Making right noises wins scholarship

By MICHAEL OTTO

Composing and recording a song in two hours helped Havila Taukolo win a scholarship to train in audio-engineering.

The Glenfield administration officer heard about the He Taonga Waiata scholarship on its sponsor, Mai FM, and decided to apply just two days before applications closed.

Havila, 24, sang the composition, one of the entry criteria, himself.

He did not expect his effort to go far, but beat 50 other applicants, scoring $3000 in fees for six months' part-time study for a Studio Sound Certificate at the SAE Institute in Parnell.

The scholarship's inaugural winner, Josh Lloyd, will complete an audio engineering diploma at SAE near the top of his class.

Havila, a New Zealander whose parents are Tongan, said he had been developing his musical ideas by composing and recording r'n'b and rap music over the past five years.

Mai Music general manager Victor Stent said the growing local music industry needed technical personnel fluent in te reo Maori or Pacific Island languages.

Audio engineers had to be able to understand the lyrics to do their job.

SAE academic co-ordinator Dr John Reynolds said the part-time certificate course covered electronic theory and the skills and knowledge necessary to plan, record and edit digital sound recordings. As well, trainees had access to state-of-the-art studios and equipment.

Havila, who is married and has a one-year-old daughter, did not have electronics experience but was keen to learn, Dr Reynolds said.

The scholarship, in its second year, is open to anyone.

SAE teaches audio engineering and multimedia courses and has 40 campuses in 20 countries.