To celebrate New Zealand Music Month, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is helping put a new spin on a popular event.

The inaugural 48-Hour Music Production Challenge aims to become the audio equivalent of the 48-Hour Film Festival. Selected participants will receive a set time to lay down a new soundtrack, which will be recorded at the Māngere Campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

From the registered entries in the competition, eight musicians - along with their crews - will have until 9am on Saturday, May 19 to hand in their completed tracks. They will then be played to the public that afternoon at the Māngere Arts Centre.

Organised by community organisation Māngere Love, which is dedicated to fostering local emerging talent, the challenge gives competitors access to expert advice along with musicians to play bass, strings, taonga puoro and pahu, should they be required.

As part of the event, producers Andy Morton was on campus to provide mentoring advice through a public Q&A session, while fellow producer Colin Wolfe called in from America.

Colin has worked with the likes of Dr. Dre, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, George Clinton and Snoop Dogg while Andy has worked with most of New Zealand’s top music talent, including King Kapisi and Che Fu.

Andy says he was impressed by the depth of knowledge many of the participants had and is looking forward to hearing the music that comes out of the challenge on Saturday.

“Everyone had heaps of questions so there was a lot of information sharing, especially around the types of gear that’s used,” he says.

Certificate in Māori Performing Arts music kaiako Lisa Cave says she’s pleased her students were able to make the most of their time with two top producers, along with working with the other up-and-coming beat-makers and self-recording artists who attended.

“Although the numbers are limited for this year’s 48-hour challenge, this public talk was an opportunity too good to not share with the wider music community,” she says.

Event organiser and music producer Faiumu Matthew Salaputo says for the past nine years, Māngere Love has enabled many up and coming artists to share the stage alongside established performers.

“One key aim of this challenge is to provide access to high-end, live, session musicians and instrumentalists in an exciting, inspiring and collaborative environment to provide the most inspirational, exciting, motivational, challenging and educational experience to grow and learn from in this first ever 48-hour format.”

To check out the final results on May 19 from 12-2pm, be at the Māngere Arts Centre, Nga Tohu o Uenuku, or visit www.eventfinda.co.nz/2018/presentation-m-ngere-love-48-hr-music-production-challenge/auckland/mangere.