Volume to display Kiwi music
‘‘You can have an entire experience in there and not read a single label.’’
What started as a cold call three years ago has now become an exhibition at the Auckland Museum.
Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa opens at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on October 28.
It is the brainchild of New Zealand Music Hall of Fame Trust executive Mark Roach.
The New Lynn resident says it came about with wanting to see a ‘‘physical space’’ honouring the Hall of Fame inductees and Kiwi music in general.
‘‘I put together a pitch document and basically cold called the museum … and said ‘I don’t know who to talk to here but I’ve got this amazing idea for an exhibition’ which I’m sure they hear all the time.’’
The museum responded with enthusiasm and is now opening Volume as the first major New Zealand music exhibition ever staged.
Spanning from the 1950s to the present day, Roach says he is using it as a platform to turn it into a permanent space either in the museum or elsewhere.
Museum senior exhibition developer Victoria Travers says nothing is more relevant to their audience than music.
‘‘It’s a real dream of a project and we’re so excited to see people come through and to see their reaction.’’
Everyone has a memory associated with a particular aspect of Kiwi music, Travers says.
‘‘The number of conversations that spin off what they see is just incredible.’’
While nostalgia plays a part in the exhibition, it was important it could still be relevant for younger audiences, she says.
The show has roughly 200 objects and 400 images and includes hands on and interactive visual displays.
‘‘We know that people will probably be close to having some religious moments with some of the objects that are in there,’’ Travers says.
A range of guitars will be on display which have appeal even if you’re not a musician, Roach says.
‘‘They stand alone as an art piece regardless of the fact it’s been used to write and play these amazing songs ... I think people will take things away from it no matter what your music experience is.’’ Lorde’s 2014 Grammy Award and Split Enz’s memorable stage costumes are some of the objects on display. Volume runs for seven months until May 22 and is free with museum entry.