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Māori Music Exploration Workshop

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Māori Music Exploration Workshop

Explore how sound, language, movement and musical choices can carry meaning. Read the short information cards, then answer each question. Māori music is diverse and living; practices differ between iwi and communities. Follow local guidance and treat taonga pūoro with respect.

Sound and context

Use these cards as your workshop reference. TAONGA PŪORO: Māori musical instruments include kōauau, a small flute traditionally made from materials such as bone or wood; pūtātara, a trumpet made with a conch shell and a mouthpiece; and pahu, a type of drum. Instruments have varied uses and meanings. WAIATA: Songs can share stories, express feelings, remember people and places, and strengthen connections. A waiata may be linked to a particular occasion or community. HAKA: Haka are composed performances involving coordinated movement, voice and rhythm. They can express many purposes and emotions; haka are not simply “war dances”. CONTEMPORARY MUSIC: Māori musicians also create music in many modern styles. Te reo Māori, cultural knowledge and contemporary instruments may feature in the same song.

1.Which instrument is described as a small flute?
  • Pūtātara
  • Kōauau
  • Pahu
  • Poi
2.Match each taonga pūoro with its description.
  • Kōauau
  • Pūtātara
  • Pahu
  • Conch-shell trumpet
  • Drum
  • Small flute
3.True or false: Every haka has the same purpose and meaning.
TrueFalse
4.A waiata can help a community share or remember something. Name one kind of thing a waiata might communicate, using the information cards.

Listen like a musician

Imagine a class is planning a respectful listening activity. They will use a recording selected with suitable cultural guidance and will not handle or imitate taonga pūoro without permission.

5.During a listening activity, name two musical details you could pay attention to. Choose from sound sources, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, melody, language, or the way voices and instruments work together.
6.A group creates a four-beat pattern: clap, rest, clap, clap. Which beats are sounded? Write the beat numbers.
7.Create a simple four-beat rhythm using written sounds such as clap, tap, and rest. Do not claim it is a traditional Māori rhythm. Write your pattern and describe how you could repeat it steadily.
8.Explain one way music can help communicate culture or identity. Include one example from the information cards.
9.You are composing a new piece inspired by a landscape that matters to you. Which two musical choices could help suggest that place? Explain your choices. Do not imitate a specific iwi tradition without guidance.
10.Complete both prompts: “One idea I learned about Māori music is…” and “One respectful question I still have is…”

3 printable pages

  • Māori Music Exploration Workshop, page 1 of 3: Sound and context

    Page 1

  • Māori Music Exploration Workshop, page 2 of 3: Listen like a musician

    Page 2

  • Māori Music Exploration Workshop, page 3 of 3: 9. You are composing a new piece inspired by a landscape that matters to you. Which two…

    Page 3

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