Lola Elvy | Air New Zealand Kupe Leadership Scholar

Bachelor of Music (Honours) Composition

Creative expression can be a force for activism and change.    

My work in music and literary fields focuses on environmental conservation and climate change. As a teacher, I want to help students harness their own creative expression and initiative.   

With my background in music and mathematics, I think the intersection of creativity, analysis, and critical thought is an ideal space for tackling social-environmental issues.  

Education should instil not only knowledge, but wisdom, curiosity, and compassion for the world and those around you. This is crucial in our 21st century. Technology, while important, can make us impersonal—we become data instead of individuals. The world’s problems become data, things we tally up. The less personal the issue, the less likely we are to take action. 

Gaining compassion for the world’s problems starts with gaining compassion for each other. For me, it starts with education, how we learn and grow together. 

Sponsor: Air New Zealand

Mentor: Mike Chunn, CNZM

Mike Chunn, a London-born music industry veteran, spent 11 years as Director of New Zealand operations for APRA before founding the Play It Strange Trust in 2004, which encourages teenage songwriting. He served as CEO of the Trust until 2023. Chunn is also a published author, including the Split Enz biography "Stranger Than Fiction." His contributions to music have been recognized with the New Zealand Order of Merit, and he received a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for his services to entertainment.