Music mentor TJ Taotua says his music workshop is about using music as a creative and innovative way to engage and inspire youth.

The special edition of a creative workshop in this year's Prime Ministers Youth Program is using music.

Taotua says, " Using the arts is an opportunity to unlock some of the creative thinking for young people at a young age. If you can get young people playing instruments singing or being part of a dance scene, it adds value to a young persons education experience.

The students used the workshop techniques to compose music about the area they live in, South Auckland.

"I run a music mentoring program called 'Make my own music'. Writing to kind of teach them the aspects of songs, creating the beat, the music, some melody and then the final step getting them into the studio."