Alex’s Adventures in Masterland
Celebrating New Zealand music
Wednesday 29 May 2019
5.30pm - 6.30pm
National Library Tiakiwai Auditorium, Cnr Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon
Collecting original hi-fidelity sources
Popular music has become a major focus of music archiving around the world during recent decades. Public institutions and community-organised archives alike have recognised the value of collecting, for instance, ephemera, instruments and artefacts, recordings, and oral history.
In this talk, Michael Brown discusses recent experiences at the Alexander Turnbull Library around collecting of master recordings: the original hi-fidelity sources of commercial releases. The talk concentrates mainly on the Viking and Ode record labels, who have been progressively donating their master tapes to the Library’s Archive of New Zealand Music. Each collection contains different types of “masters” – production masters, copy masters, outtakes, field recordings, etc. – along with accompanying documentation. The Library has developed a new acquisition model around these collections, in which audio digitisation serves both the Library’s preservation mandate and the labels’ own needs.
Historical insights into music production in New Zealand
Given the effort required to preserve such magnetic-tape media, the question can be asked: what is the value of masters for researchers and future generations? These recordings in fact provide numerous historical insights into music production in New Zealand. The quality of the master audio, meanwhile, which considerably exceeds that of the original releases, can serve as a primary source for phonomusicological study as well as enabling re-release via online digital platforms.
About the speaker
Dr Michael Brown is Curator, Music at the Alexander Turnbull Library (part of the National Library of New Zealand). His publications include the co-edited volume Searches for Tradition: Essays on New Zealand Music, Part and Present, published in 2017 by Victoria University Press.
Image: Master tapes from the Flying Nun Records collection, Alexander Turnbull Library. Photo: Mark Beatty.
Got more greens than you know what to do with? 🥦🌱🥕
Whether it’s a courgette takeover or a feijoa frenzy, don’t let those garden gems go to waste!
Our suggestion to you: Did you know you can grate and freeze excess courgettes to use in chocolate cake later? It sounds a bit dodgy, but it makes the cake incredibly moist ... and hey, it counts as a serving of veg, right? 🍫
What’s your go-to move for a bumper harvest? Drop your best "glut" recipes or preservation hacks in the comments below! 👇
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
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46.3% I avoid spending money on coffee
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40% I still indulge at my local cafe
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13.8% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Have a say on Petone to Grenada Link Road
NZTA plan to build a Four Lane link road from Petone to Grenada under Fasttrack legislation. They plan to take it through several well established significant native bush reserves (Seton Nossitor, Gilberds Bush, Escarpment, a small part of Belmont Park etc). These are precious recreation areas in the northern suburbs and home to an amazing array of birds. The evening birdsong in Seton Nossitor Park makes it easy to think you are not even in a city. This will all disappear forever if NZTA have their way. Under Fasttrack there is little option for consultation and feedback. Tomorrow there is an "information" session where you have a chance to engage with NZTA and find out why they are building a road straight through an established builtup suburb and mulitple areas of native bush (when there are other options that can go through bare farmland). Go down and have your say. We have to stop this senseless destruction.
Community information sessions:
Newlands Baptist Church, 5 Horokiwi Road West, on:
• Saturday 14 March from 11am–2pm
• Tuesday 17 March from 4pm–7pm
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