Aimes Award-winning soprano Tayla Alexander has launched a national charitable foundation to support young Kiwi artists and musicians. Photo / Supplied
Aimes Award-winning soprano Tayla Alexander has launched a national charitable foundation to support young Kiwi artists and musicians. Photo / Supplied
New Zealand's young music industry talent will not be stopped from flourishing by politics or pandemic.
In the midst of Covid-19 uncertainty, 19-year-old Aimes Award-winning soprano Tayla Alexander, a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship student in the music programme at the University of Waikato, has launched a national charitable foundation to support young Kiwi artists and musicians under the auspices of the Perpetual Guardian Foundation.
She has also opened a Givealittle page asking arts lovers to "help save classical music from extinction by supporting young emerging artists".
The Tayla Made Foundation and the Givealittle campaign are backed by an initial $25,000 grant from the estate of Patricia McCormick, managed by Perpetual Guardian.
The grants will be distributed in amounts of $500, $1500 and between $2500 and $10,000 to successful applicants.
Funds raised through the associated Givealittle page will be used to support projects such as song recordings, album productions, performances and concerts – thereby providing another key income stream for musical artists.
Tayla Alexander is asking arts lovers to help save classical music from extinction by supporting young emerging artists. Photo / Supplied
The Tayla Made Foundation aims to provide meaningful and focused financial support to the arts, particularly the advancement of classical, classical crossover, classic pop, opera and popera.
Perpetual Guardian Foundation general manager Kirsten Taylor says: "Classical artists globally are facing years of personal and professional hardship, and New Zealand is no exception.
"The Perpetual Guardian Foundation is very proud to be associated with the Tayla Made Foundation, which exemplifies the purpose of our umbrella organisation in creating flexible and accessible options for philanthropy that are crucial to long-term support of the arts."
Ms Alexander says she understands how difficult the road is for young artists before they get to the professional stage.
Importantly, the foundation provides a well-managed channel for arts supporters to provide funding directly to young artists and musicians, with transparency as to how their contributions are being used.
"Classical music has historically not had the consistent funding support it needs, and this is a grassroots effort to establish a foundation – literally and figuratively – to back young talent for decades to come.
"Even though I have been studying music and performing for many years, I am still a teenager and understand how intimidating it is to forge a path in music. I want other singers to feel supported the way I've been lucky enough to feel," she says.
Ms Alexander says the landscape is much harsher for young talent than most arts-loving Kiwis know.
"If we want to go to Europe we still have to sell cupcakes to raise the money. Our goal with the foundation is to move young musicians into a professional era so we are showcased properly on the local and international stages.
"We champion people who do well, such as Lorde, but there are incredible Kiwi opera singers who are her equal in other genres, and performing at the Met, and no one here knows about it."
One of the projects the foundation will seek support for through Givealittle is a classical music album, which Ms Alexander will produce, and a concert series, Bellissima!, with a youth orchestra and other guest youth artists of diverse ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds, including performers from across the country. The album is tentatively set for release in late 2021.
Ms Alexander has more than a million views for one of her YouTube songs and has taken on this leadership role for her peers in the music industry. Her passion is about making music accessible for all.
She has also recently being awarded outstanding performance in creative and performing arts by the Wallace Corporation University of Waikato Blues awards.
If you're a young artist – or know someone who is and would benefit from the financial help – make sure you apply via these links The initial round of applications is open until the end of October 14:
