Creativity, culture, confidence, and collaboration came together at the Mahurangi Hope Community Hub holiday programme, where Kaotia, Betty, Anarisi, Iraihi, Tomi, Mangura, and Katera worked alongside their inspiring mentor Noah Slee to create an original song and music video titled “Catching Our Vibes.”
Over the course of the programme, the group explored songwriting, performance, teamwork, and storytelling through music. Guided by Noah Slee’s encouragement and creative mentorship, the young artists were given the freedom to express themselves authentically.
The girls were super organised and ever consummate professionals, finishing and recording a full song (including an incredible Kiribati rap verse) within the first day of the program and performing it for the other groups. On day 2 they conceptualised and self-directed a music video, as well as jumping up on stage once again to not only perform a beautiful rendition of “Blackbird” but playing drums, guitar and keys too.
The song “Catching Our Vibes” became a reflection of friendship, identity, and shared energy. Each participant contributed their own ideas, rhythms, and personality to the track, helping shape lyrics and melodies that captured the spirit of the holiday programme and sounding like a beautiful sunny day by the ocean.
The incredible Kiribati rap verse added a powerful cultural dimension to the project (and it’s some seriously fast bars too!).
From planning scenes to choosing filming locations and performing on camera, the students stepped confidently into leadership roles behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera. The young creators experimented with camera angles, choreography, and storytelling ideas, making the video a true reflection of their personalities and teamwork.
Throughout the process, Noah Slee created a supportive environment where every voice mattered, with lots of laughter. His mentorship encouraged the group to take creative risks, trust their ideas, and work collaboratively. The result was not only an incredibly catchy song and music video that was stuck in our head for days, but also a boost in confidence, communication skills, and cultural pride for everyone involved. It was so great to see the girls come out of their shells and shine after a slightly shy start that all the students shared !
You blew us away!
