About Kaipātiki Sounds

Inspiring, connecting and showcasing the next generation of Kaipātiki's musicians.

From our Founder

In 1986, there was a great concert at Northcote College from their big band, organised brilliantly for many years by Deece Guisinger. Standing out within this performance was a final year student called Nathan Haines. It brought home at least three things about music - that it's great entertainment within our community (you don't have to go to Spark all the time!), that there's plenty of talent in our community, and that it flourishes within our educational sector.

A little later, in 2018, discussions with the Head of Music at Northcote College Cameron Allen, and Kaipātiki Local Board member Danielle Grant, led to the concept of a music showcase for our three local colleges - Northcote, Birkenhead and Glenfield. The first was to take place in May 2019. To support both music teachers and students, we provided input from leading musicians as mentors, helping emerging musos get the best out of their items for the night.

Funding support was received from Kaipātiki Local Board and the NZ Music Commission and we operated under the supportive umbrella of Kaipātiki Community Facilities Trust. The emphasis was on participation, not competition, but that didn't stop everyone doing their very best, Local music, entertainment and education star Suzy Cato was our MC. Around 120 students participated, and we had an audience of around 200 whānau and friends. It was an incredible evening of community, creativity and celebration. Feedback from students, teachers and the audience suggested there would be support for establishment of Kaipātiki Sounds as an annual event. And here we are!

We are immensely grateful to our community of funders, students, teachers, mentors and supporters, who all help deliver Kaipātiki Sounds each year. We look forward to welcoming you to our next event!

- David Innes, Founder of Kaipātiki Sounds

Our Team

Meet our fantastic team of volunteers that deliver Kaipātiki Sounds each year.

Suzy stepped into the role of kaitiaki/guardian of Kaipātiki Sounds to support the Founding Chair, David Innes. She is now the current Chair and delighted to introduce two new members to the committee. With 30 years of broadcasting and performance, across most platforms and venues throughout NZ, Suzy brings a wealth of experience and a passion for rangatahi/youth and whanau/family to the committee. As a mother of two who has been a member of the Birkenhead community for more than 30 years her passion for the Kaipātiki region is just as strong.

Amy joined the Kaipātiki Sounds team in the lead up to this year’s event. Amy’s interest in education initially led her to a career in teaching, before combining parenthood with serving on local boards of trustees at Kauri Park School and currently Birkenhead College. She has been involved in music within local schools for a number of years and in 2022 was part of the team that launched the Kaipātiki Schools Choir Concert. She is passionate about creating opportunities for rangatahi in our community and is excited to be part of Kaipātiki Sounds.

Malcolm Hall worked as a print journalist in the UK, Canada, Zambia and New Zealand, before training as a television Director and Producer with TVNZ in 1975. He went on to direct news and current affairs programmes, children’s shows, and documentaries. In 1989 he directed the launch of TV3, New Zealand’s first independent channel. Then in 2001 he joined Natural History NZ in Dunedin to make documentaries for Discovery Channel, the Learning Channel, BBC and other international broadcasters. Later he taught on the Screen Studies course at AUT.

Federico Monsalve

Federico was born in Colombia, raised in the United States and migrated to New Zealand at the turn of the millennium. He has been a journalist, editor-in-chief and publisher with an emphasis on the arts, architecture/design, music, books, film and international politics. He shares a passion for music - and some memorable jazz gigs and conversations - with his late father-in-law, Kaipatiki Sounds founder David Innes and hopes to help maintain David’s harmonious legacy.

Born 1949 in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the heartland of the industrial revolution, Phil arrived in New Zealand in 1978, and has lived on the North Shore ever since. His early work was in film and photography, though he ‘transitioned' around 1990 to maths and physics. Currently he teachers foundation electrical theory to apprentices, and plays music whenever he can.

PAST MEMBER - Matthew Goldsworthy

Matthew Goldsworthy is an award-winning 22-year-old social entrepreneur and creative based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Matthew is the Founder and CEO of Youth Arts New Zealand, trustee for Volunteering New Zealand, and a regular consultant to nonprofits, Government agencies and creative sector organisations. He is also a passionate musician and composer, having performed with New Zealand music icons Jamie McDell, Avalanche City (AKA Dave Baxter) and Jason Kerrison (Opshop), as well as performing for Mick Fleetwood and Bob Geldof as part of their visit to Aotearoa in 2019.

PAST MEMBER - Jon Pickford

Jon has been a working musician for nearly 30 years, playing across a variety of bands as a vocalist, drummer, guitarist, bass player and keyboardist. After a 20-year career in education, Jon's teaching is now focused on running the contemporary music programmes at Northcote and Glenfield Intermediate Schools. Jon also initiated the Intermediate Schools Battle of the Bands in 2007, giving performance opportunities to thousands of students.

PAST MEMBER - David Innes

Founder and founding Chair of Kaipātiki Sounds was an incredible visionary whose mahi was as strong as his vision. David has spent most of his working life on the commercial side of creativity - at ad agencies, as the Director of Ad Agencies Association, and as the Director of the Radio Broadcasters’ Association. This included development of the NZ Music targets, which he received a coveted Tui (NZ Music Award) for in 2006. Retirement has given him the opportunity to get directly ‘in’ to support music, founding Kaipātiki Sounds in 2018 to support local youth musicians. David fought a brave and valiant fight against MND while creating Kaipātiki Sounds but we farewelled him late 2022. He is sorely missed and remembered with much aroha.

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