In-School Electronic Music Experiences
We bring the gear to you. Students get hands-on time with real synthesisers, drum machines, and samplers. Sessions run 60–90 minutes and are suitable for new entrants through to Year 13.
60–90 min · NE–Year 13Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
Starlifter Music Academy
Hands-on electronic music experiences
for curious minds of all ages.
02 / About
Real instruments.
Real kids.
Starlifter Music Academy brings real electronic music instruments directly to schools, preschools, retirement villages, and community groups across Ōtautahi Christchurch. We load up a car full of synthesisers, drum machines, and samplers — and come to you.
Founded and run by Benét Hitchcock, the Academy was built on a simple belief: electronic music isn't a niche pursuit for bedroom producers. It's a playground — one that belongs to everyone, regardless of age, background, or whether you can read a music note.
Low-bono sessions are available for community groups with limited budgets. Get in touch and we'll work something out.
✓ Working with Children Check
🌈 Rainbow-inclusive
🧠 Neurodivergent-affirming
♿ Accessible sessions
Working with Children: All Starlifter Music Academy tutors hold a current
Working with Children Check as required under the Children's Act 2014,
administered via CVCheck NZ.
3
Sessions delivered
68
Students reached
2
Venues visited
03 / Sessions
What we offer
Every session is hands-on from minute one. No lectures. No watching someone else press buttons. Just curious people and interesting machines.
Small Group Sessions
Groups of 3-5 students working together on electronic instruments, guided by our tutor. Great for music clubs, extension groups, or special interest days.
3-5 students · FlexibleOne-on-One Tutoring
Personalised sessions tailored to the learner's age, ability, and interests. Available for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Go at your own pace.
All ages · PersonalisedSchool Holiday Programmes
Structured single or multi-day workshops during school holidays. Hands-on, creative, and fun. Small groups only — maximum 4 per session. Ages 10–18.
Ages 10-18 · Max 4 studentsRetirement Village & Community Group Sessions
Music is for everyone. We bring accessible, joyful electronic music experiences to retirement villages and community organisations. No experience necessary.
All abilitiesFM Radio Experience
Students get behind the mic and on the decks for a real community radio session — from choosing music and writing scripts through to going live on air.
All ages · Hands-on broadcastDJ Tuition
Learn to mix, blend, and read a crowd. We cover beatmatching, EQ, transitions, and music selection using professional DJ equipment. Suitable for beginners through to intermediate.
Ages 10+ · Beginner–IntermediateAudio Engineering
Covering recording, mixing, and mastering — both as a craft to learn and as a real service. Whether you want to understand how records are made or need your project professionally mixed, we can help.
Tuition & production servicesPodcasting
From concept to publish. We guide you through microphone technique, recording, editing, and distribution. Great for schools, community groups, and individuals with a story to tell.
All levels · Recording to release04 / The Gear
Real instruments,
not toys
Every device we use is a professional-grade instrument. Your students don't get a dumbed-down version — they get the real thing.
Novation Circuit Tracks
Step sequencer and synth, perfect for beat-making. Students have beats running within minutes.
SequencerKorg Monologue
Analogue monophonic synthesiser with a full-size keyboard. One of the most expressive synths for beginners.
Analogue SynthTelepathic Instruments Orchid
A unique, tactile synthesiser co-created by Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. Completely unlike anything else.
Experimental Synth⏱ TIME Best Invention 2025
Roland TB-03
The classic bass synthesiser — that iconic 303 sound. Instantly recognisable, endlessly fun.
Bass SynthArturia MicroFreak
Experimental hybrid synth with a flat touch keyboard — perfect for curious minds who love to explore.
Hybrid SynthAkai MPX8
Sample pad controller — trigger sounds with your hands. Always a crowd favourite with younger students.
Sample PadsSynthstrom Deluge
A powerful all-in-one music production device. Sequencer, sampler, synth, and effects — all in one box.
ProductionKorg MS2000B
Vintage-style virtual analogue synth with a vocoder. That big, retro synth sound students recognise instantly.
Virtual Analogue05 / Health & Safety
We take care of
every detail
Running a great session means thinking carefully about hygiene, safety, and inclusion before we walk in the door.
Equipment Sanitised
All surfaces, keys, pads, and cables that students touch are sanitised before and after every session — no exceptions.
Full Equipment Check
Every cable, power supply, and battery is checked before each session. We don't arrive with gear that doesn't work.
Working with Children Check
All tutors hold a current Working with Children Check as required under the Children's Act 2014 (administered via CVCheck NZ).
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment is completed for each venue type before any session is delivered. We plan for the environment, not just the music.
Hearing Safety
All students use clean, individually sanitised headphones. Volume levels are actively monitored throughout every session.
Physical Accessibility
We adapt sessions and equipment placement for all physical needs. If you have specific requirements, let us know and we'll sort it out.
Inclusive & Safe Space
We are a welcoming, affirming space for rainbow community members and neurodivergent learners. Always have been, always will be.
Community Sessions
Low-bono sessions are available for community groups with limited budgets. Reach out and we'll find a way to make it work.
06 / In the Classroom
Actual kids,
actual instruments
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07 / School Holidays
School Holiday
Programmes
Single and Multi-day music technology workshops running each school holiday period. Students aged 10-18 explore real synthesisers, drum machines, and samplers in a hands-on, creative environment. Small groups only — maximum 4 per session.
Each day builds on the last. By the end of the programme, students have created their own original music using professional equipment. No experience necessary. Just curiosity.
- ✓ Ages 10-18
- ✓ Maximum 4 students per group
- ✓ Professional-grade instruments
- ✓ No prior experience needed
- ✓ Safe, inclusive environment
📅
Next dates coming soon — register your interest below and we'll be in touch first.
Register Your Interest
3
Sessions delivered
68
Students reached
2
Venues visited
09 / Meet the Founder
The person
behind Starlifter
Crash//G0thic
DJ · Live Electronic Act · VJ
they/them
Benét Hitchcock has been making noise — literally and professionally — for most of their adult life. As the founder and head tutor of Starlifter Music Academy, they bring more than two decades of genuine hands-on experience to every lesson: as a working musician, a broadcaster, a music technology specialist, and someone who still gets genuinely excited when a student figures out what a filter envelope actually does.
The broadcasting thread runs deep. Benét has clocked time in independent and student radio, taken on assignments for Radio New Zealand, and has been running Starlifter FM — their own independent internet radio station — continuously since 2008. It streams rock and electronic music to listeners around the world, week in, week out, because that's just what you do when music is your thing. Along the way they've landed some interviews that make for good dinner-table conversation: Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols, D'n'B legend Goldie, Shihad, Steve Coogan, The Presets, Ladyhawke and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, among others. They've also DJed festivals and events alongside Connan Mockasin, Hexstatic (Ninja Tunes), and Monolake — the artist who co-founded Ableton — which is the kind of sentence that sounds like a brag but is just, you know, what happened.
The Orchid synthesiser — named a TIME Best Invention of 2025 — is something your kid actually gets to play with in class.
Starlifter Music Academy
On the music technology side, Benét has done hands-on work in firmware and software testing, including time at Telepathic Instruments — co-founded by Kevin Parker of Tame Impala — working on the Orchid synthesiser, named one of TIME Magazine's Best Inventions of 2025. They know it from the inside, and they bring it directly into classrooms.
As a performer, they record and play live as Crash//G0thic, a DJ and live electronic act with a dark electronica and cybergoth aesthetic. They're also a practiced VJ — creating live audiovisual performances that pair sound and image in real time. It's not a side project; it's the other half of how they think about music.
All of this feeds into how they teach. The enthusiasm is real. The respect for the creative process is genuine. And the conviction that electronic music isn't too complicated for anyone — regardless of age, background, or experience — is non-negotiable. Benét would much rather hear about what you made than talk about what they've done.
10 / Contact
Let's make
some noise
Whether you're a school wanting to book a session, a parent curious about holiday programmes, or a community group looking for something genuinely different — get in touch. We'll get back to you quickly.
📅 Book a Session Online
✓ WWC Checked
We come to you
Low-bono available