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She’s one of the nicest people you’ll meet in east Auckland, and when you know she makes music for children, it makes sense that she’s positive because that arena can be full of joy. She’s also one of a very few with connections to this area who has won a coveted a New Zealand Music Awards’ prize, the Tui, as she explains to PJ TAYLOR.
Where were you born and grew up?
I was born in Wellington but then grew up on the North Shore. Our family has been out east for the past 15 years.
Music is your work now. How did it play a part in your life on the journey to becoming a career?
Our mum and dad had a solid record collection plus musician friends, and mum wrote songs, taught singing and performed in bands throughout the 1980s. My dad has a great singing voice. It was often accompanied by the sound of a hammer while he built our house! My sisters and I used to ask mum to play the guitar for us, so we could sing all the cover songs in her band songbooks. My granddad played sax and taught my mum and her five sisters to sing in harmony so at family events there was always singing.
I sang in high school musicals and at rock quest, but had my sights more set on acting. It was at a drama course, with June Renwick at Selwyn College, that I met a mentor of mine, Louise Britzman (nee Hayward) who taught voice, and was the founder of an a cappella quartet. I got invited to join her troupe and sung a lot of professional shows, learning four-part harmonies of her original songs, arranged by Tony Backhouse.
So, performing was one of my first careers out of school alongside university study, but once I got my first proper day job, I was always juggling how to balance being in bands and having a career.
You won a prestigious Tui prize at the New Zealand Music Awards last year for Best Children’s Music Artist. What was it for and how did you feel about it?
Super grateful for that moment, recognising a collaborative album, Firefly, I created with Grammy-winning producer Dean Jones, founder of the band Dog on Fleas. We were introduced to via fellow kindie songwriters, and Skype calls and virtual recording sessions made it happen, with support from NZ on Air funding. The album features Anne Torralba from Chicago and Suzi Shelton from New York. They perform as the act Birds of a Feather.
It was such a surprise. I really feel like I’ve won a prize already when I get to record the music I love and get to collaborate. When you perform for little audiences and see their smiles, that’s a pretty big prize in terms of ‘I think this is a good pathway in life’ because it’s not really about you, it’s about them – the children.
And funding makes it possible so it would be hard to create any of this work without the untold support of organisations who believe Kiwi kids are better off with music and media made for them, about them and their unique lives. Shout out to NZ on Air and Creative New Zealand, of course.
You’ve had experience of playing grown-ups’ music, in bands, but why did you decide to be a children’s music creator?
When we had kids, I didn’t think it would slow me down with music, but it was harder to do shows and find time to give it 100 per cent like I had before. Children’s music happened organically – being surrounded by Lego bricks and soft toys and diggers, right? In 2008, the late Arthur Baysting put out a call for children’s songs for a new APRA award. When I won that inaugural songwriting award, it was amazing, but it took eight years of starts and stops to get my first album recorded, so it wasn’t a quick thing. I didn’t pivot completely though, as even when the kids were little, I’d find ways to get to Substax recording sessions. We recently started releasing a bundle of new songs, such as the EP, Plastic, and Music is Revolution.
You work with the legendary children’s entertainer Suzy Cato on productions. How is she to work with, and who are some of the others you collaborate with?
Suzy Cato has been a mentor for me. I’ve got to support her at The Auckland Folk Festival and The Baby Show and we co-wrote a new song recently, The Mountain Song, which is a mindfulness adventure, to encourage families to connect with the great outdoors. Suzy is just like she sounds on the radio – warm, encouraging, smart and funny! So, great to work with. New Zealand artists I’ve written with include Itty Bitty Beats, Music with Michal, Levity Beet, Em and Me, Marshmallow, Little Ripples, Chris Lam Sam and Kath Bee. Plus, Australian songwriters Angie Who and Benny Time. I’ve also written with Marsha and the Positrons, Wendy and DB, Kelli Welli, Tallest Kid in The Room, Nick Davio, and My Friend Christopher.
You’ve got a new EP out this week, Playful, and new single, Road Works. How did the ideas for them come to you?
With Road Works – well, inspiration is all around, and we do have a lot of roads being built out this way! I wanted to find a little fun in everyday things that kids find entertaining (and maybe adults not so much?). The Playful EP is a little collection of songs inspired by life with my kids and some stretch back a long time ago to when I’d go sing for their mat times at Somerville Kindergarten, or Cockle Bay School. They’re tunes that made me smile, and I hope they do the same for our families!
Where can people access your music creations?
Families can find all my music at https://claudiarobingunn.com or by searching my name on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music etc.
What are some of your favourite places and things to do in east Auckland?
My fav spot is the Mangemangeroa walkway and reserve. It just feels like this magical portal between the city, the country and the ocean and we’re very lucky to have these wild spaces just in our backyard. I love a coffee at The Apothecary, and paddle boarding at Cockle Bay Beach.
If there was one thing you’d like to see changed in New Zealand society, what would it be?
I’d love to see music education supported for all kids in primary school. Trying to get schools to all have a specialist with musical training in teaching, as well as a programme that could connect kids with itinerant music lessons in an affordable way, so they could experience the benefits of music both in instrument or voice learning, as well as group music making. It’s so dependent on parents’ incomes, or the school’s choices on whether it’s a priority.
We’re actually so lucky that the east Auckland schools my kids attended have fantastic music programmes, so it’s not that I feel our family has missed out, but I’m aware this is not the case nationwide, or even perhaps Auckland wide. This is not self-interested too, as I’m not a teacher – just a performer when it comes to music with kids in schools. I love getting to play assemblies though! Kids are so amazing when you really see them get up and respond to a show!
I believe that music can be just as much of a team sport, as athletic sports, yet it’s often overlooked as a nice-to-have. It’s equally an aspect of literacy and can help kids be ready to learn in other subject areas. It can be useful in the school routine as transition cues, an engagement tool, and a mood booster. Assembly singing enhances the school culture and sense of togetherness. Learning harmony in music requires listening, cooperation, turn taking, self-confidence and literally finding your voice. All qualities we want to encourage in our society. So, that’s my little mantra for change. One day!
