Bagpiping teen takes on band of instruments

Niko Tofa, 13, is in love with music, especially bagpipes.

He loves chilling at home playing - often with his brothers and dad, writes his own music, and is part of a school band.

Tofa’s Samoan father started him playing ukulele when he was 3 years old, then taught him guitar, and his Sottish-born older brother passed down his love for bagpipes.

The Waiopehu College year 10 pupil also plays and writes for piano, and this year began drumming for a school band.

‘‘Music’s something I really, really like to do. I feel like I’ve listened to music since I was born. My mother played old CDS and tapes to me.’’

He’s not keen on pop - it’s the Eagles, Glen Campbell and Little River Band he picks as his favourites, and he loves the ‘‘relaxing’’ sound of the bagpipes.

This year he joined the Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band. The band has been practising hard - last year they played in grade 4A, which combined with grade 3 this year, so they wanted to bring their standard up.

‘‘We worked really hard, and went to the nationals in March, and came second in grade 3.‘‘

Hearing all the different bands from throughout New Zealand playing differently at the nationals was a good experience, he said.

‘‘If you went out for a walk through the town as you passed each motel you could hear a different band play. It was beautiful.’’

Tofa began learning bagpipes when he was 8. ‘‘I started off on the practice chanter - it’s like a recorder.

‘‘I practised everywhere, and I took my chanter everywhere - to the supermarket.

‘‘I wanted to not play until I was not going to make really horrible noises come out, so I practised ... until I could do it.’’

Tofa would love to one day make music his career.