Charlotte Yates is the producer and driving force behind Ihimaera, an album and concert experience that brings together 12 musicians or bands from a range of musical genres to interpret the words of Maori writer Witi Ihimaera.

Ihimaera is part of the Auckland Arts Festival 2011, and proceeds from the Friday March 4 concert will go to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal for Christchurch.

Ihimaera wrote material especially for this project. Yates produced previous Festival successes Baxter (using the poems of James K Baxter) and Tuwhare (the words of Hone Tuwhare).

She talks to Renee Liang about producing large shows, collaborating and being a musician.

What drives you to be a musician?

The drive is just there, but I suppose if I analyse it, it’s the combination of factors that I really like, a brain-heart-emotion-body thing.

Why do you produce?

Because I was invited to. I like having a big sprawling project to get to grips with.

You describe your career as a long apprenticeship... what are some of the key moments?

Learning my first two guitar chords, having someone explain to me what a media release was, working in the 1992 Festival office, leaving a day job, getting my APRA certificate that said ‘Writer’, odd little moments really.

How do you persuade all these established recording artists to collaborate on an album? Any secrets?

Some straight up requesting, some pestering and having a Bat plan.

No secrets – if they don’t want to or can’t, they won’t. Plenty more fish in the sea.

What do they like about the process?

I think that’s a question for those folks, but I was rehearsing with Victoria Kelly (who played in the Baxter project with Greg Johnson), and she made the point about meeting a lot of different musicians, who have stayed in touch. And the social aspect of it, I didn’t expect, but very much enjoyed.

You suggest "networking" should have an alternative term, "nagging"... explain!

Well, not all of the great and talented have a handy headshot, and up to the minute bio or a whiz bang manager. And one gets very blinkered when working on a project like this, but for everyone else, it will but one of many, so some things fall off various lists, and ‘nagging’ is one way of getting photos in for the CD cover and tracks to be mastered. Not a role I relish, but sometimes needs must.

What are some of the "spin off" collaborations that have come out of the Baxter, Tuwhare and Ihimaera albums?

For me, both Tuwhare and Ihimaera were spinoffs from Baxter, because they were both commissions – Tuwhare from Toi Maori and Ihimaera from the Auckland Festival. I’ve also had an amazing bird’s eye view of many people’s writing, recording and performing lives. I got to meet our senior poet before he died, and worked with such a significant author, when he could be involved. I loved meeting Jacquie Sturm, who was so supportive during the Baxter project – she had such facility as a writer/editor. But I know many of the other musicians have worked together, people have used their tracks on their own albums, and a lot of respect was shown to each other, creatively. Real nice to be around.

As a musician, why do you work with poets, and poetry?

A fascination with words, and their rhythms, and a complete inability to write poetry!

Why did you and Witi decide to write new material this time?

He wrote new material, because he didn’t have poems and we couldn’t sing novels! I asked it be representative of themes and thoughts and we to’d and fro’d with his work.

Was it very different, working with a prose writer rather than a poet's words?

Yup, yup and yup. My mantra was less is more! And because Witi is a novelist, he works with narrative – which works for ballads, but most contemporary music follows one major emotion, is repetitive and so, we had to feel our way a bit there.

What's it like, working with Kirk Torrance as narrator?

His management’s great! I’ve been writing the narration and we’re to meet very shortly to rehearse that.

How do you coordinate 12 bands on and off the stage?

With a very tolerant stage manager, a very organized sound designer and a great deal of cooperation from the festival’s technical manager!

What's next?

Finish the documentary I’m producing on this for Maori Television.

• Ihimaera

3-5 March, Auckland Town Hall/ TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, Manukau

Auckland Arts Festival 2011

also:

IN CONVERSATION (free)

12.30 – 1.30pm in the Pacific Crystal Palace Spiegeltent, Festival Garden Aotea Square - FREE

Thur 3 March – Spoken Word with Witi Ihimaera and Toi Maori