Rātā Studios

Rātā Big Band with Jake Baxendale on Tuesdays Term 2 2026

Strathmore, Wellington

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 to Tue, 30 Jun 2026

6:30pm - 8:00pm

Adults

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About This Activity

Activity Details

Scots College (CPAC) Music Rooms | 1 Monorgan Road, Strathmore, Wellington

$300.00 for 10 sessions | 18 places remaining

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The Rātā Big Band is band for all players from Grade 1 upwards to build confidence and skills to a level where you feel you can enjoy playing the great music of the jazz and swing genre in a supportive and fun environment.

Designed to be a fun, enjoyable experience tailored as much as possible to your level this programme is perfect for all those late teens to adults (any age) wanting to get out of their rooms and play music with others.

When you sign up, please give us as much information as possible about your experience and playing level so we can tailor the music to your level.

Jake Baxendale is an saxophonist, composer and bandleader based in Wellington, New Zealand. Raised in remote Golden Bay, he demonstrates in his life and music a freedom of expression, a love of nature, and a community oriented mindset that is heavily influenced by his upbringing.

He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Post Graduate Diploma in Jazz Performance from Te Kōkī/New Zealand School of Music, and a Masters Degree in Music with First Class Honours from Auckland University. Jake has also studied overseas for short periods, including 6 weeks in 2016 with top composers and saxophonists in New York City and 3 weeks at the Banff Centre for Performing Arts in 2024. An experienced educator himself, he tutored jazz theory at the NZSM 2011-12, and led combos, theory, and composition and arranging classes for the Young Musician’s Program in 2011, 2012, and 2014. He has taught private lessons in saxophone, clarinet, theory, and improvisation for the past 10 years, and directed the Rātā Jazz Band from 2020-2022 and again from 2024.

He has received a number of national awards and award nominations, including the Aotearoa Music Awards "Best Jazz Artist 2021" for his work with The Jac and the APRA NZ "Best Jazz Composition 2020" for his composition “Tūī”. He has toured South Korea with The Jac, tours Aotearoa and Australia regularly with both The Jac and Antipodes, and has performed nationally with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, STROMA, Bazurka, The Troubles, Richter City Rebels, The Rodger Fox Big Band, The Wellington Mingus Ensemble, and his own trio JB3, among many others.

In recent years, Jake released "Sanctuary", an album of large ensemble compositions in collaboration with Jasmine Lovell-Smith and launched “Gardening Music”, a new project interweaving improvisation, composition, and ideas from the environmental humanities. Most recently, Jake was commissioned for the 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival, arranging lyrics from Ursula Le Guin’s version of the Tao Te Ching for a 7-piece band, and has continued this work in 2024 through a Creative New Zealand funded fellowship.

Scots College (CPAC) Music Rooms | 1 Monorgan Road, Strathmore, Wellington

Activity Details

What to bring

Please email mark@ratastudios.co.nz to let him know what instrument you play. Very important for music preparation.

Session Dates & Times

This activity runs on these dates and times:

April 2026 to May 2026
Tuesday, 21 April 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 28 April 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 5 May 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 19 May 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 26 May 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm)

June 2026
Tuesday, 2 June 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 9 June 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 16 June 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 23 June 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm) Tuesday, 30 June 2026 (6:30pm to 8:00pm)

Booking Selector

Your Booking

Important Information

Please email Mark Bobb mark@ratastudios.co.nz before booking in to let him know what instrument you play.
There are very limited spaces for drums, bass and piano so this is important.

Activity fees:

	Session name	Total
	Big Band	$300.00

Total Fees (per attendee)

Type	Item	Qty		Price		Total
No sessions have been selected.

Fees per attendee = $0.00 NZD

Terms & Conditions

I agree with the Terms & Conditions for Rātā Studios.

Read Our Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions for Rātā Studios

Last updated on Wednesday, 29 March 2023, 9:21am

Fee Policies and Procedures.

Fees are payable at the time of enrolment. Failure to pay fees may result in the loss of the enrolment space.
No discount applies for missed classes following either enrolment or the attendance of any class.

Refund Policies and Procedures.

After commencement of classes, no refund will be given to students unless the class is cancelled for the entirety of the term, by Rata Studios management.

If a tutor is ill and unable to teach a class, you will be contacted and we will endeavour to schedule a make-up class. We will always try and find a replacement tutor in the first instance, but if this is not possible, a refund for the cancelled class will be provided.

Individual Music Lessons

Rata can offer a catch up lesson to students taking individual lessons, on the following conditions:
Catch-up lessons can only be given if you advise us by 7 pm the day before your lesson of your intended absence unless exceptional circumstances are involved.
A maximum of 1 catch up lesson can be given per school term.
A catch up date and time will be offered to you. We may need to shuffle times to accommodate the tutor's schedules. We will be in touch to confirm an appropriate time.
We cannot guarantee the regular weekly teacher will deliver the catch up lesson but in most cases it will be with your regular teacher.
If contact is not made by the student within a week, to accept the offer of the catch up lesson, then the catch up lesson is forfeit. We will always be flexible if reasonable circumstances prevent this from happening.
_{Catch up lessons are not available to group and band participants.}
_{We strive to provide a relief teacher on the day of the lesson. If we cannot, then a catch-up lesson will be offered or an account credit will be given.}
_{For the catch up lesson, we may need to shuffle times to accommodate the tutor's schedules. We will be in touch to confirm an appropriate time.}
_{If no suitable time for catch ups can be found, then Rata Studios will issue full refunds or credits for the missed lesson(s).}

Communication

Communication of class cancellations or any other information required by the students, will be made directly by Rata Studios Manager, Jackie James and/or Mark Bobb for the Music School courses. It is the responsibility of the student or student's caregiver to ensure that the Rata Studio Manager has your current contact details.

Health, Safety, Injury & Medical Conditions Policies and Procedures.

Rata Studios takes all practical steps to ensure the safety of all individuals who participate in our courses. Any injury sustained through misconduct or inappropriate behaviour is the responsibility of the individual.
Rata Studios will aim to provide a safe learning environment to reduce the risk of injury.
Rata Studios provides qualified and experienced tutors, who actively promote safe practice.
All Rata Studios tutors have been vetted by the NZ Police as required by law under theVulnerable Children Act 2014.
It is the students parents/caregivers responsibility to notify the tutor or Manager in the event of injury/medical condition prior to class.
A first aid kit is available in the Rata Studios Managers office. We do not provide anyone with Paracetamol or equivalent or administer students medication.
Rata Studios students are under supervision whilst in class time only. Whilst we endeavour to provide a safe environment, tutors and staff cannot be responsible for students outside their allocated class time.
Studentsare not be dropped off and left unattended for more than 5 mins before or after the class they are enrolled in.
In the event of an emergency all participants are required to follow the instructions of the Rata Studios Manager, or the Rata Studios tutor running the course at the time.
Contact lists are on site and accessibleto tutors in the event of an emergency.

Student Behaviour, Attendance and Punctuality.

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the class they are enrolled in.
No student has the right to disrupt the learning of others and if they choose to act outside of the established expectations, they will be asked to sit out and parents contacted, if applicable. If the behaviour continues to be disruptive then the enrolment will be withdrawn and any remaining fee refunded.
No gum, or food is to be consumed in the teaching spaces, however students are encouraged to bring a water bottle.
It is expected that students mobile phones are turned off and put away during the classes.
It is expected that students arrive 5 mins before the class begins, to enable the class to start on time, without interruption.
If a student is unable to attend a class for any reason, it is essential that the Rata Studios Manager is contacted as soon as possible via email or text.

Observance.

Parents/caregivers are not permitted to observe the classes in action. Tutors may, from time to time invite parents to view 5 mins at the end of a class, if applicable.
Sometimes we hold informal showings or performances which parents/caregivers are invited to.

Photography, Recording and Filming of Students.

Photography, recording or filming of students in class and at concerts, if applicable, is permitted only if agreed to by all parties.

Privacy Act

Upon enrolment, Rata Studios collects personal information about you. Under the Privacy Act 1993, you are entitled to have access to and request correction of this information. It is held at the Rata Studios premises at Scots College, Monorgan Rd Strathmore, Wellington. This information may be shared with Rata Studios tutors,in the event of an emergency for contact purposes only.

Personal details will only be used by Rata Studios and will not be sold to any third party at any stage. We may disclose personal information that we collect and retain about you to third parties but only to which you have consented, or when we are required to do so by law.

Mailing Lists

Email addresses are automatically entered onto Mailchimp emailing list of the course/s enrolled in, as well as the All Contacts list for the purposes of group communication. Participants are free to unsubscribe from either of these lists should they no longer wish to receive email updates and communications.

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Rātā Big Band with Jake Baxendale on Tuesdays Term 2 2026

Activity Details

Contact Details

What to bring

This activity runs on these dates and times:

Your Booking

Important Information

Activity fees:

Total Fees (per attendee)

Fees per attendee = $0.00 NZD

Terms & Conditions *

Terms & Conditions for Rātā Studios

We're progressing you to the next step...

Terms & Conditions