"People say, ‘Oh, so if the art thing doesn’t work out, are you just going to become a lawyer?’, but this is not my back-up. So much of my work in music is about advocacy, rethinking how and why we do things, and how we can improve it for the future.”
Leah is a current student of the Faculty of Law and a graduate of the NZSM. She describes her vision for the next generation of classical musicians in Pōneke as an equitable one.
She’s passionate about sustaining Wellington’s reputation as the “cultural capital”, ensuring that artists are compensated and appreciated for their work, and that there is a diverse range of voices showcasing their talents within our community in ways that are authentic and not tokenistic.
“Equitable artistic resources means that everyone can practice their art in a way that is meaningful and well-resourced. For example, spaces by Māori for Māori, instead of including people on stage just to make groups ‘look’ better.”
It’s a perspective that has always been important for Leah, because as an expat from the United Kingdom herself, she recognises that she’s “a guest on stolen land.” But it was her law professors who she says truly changed the way she thinks.
“I’ve had some really inspirational teachers, like Professor Yvette Tinsley and Reader Māmari Stephens, who laid the whole truth out on the table with brutal honesty. They gave us the tools to think critically about these issues and about why colonisation is still a problem—and this has informed much of my thinking within my career in music.”
She admits that the dual workload was difficult to manage at times, but Leah says the flexibility of her professors and the University, combined with a few late nights, made it all possible.
“I took a two-year break from my Law degree when I was in my third and fourth year of Music, so that I could focus and do that justice.
“The Faculty of Law was so onto it in terms of administration—they’ve been so flexible, and if they hadn’t been I don’t know that I would’ve been able to finish.”
Leah auditioned for the NZSM in 2015, and says she was inspired by her clarinet teacher, Nick Walsh, who was a student at the time.
“He started teaching me when I was 13, and he was in his last few years of study. He was the only real exposure I had to professional musicians, and I think he was a huge inspiration to me.”
The child of two software engineers, art and music doesn’t run in her family. But for Leah, music was the first place where she felt like she’d found her people.
“I was quite a lonely teenager, the only way I was able to make friends was through art. This community is such a big part of my life, and I had a hunch that with the right people, it would all work out.”
Leah says she counts herself lucky to have found her “soulmates” at the NZSM.
“There’s a big sense of school spirit, the vibe is just like a family. I don’t know who I would be without the friends I made here. Now that we’ve graduated, we’ve created even more connections, and an even bigger community.”
Leah is very active in the Pōneke music community, working closely with Orchestra Wellington and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to organise the recent Classical on Cuba events, among many other passion projects.
One of her projects is Pōneke Sessions, set up by Leah with some of her friends from the NZSM.
“Everything I do is for my community and my friends. I want us to have creative spaces that are forward-thinking and community-minded, spaces that improve people’s wellbeing and don’t reinforce strict ideas of what makes art ‘good’.”
It’s these friends and this community that inspire Leah’s advocacy, the people who inspire her to continue to try and make a change.
While she is creating great opportunities here, Leah has her sights set on further study overseas. Her dream Master’s programme is in New York, but she says the scene in London is exciting too.
“I think going somewhere completely different will encourage me to come up with completely new ideas. New solutions that I can bring back and improve on things here.
“This is my home, and this is where I want to leave a legacy for the better.”