MUSIC • PUORO
GIVING STUDENTS A VOICE
One of the most authentic versions of ourselves emerges when we are doing what we love. Discovering this allows us to enjoy life and feel happier with who we are. This is perfectly exemplified by the Rangi Ruru music whānau – a vibrant community bound through a passion for music.
There is something for everyone, with all being welcome and given support during all stages of their musical journey. Students collaborate and learn from each other, developing empathy and respect for their own individual styles and preferences. They have a voice, and through music learn about humanity and the possibility of joy and wonder. Imaginations are developed— vital for individual and social wellbeing as they strive to enhance their own lives and the lives of others.
Our experienced music team ensure our students understand the difference between mere achievement and success in life. Music is what makes us human and can connect us all.
Ka whangaia, ka tupu, ka puawai. That which is nurtured blossoms and grows.
We look forward to welcoming you to our music community.
JANET KINGSBURY Director of Music
SOME RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS
• 2025 National Youth Symphonic Winds: Two students selected
• 2025 NZSO National Youth Orchestra and National Youth Brass Band of New Zealand: Once student selected for each
• 2026 NZ Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra: Seven students selected
• 2025 NZ Secondary Schools’ Brass Band: One student selected
• 2026 Adam Summer School for Chamber Music: One student selected
• 2025 Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Professional casual positions: Two students
• 2025/2026 NZ Secondary Students Choir: One student selected
• 2025/2026 NZ Academy Choir: One student selected
• Aurora Festival 2025: Gold Award, and Prizes for Strings, Percussion, Trombone, and Best Musician
• 2025 Big Sing National Finale – Silver
• 2025 NZCT Chamber Music Contest: National Second and Third places
• 2025 Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival: Gold Award and category runner-up
• 2025 Play It Strange Song Writing Competition: Three National finalists
• Mentoring with well-respected musicians, and vocal and instrumental pedagogues and of national standing.
MUSIC AT RANGI RURU
Music is integrated into the heart of our community at Rangi Ruru, well beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. Students are featured in every facet of school life as soloists and in small and large ensembles— at assemblies, chapel services, student-initiated events, connections with the Rangi Ruru alumnae and wider whānau.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
Our students participate in local and national school-based festivals and events and are frequently invited to feature in a wide range of community events and functions. Through this real-life approach, our musicians gain the skills and dispositions to contribute positively through music to communities they may become involved in beyond school. Student-led performances are supported through the Arts Council and as part of our curriculum programmes.
ACADEMIC
ACCOLADES
Studies have shown that students who are involved in extensive musical programmes often excel academically, and we see this in our community. Rangi Ruru is consistently one of the top-performing schools in music in New Zealand. Over the past ten-plus years a high percentage of our top academic award winners, including Reach for the Stars, Dux, Proxime Accessit, Best All-Round Student, along with other senior leadership awards and positions, have been musicians. These students have often forged academic career pathways, including music, through study at top national and international institutions, often becoming leaders in their fields.
As a school, Rangi Ruru strongly supports NCEA as a robust and highly regarded academic qualification, with students consistently achieving at the highest levels they are capable of. These include Outstanding Scholar, Top Scholar, and Premier Scholarship awards, with each category including Rangi Ruru musicians. In music, our students have achieved a very high music scholarship success rate in the last ten years, including several Outstanding and Top Music Scholar Awards.
OUR MUSICAL LEGACY
The continuous cycle of learning, as a result of the legacy of students who have moved on from Rangi Ruru, is an important part of our ethos. The development of younger musicians is fostered through inspiration from senior students, who then move on to make room for the younger ones to move through. Our music alumnae often keep in contact and return to engage in workshops and mentoring with current students.
OUR ALUMNAE
MILLIE TRUSTTUM (20182022)
HONOURS BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE VOICE STUDENT AT WAIKATO UNIVERSITY
Millie was a ‘music girl’ from the beginning of her high school journey, but the time she spent in the music department increased as the years went by. Her love for singing was first encouraged through membership of Rangi Voices. Millie went on to join Resolutions and started weekly voice lessons with Helen Charlton, where she was introduced to classical vocal technique. Janet Kingsbury and Melanie Chua were pivotal in her understanding of music theory. Without this, Millie says that university harmony and
counterpoint classes would have been much more of a struggle.
“Music classes were a highlight—this is where I discovered the art of composition, something I have taken with me through my undergraduate degree. Rangi does so exceptionally well to expose music students to the vast array of options within music; jazz, vocal, orchestral, contemporary, composition, song writing. All of it has a home there.”
Millie fully immersed herself in music. Head of Resolutions in her final year, she was selected for the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir and was a cast member in the 2022 NZ Opera’s season of Macbeth. She was a vocalist in a chamber music ensemble—reaching the South Island Finals—and played violin in Rangi Sinfonia.
“Rangi Ruru’s teachers are so committed and passionate about their subjects—all experts in their fields. I learned so much from all the disciplines I chose, leaving with a rounded arts education. For the pathway I study now, having access to these subjects could not have been more valuable. The beauty of Rangi is that there is something for every student.”
In 2026 Millie will undertake her Honours year of vocal study with Head of the Vocal Department, Kristin Darragh. She will also continue her composition study with Michael Williams, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer of Composition. In January of 2026, Millie attended the New Zealand Opera School in Whanganui, and will be planning for postgraduate study overseas from 2027.
ANNA BRUCE (2011-2017)
SELF-EMPLOYED VISUAL ARTIST
If you had walked through the grounds of Rangi Ruru between 2011 and 2017, you would have found Anna in the Performing Arts department or the Visual Arts block. Her classes and co-curricular activities revolved around playing the cello and piano, drama, painting, and printmaking. Anna was heavily involved in Chamber Music, reaching the 2017 National Finals of the Chamber Music Contest, a cellist in Rangi Sinfonia, pianist in the Jazz Band, and in 2016 was
placed second in the National Sheliah Winn Composition Competition with her piece inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In her final year Anna was Head of Arts.
After graduating, she chose to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts (Art History, Māori and Indigenous Studies) at the University of Canterbury. Today Anna works as a self-employed visual artist, selling her artwork and painting portraits by commission.
As Anna stepped into self-employment, it became clear to her how well her time at Rangi Ruru had set her for this career.
“My teachers always had a passion for, and depth of knowledge in, their chosen field. They would go to great lengths to help me with musical or artistic endeavours for school assignments and personal projects. Being cultivated and cared for in this way gave me the confidence to plan and execute my artistic and business ideas.”
Anna deeply encourages current students to cherish the opportunities they have at Rangi Ruru to be supported and cultivated in their areas of interest.
“At this school you have the resources to seek out advice, mentorship and connections. Taking a proactive approach by seeking guidance from the people surrounding you will give you a solid foundation to stand on, whatever life path you choose for yourself.”
MUSIC PROGRAMMES
MUSIC CURRICULUM
Music is offered as a subject to all, with increased specialisation and personalisation as students progress through NCEA Levels 1 to 3 and Scholarship.
Students are exposed to a diverse range of musical styles and genres through performance and creation of original music. These areas are always supported by the exploration of musical context, analysis and music literacy. Skills in live recording and mixing are developed using a range of current music technologies.
There is an emphasis on the development of the whole student through our integrated approach to wellbeing, along with opportunities to develop leadership skills in all aspects of the teaching and learning programme.
CO-CURRICULAR
We offer a highly regarded music co-curricular programmes, including:
• Choral
• Orchestral
• Jazz
• Chamber Music
• Rock
• Percussion
• Musical Theatre
Instrumental and vocal tuition is available to all, and performance artists, teachers and composers are engaged as part of our Artist in Residence programme. All groups consist of students across year levels who learn from and support each other. The students give freely of their time to work beyond the school day to further develop and deepen musical skills and understandings.
STELLAR MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS
Our music programmes provide personalised enrichment and extension in a caring and inclusive environment for music scholars and other high-achieving musicians.
Stellar Music Scholarships are available for students in Years 7 and 9. Scholars receive discounted tuition fees, a generous grant towards instrumental/vocal lessons and are given access to mental performance coaching.
Rangi Ruru’s high achieving musicians are empowered to challenge themselves and find their own voice through music. Mentoring is available from leading creative and forwardthinking professional musicians who inspire students to extend their musical horizons at school and beyond. Students are also actively encouraged to become involved in the wider academic, sporting, cultural and service programmes available at Rangi Ruru.
OUR EXPERTISE
Our passionate and highly regarded music staff go above and beyond to facilitate and include the best possible quality and range of musical experiences for the students.
Two full-time and one part-time music staff members (in specialist areas of art/ classical, world, jazz and commercial music - including music technology) are supported by part-time staff: a music administrator, directors in choral and jazz genres, and 19 itinerant instrumental and vocal teachers, many of whom are among Christchurch’s leading musicians.
Janet Kingsbury
B.Mus (Hons), LRSM, LTCL, ATCL, AIRMT, Dip.Tchng. Director of Music j.kingsbury@rangiruru.school.nz
Jeremy Thin
Grad.Dip.Tchng, MA, Mus.B, ATCL Head of Curriculum Music j.thin@rangiruru.school.nz
Anna Howat
B.Mus (Hons), Grad.Dip.Tchng Teacher of Music a.howat@rangiruru.school.nz
To see more information about Itinerant Music and Speech and Drama please scan this QR code
PERFORMANCE LINKS
Scan to watch performances from some of our music students.
2025 Rock Bands, Percussion, Jazz Band
2025 Chamber Music, Rangi Players, Rangi Sinfonia
2025 Resolutions, Rangi Voices
59 Hewitts Road
Christchurch 8014
New Zealand
T +64 3 983 3700 E enrolments@rangiruru.school.nz