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Student Profiles
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Alexandre Champagnat (New Caledonia)
Alexandre Champagnat always knew he would have to leave his home in New Caledonia in order to study music, the tough decision was whether to go to New Zealand or France.
In the end he decided on Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s MAINZ (Music Audio Institute of New Zealand) school in Auckland, and now in his third year of studying, the 20 year old has absolutely no regrets.
“It’s not like university where you get stressed, the teachers at MAINZ are really understanding, they’re a bit like friends really. It’s very professional but quite chilled, it’s a great learning environment,” he says.
“I love the hands on aspects of MAINZ, you get exposed to all parts of the industry, from music theory, to performance, engineering, the business of the industry, how to be in a band – it’s all great”.
Alex did two years of high school in New Zealand in order to meet the language requirements to study at TPP and MAINZ and has now graduated with a Diploma in Contemporary Music Performance. He is currently studying for a Certificate in Audio Engineering.
He plans to be a session musician but is not quite ready to finish studying yet. He is about to audition to do a performance degree at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston – an accomplishment that would have been a lot harder if he hadn’t gone to MAINZ.
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Ana Hassel
Freelance Post-Production Engineer
"I took full advantage of the excellent facilities at MAINZ, using the studios as often as I could. The connections I made at MAINZ have been a huge asset and I now have a great career working as a freelance audio engineer for TV and in radio production."
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Dom Wolczko (America)
Ask American Dom Wolczko what the hardest thing about studying in New Zealand is and he will tell you it is driving on the left hand side of the road.
23-year-old Dom is studying for a Diploma in Audio Engineering and Music Production at MAINZ’s Christchurch campus. He comes from a small island near Seattle, Washington State but as his girlfriend is a New Zealand citizen decided to study in Christchurch.
“I love the course, it’s everything I want to learn about and it is so easy to take it all in and do well. I feel like they have given me all the knowledge and I now need to turn it into wisdom.”
Dom says Seattle is similar to Christchurch in terms of climate and the mindset of the people so it hasn’t been hard to fit in. However only two weeks after he arrived the city had a massive earthquake.
“I had two walks into the city centre before it crumbled, but everyone at MAINZ has been really flexible and we have got through.”
Despite the challenges of the earthquake Dom has enjoyed studying in New Zealand and would recommend it. “It’s great being able to travel around on breaks and see a whole different country and learn at the same time.”
He is hoping to apply for New Zealand residency when he graduates.
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Evan Short
Concord Dawn
"MAINZ was the perfect entry into the world of audio engineering for me. It filled in gaps in my knowledge and gave me a well-rounded understanding of the audio and music industry."
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Joel Little
Goodnight Nurse
"Doing the Diploma in Contemporary Music Performance at MAINZ really helped me build my music and performing skills and taught me what to expect from the music industry. If I hadn't had that knowledge things would have been a lot harder for our band starting out."
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June Oh (Korea)
June Oh doesn’t play a musical instrument but music has always been part of his life and he plans to make a career in the industry.
The 35 year old South Korean is studying for a diploma in audio engineering and music production at MAINZ.
“I remember enjoying music from when I was very young, and when I was at University in Korea I was a member of a music appreciation club. While I don’t play a musical instrument I have always been interested in how music is made,” he says.
The first New Zealand band June remembers hearing in Korea is Crowded House but he didn’t know much about the Kiwi music industry until he came to New Zealand in 2008 to study English. One day he was walking through Christchurch city when he noticed MAINZ’s High Street campus, he checked out the website and decided to apply.
“MAINZ is a very good place to learn about music. There are many artists who have started their careers at MAINZ, a lot feature in the music awards.”
One of June sisters lives in Christchurch but the rest of his family is still in Korea. When he graduates he would like to work as an audio engineer and is thinking of applying for New Zealand residency.
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Lance Powell
Since he was a teenager Lance Powell has dreamed of living and working in New York, now the dream is reality and he is working with well known artists like Mary J Blige and Fantasia.
Lance was only 16 when he started training at MAINZ and says it was the perfect place to learn.
“Every respectable engineer I've met, both in New Zealand and the USA, started their careers with an education at somewhere like MAINZ. The course was excellent, two of the most enjoyable years of my life, and a solid introduction to just about everything that I do daily today,” he says.
Now 27, Lance is working as an assistant engineer at Platinum Sound Recording Studios, just off Times Square in Manhattan.
“We work with a mix of up-and-coming and established artists, of which most are signed to the major labels over here. Mary J Blige, Akon, Pharell, Miguel and Fantasia are some of the bigger ones. We get a heap of the big-name producers coming through which keeps things interesting too.”
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Roxie Haines
Event Manager, Stage Challenge
"The MAINZ Diploma in Music and Event Management was a fantastic programme. I really benefited from the practical work involved, and the experience that I gained from running events and managing bands and overall was able to utilise the skills that I learnt in my job as an Event Manager."
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Ryan Oper
Ryan Oper from New Caledonia had the option to study live sound in France, Australia or New Zealand. He choose MAINZ after he went to Auckland to visit the school and was impressed by the city and MAINZ’s facilities.
“I really liked Auckland and MAINZ. When I visited MAINZ there were people playing music everywhere and it had a great vibe. I really had a great year at MAINZ, it didn’t really feel like school. I got lots of support from tutors and opportunities for work experience,” says Ryan.
“At the beginning I wanted to study audio engineering but because I did not have any experience it was recommended that I study for a Certificate in Live Sound and Event Production for my first year and go on to do audio engineering. After my first year I got a job offer so I started to work straight away.
I have been working for Staging Connections since 2005. They sponsored me to get a work visa and now I am a permanent resident. It is a great job.”
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Tuki Huck
Group Technical Training Manager, Staging Connections Group Limited
"The Live Sound and Event Production programme at MAINZ, provided me with an excellent foundation to get started in the Entertainment Industry. The amount of work experience you get while on the programme, really prepares you for what's out there."
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