Maree Sheehan

Iwi Affiliations

Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato,
Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Raukawa,
Ngāti Tahu- Ngāti Whaoa

Relevant Qualifications

2020: Practice-led PhD at Auckland University of Technology, The Sound of Identity Interpreting the Multi-dimensionality of Wāhine Māori Through Audio Portraiture with the accompanying exhibition of Ōtairongo at Artspace Aotearoa

Professional Summary

As a researcher, educator, and composer, I have the privileged role of responding to the educational aspirations of many communities. My personal belief is that outstanding achievements are invariably the result of planned and sustained collaboration. This is especially true when the team has diverse skills and are kaupapa-driven, committed and hardworking, therefore I also acknowledge those who work with me. I especially have had the benefit of many mentors in my lifetime and want to acknowledge those who have supported me to be where I am today. Over the last 15 years, I have worked as a lecturer, academic convenor and supervisor at Te Ara Poutama and as Head of Postgraduate Studies for School of Art and Design an AUT. In the last six months, I was privileged to work for Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga as Pou Whakaaweawe role.

Research

I am privileged to work for Te Manawahoukura Research Centre at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as Kairangahau Matua (Toi) research fellow. My practice-led research reflects a deep devotion to the development of Māori and Indigenous scholarship. I seek to contribute in ways that my research enhances Māori communities, academic and artistic communities.

Leading on from the PhD, Ōtairongo was included in Māori Curator, Nigel Borell’s groundbreaking Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki (2021) as the only sonic artist. Ōtairongo achieved the distinguished Toitanga Purple Pin and three Gold Pins at the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Awards in 2020. And, in 2022, I was invited to conceive the first Sound Design category and to be an Inaugural Judge. My PhD has also garnered some great statistics on Tuwhera with over 2000 downloads to date and multiple views, which highlights that my research is contributing to local and international communities.

Last year, I was invited by Research Project Leader Dr Valance Smith for Te Reo o Waonui a Tane - the language of the domain of Tane to contribute as Research Leader in the Te oro o te ngāhere (TOOTN) strand (externally funded by Te Tira Whakamātaki and MBIE). It explores and examines many aspects on how to support Kauri ora primarily within Te Tai Tokerau area. The significance of this research collaboration places the revitalisation and reclamation of te reo, tikanga and Mātauranga Māori at the fore to ensure our cultural knowledges continues to be evident in these research activities and the outcomes.

In 2022, I received external research funding from Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM) Matakitenga Research Fund to explore whenua and waterways ecosystems through Lidar scanning sonic-mapping at Motiti Marae. The collaborative research project offers deep temporal and spatial insights that can help to re-shape our understanding of ecosystems, and sustainability for the future of our whenua.

In 2021, I had the honour of being appointed the kaitaiaki and creative leadership role in the Song(s) of Solomon project that draws together the works of Ralph Hotere and Cilla McQueen with fourteen prestigious Māori singer songwriters, poets, spoken word artists and performers. Within this project, Kaupapa Māori research practices are intrinsic in the ways I develop and build relationships with communities. As noted in RE, this project has acquired both external funding and internal AUT funding. Alongside an exhibition curated by Nigel Borell, I am co-producing the documentary and have garnered the support of Oscar winner Chelsea Winstanley as executive producer.

The invitation to write a chapter for The Routledge Handbook on Women's Work in Music (2021) provided a platform to honour and affirm the contributions of wāhine Māori in Aotearoa music industry. My 2020 articles, Contemporary popular Waiata provide a place of Belonging (MAI Journal); Mana Wahine: Māori Women in Music (Te Kaharoa Journal); Audio Portraiture –The Sound of Identity, an Indigenous Artistic Enquiry (Audio Engineering Society) focus my interest in sonic portraiture, Māori women in music, sonic artistic practices and sound technologies.

Music Composition

My music composition practice spans decades within the popular contemporary music arena. This has been recognized through several awards in the New Zealand music industry and acquired multiple public broadcast and presentations locally and internationally.

In 2021, I was awarded the Professional Development Award for Screen Composition from Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) as well as the APRA Art and music award for composition in 2022. This signifies the recognition of my composition practice by the New Zealand music industry.

In recent years, since engaging in my PhD, it has also been a natural progression to develop my composition and sound design practice in film, television and sound art.

This year, I was invited to compose for the television series, Queer and Here, a six-part documentary series, broadcast on Māori Television and funded by NZ on Air – a series, I was proud to contribute to because it highlights many LGBTQI courageous and heroic stories that celebrate these communities. I was also requested to compose for the short film, Disrupt in 2021 by Koru Productions – a story about a Māori grandmother who refuses to give up on her P-addicted grandson, more so it resonates with many communities globally. In 2020, I composed the music score for the documentary film PLUCK produced by Bella Pacific Media and directed by Kirsty Griffin. PLUCK is a moving and uplifting film that follows 73-year old Jean Neshausen’s journey to weave her final korowai for her daughter as she faces her own mortality. Disrupt and PLUCK have featured in film festivals here and internationally with PLUCK also winning film awards.

Key Contributions

Research Publications

Meet the Team