Mental Notes Project
It’s not every day that a group of primary school students take on one of New Zealand’s most legendary albums. But that’s exactly what happened in Room 13 at Hamilton East School, where teacher Lachlan Holt led his Year 5 and 6 class in a full-scale reinterpretation of Mental Notes, the debut album by Split Enz, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Holt says music plays a big role in his classroom. “We use music a lot in class,” he explains. “It’s one of those things that brings the room together and sets the vibe for the day.” For him, Mental Notes wasn’t just a nostalgic project, it was a way to introduce his students to a piece of Aotearoa’s cultural history.
Discovering Split Enz
When the idea first came about, Holt wasn’t sure how much the kids would connect with a band formed nearly half a century before they were born. “At the start, they were like, ‘Who’s Split Enz?’” he laughs. “But once they started researching and listening, they got into it. They started coming to class talking about their favourite songs.”
The project quickly became a collaborative effort involving around sixty students, plus three of his former pupils from Hamilton West (now high schoolers) who returned to form a small backing band. Together they arranged and rehearsed four songs from the album, putting their own modern spin on the 1975 tracks.
A Day to Remember
After weeks of practice, the classroom transformed into a stage for the final performance. “It was chaos in the best way,” Holt recalls. “We had one big number that involved everyone. Sixty kids all singing and playing percussion instruments. You could feel the energy bouncing off the walls.”
In collaboration with Mike Chunn, founding Split Enz bassist and long-time supporter of creative education, the project also offered the students a rare chance to connect directly with one of the band’s original members. “Having Mike involved made it real for them,” Holt says. “It wasn’t just some old record. It became part of their world.”
More Than Just a Music Project
For Holt, the impact went far beyond the music itself. “The biggest thing was seeing their confidence grow,” he says. “They weren’t just performing; they were expressing themselves. They took ownership of the songs.” The experience, he adds, helped nurture creativity and teamwork in a way no standard classroom exercise could.
When news came that the students’ recordings would be pressed to vinyl as a limited-edition release through JB Hi-Fi, the excitement reached new heights. “They couldn’t believe it,” Holt says. “It’s something they can look back on years from now and say, ‘We were part of that.’”
What’s Next?
While Mental Notes might be a tough act to follow, Holt is already dreaming up the next big project. “I’ve got this concept where we get five or six different famous New Zealand artists and pair them up with schools,” he explains. “Each group would learn a few songs, and then we’d have one massive performance day.”
It’s a typically ambitious idea from a teacher who’s proven how powerful music can be as a connector — between generations, between classrooms, and between the past and future of Kiwi music. The students of Room 13 may not have grown up with Split Enz, but thanks to Holt’s vision, they’ve found their own way to make mental notes that will last a lifetime.
