This year’s MENZA conference had an overarching theme of hauora where the potential of music education to support wellbeing and health was shared and collaboratively explored.

Over the three days there were opportunities to learn about how we can connect within ourselves through music to support wellbeing and with each other across our different sectors, subject disciplines (considering music as a means to connect across the curriculum), and across Māori and Pākeha perspectives on music education.

Central to the conference were puawaiata presenters and workshops where indigenous music pedagogy was centralised and explored in a generative, biculturally collaborative, space.

Keynote presentations and workshops covered music and movement, taonga puoro, purakau through music and movement, and singer-songwriting, with offerings for all sectors: Early childhood, primary, intermediate, and secondary. 

There was also an opportunity at the end of that day for Māori music educators and artists to connect with each other at a networking hui, as a way of recognising the importance of self-determining spaces for Māori to enable indigenous music/arts pedagogy to thrive in Aotearoa.