Back jamming on stage at his old school

Ryan McIntyre was born and bred in Morrinsville, and has been part of the Morrinsville Country Music Club since he was eight-years-old.

After leaving Morrinsville to pursue a teaching career, he will be returning to his home town on Saturday, September 17, to perform at the Morrinsville Country Music Club Spectacular.

There will be a matinee show at 1.30pm and the evening show starts at 8pm.

The Spectacular brings together talented artists from around the country as well as selected performers from within the club including McIntyre this year.

The show is a highlight in the club’s calendar and is normally a sell-out event. Other performers on the day include Kaylee Bell, Che Orton and country music legend Suzanne Prentice.

McIntyre owes much of his love of music to the members of the Morrinsville Country Music Club and his mum Sharon who would take him with her to practises as a child.

Singing, playing, listening, or enjoying, the club provides an encouraging environment for all ages to foster an interest in country music. In the club’s 30 years, participants have ranged from pre-schoolers to octogenarians.

The club runs a range of different events throughout the year.

Over the years McIntyre competed in many awards shows, competitions and featured at the New Zealand Entertainer of the Year, both as a soloist and in groups when he was younger.

McIntyre is now passing on his passion for music as a music teacher at Western Heights High School in Rotorua where he began teaching in 2011.

In the last two years McIntyre has been on his OE, where he lived and taught in London and travelled all around Europe.

He absolutely loved this experience, which included seeing the pyramids in Egypt, skiing in Switzerland, running with the bulls in Pamplona and travelling to Gallipoli and ANZAC Cove.

While he was a student at the school, he performed on the Morrinsville College hall’s stage on numerous occasions and is excited to be back performing there at the Spectacular.

Tickets to the Spectacular are selling fast, with tickets to the matinee show: $20, the evening show: $25 and under 16s: $10, so get to the Morrinsville Information Centre to secure yours.