Gift of Music Concert back to raise money for Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund

The Gift of Music Concert is a fundraiser for the Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund. Photo / Supplied

People can soon enjoy a showcase of local youth talent across the arts, while also helping to raise funds for youth with musical passions and dreams.

The annual Gift of Music Concert is back on September 25, and is a fundraiser for the Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund.

Organiser Elizabeth Pilaar says the concert will include dance - ballet, contemporary and tap - a group of singers from Accelerando, solo violin, a chamber group with percussion and clarinet, a jazz band, solo piano, and a group from Western Heights High School with vocals, drums and keyboard.

The Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund is established through Geyser Community Foundation, and the interest from the fund is given back to the community in the form of scholarships.

"It is used to award scholarships to young musicians in the Rotorua/Taupō region each year. This is the third year we are awarding four $500 scholarships at the concert."

The scholarships are to help the young musicians achieve their musical goals, as there are many expenses that are part of the journey, she says.

"As a mother of three children who learnt instruments, I know it's expensive... there's tuition, travel, exam costs and the instruments."

The four scholarships from the fund for this year will be presented at the concert.

This year's recipients are Year 13 singer Terina King from Rotorua, Year 13 vocalist Paretoroa Webster-Tarei from Rotorua, home-school pianist Niamh Loudon from Reporoa, and Year 13 violinist and percussionist Kylie Bathe from Taupō.

The first Gift of Music concert, in November 2017, was just five months after Elizabeth's son Michael Pilaar died in June of melanoma.

Michael was a talented musician passionate about sharing his love for people and music. He was 19.

She encourages people to come along because the youth performing are very talented, and such a variety of said talent will be showcased.

"We believe music and the arts are really important. They feed the soul and with all the challenges life throws at us, that's really important."

Elizabeth says another special thing about this year's concert is that they will be releasing a CD of Michael's musical recordings from the past, which will be available to buy for a suggested koha of $15.

"We finally had the courage to go through all the music and put the CD together.

"It's very special to share this. We've always played some of Michael's recordings over the PA system before these concerts start and people always ask if they are available, so now we can say yes."

The details
- What: Gift of Music Concert
- When: Sunday, September 25, 2pm to 4pm
- Where: Western Heights High School
- Tickets: $15 for adults, $5 for school age children, available at the door or from City Books & Lotto on Tutanekai St