Biography
Other Musical Work
As a teacher and educator, Matthew Raymond has wide experience with children and young people. Both in New Zealand and on the African continent he has taught music at primary, secondary and tertiary level, and understands the varying musical capabilities of different age groups. In addition to classroom teaching he has directed choirs, orchestras and other performing groups in schools. He has seen the need to teach children from an early age to read music and to develop executant skills. To this end he has specialised in the writing of suitable and attractive resources for recorder teaching. He has compiled these resources, and the result is Pa Mwamba Recorder, a recorder tutor suitable for students aged 8 to 14 that includes a number of his own compositions.
Matthew conducts the Pa Mwamba Singers in Auckland, New Zealand |
In 2002 Matthew formed The Pa Mwamba Singers, specifically to present music that he had written. This group is an all-age, all-comers choir that convenes when Matthew is in Auckland. In 2007 and in 2009 Television New Zealand filmed the choir performing material from Come Redeemer and Heritage for their Sunday morning religious music programme Praise Be. Matthew is an experienced musical director. He is also an accomplished pianist, organist and keyboard player who is comfortable playing in a wide variety of genres and styles, and who has considerable experience in the entertainment and recording industry. |