Music and the arts have been a part of my life and identity for as long as I can remember, and when I moved to Rangitoto College in Year 11, I immediately felt the support of a school that truly values performers and performance opportunities. There are so many music events happening all the time, and I felt like I’d found my place right away.

My first exposure to the performing arts at this Kura was the 2025 school production of Les Misérables. I remember feeling nervous going into rehearsals because I didn’t know anyone in the cast — or really anyone at the school at all. But everyone was so welcoming, and despite existing friendships, I was able to find people I connected with really quickly. I think a huge part of that comes from the culture of inclusivity and supportiveness that exists not just in the music faculty, but across the entire school. A highlight that came after the show was being awarded Best Production of the year at the Auckland Showdown Awards. Having our work recognised not only by friends and family in the audience but also on a regional scale showed the high calibre of performing arts at this school. I felt incredibly proud to have been a part of it and was able to transfer the skills I gained onto the stage at the Aotea Centre, where I performed as Dorothy last year and Ariel this year with the National Youth Theatre.

Beyond the musical, I also had the privilege of joining the school’s premier upper‑voices choir, Serenata, last year, and I’ve continued singing in it this year. Again, the hard work and dedication of both the students and our wonderful conductors have been recognised — we have now been selected for the Big Sing National Finale for three years in a row. Last year we travelled to Dunedin and won a silver award, which was an incredible achievement, and this year we’re heading to Christchurch, which I am personally very excited for! As part of our preparation, we went on our annual choir camp: three days of intense rehearsals, team‑building, and a competitive quiz night organised by our Year 13 leaders. I feel so grateful to be surrounded by such inspiring, hardworking, and fun people. Being part of this ensemble has helped me grow not only as a musician, but also as a person.

Both the biennial school production and Serenata helped me form close friendships with people across all year levels. These connections opened up even more opportunities to grow alongside like‑minded people. For example, I got to write songs with a Year 11 student that I wouldn’t have met without the school’s co-curricular opportunities, and perform them at one of the school’s many music events, Rock and Rocky Road. Other performance opportunities include Choral Confection, Jazz Club, Concertos and Cookies, and Happy Hour, all of which foster Rangitoto’s warm culture of showing up and supporting each other’s performances. This is one of my favourite things about music at the college – there’s always a full audience of people cheering each other on.

These opportunities helped me grow as a performer in ways I didn’t expect. Writing music with another student pushed me to explore new genres and styles. I even got to apply those skills to songwriting with a friend from another school, which led to us becoming finalists in the Play It Strange National Songwriting Competition last year and placing second in the Peace Song Competition this year.

As part of co-curricular music ensembles, we also get to perform outside of school, including through our partnership with Knightsbridge Retirement Village. Sharing music with the residents there has been meaningful and rewarding, and it’s another example of how the school encourages us to use music to connect with the wider community.

I am very grateful for all of the opportunities that Rangitoto College has provided me with, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!