Aro School Workshops.
Aro has established creative music workshops that they deliver across the country, for high school-aged tauira, intermediate, primary and even the occasional pre-school!
Tiriti-based duo Aro - Charles (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa) and Emily deliver an immersive bilingual music workshop exploring our connection to te taiao and the art of writing waiata.
Supported by Te Reo Reka o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Commission, the session invites rangatahi to learn waiata, explore local pūrākau, and create their own original waiata inspired by the stories of this whenua. Through mātauranga Māori, interactive activities, and collaborative music-making, students will reflect on their role within the natural world while expressing their creative ideas.
This hands-on, uplifting workshop is more than music, designed to spark whakaaro, build confidence, and deepen connection to self and place.
The workshops are funded for tauira intermediate age and up to yr 13.
The workshops are 60-90 mins long.
The fee for this workshop if wanted in a primary-aged group is $850 + GST for 60 mins.
These engaging workshops are fun, and engaging for students. Throughout the workshop, tauira will experience activities, learn waiata, and write waiata, learning from songs written and inspired by pūrākau from the local area.
School Reviews.
“Amazing - the connection the mentors make with the children is exceptional! We just want more time with them.” - Glenavon “It's cool for our tamariki to see positive role models” - Otaki School
“11/10 Stunning … students gain immense confidence through their time with ARO. They feel safe and secure… ARO are the experts in the field and awesome role models gif my students.” - Sacred Heart Girls’ College
"Inspirational for them to see live professional performers, to hear about how they composed their waiata, and to put some ā-ringa to some kupu, and to do some manu kanikani also great to see the actual live performance the next day… it was all in te reo Māori - super important for our tamariki. Also Charles went to TKKM o Māngere so it was great for them to see a Raukura translating kōrero tuku iho into contemporary songs." - TKKM o Te Rito
“Please know what special gifts you have. You work in a truly humble way but don't think we can't see how skilled you are. Thank you for rolling with the changes the days threw at you, highly professional and absolutely all about the kids. Bringing Olive with you was a really an unexpected bonus for the students you were working with but also for the other students in the department! Might not have been the easiest days for you... but she added sparkle for many students.” - Western Springs College
“Last term our Performing Arts Academy were treated to a visit from the musical duo Aro. The kiwi band talked to our students about life as musicians in NZ and gave them tips about how to get into songwriting and how to make a living as a musician. Our students had lots of questions and were really interested in hearing about the concept for their new album “manu”, in which all 10 tracks are inspired by native NZ birds. Band members, Emily and Charles, also shared some of their songs. Some of our students then had the opportunity to share songs they had written and received valuable feedback.
Emily and Charles answered all of the students questions with honesty and a good dose of humor. They were great at talking to our students in a way that encouraged them and that was relatable. We only wish we could have spent more time with them!" -Mahurangi College