Youth band entertains school children
What could be treated as a mere band practice for some has left more than 32,000 children entertained.
The Foundation New Zealand Youth Pipe Band (FNZYPB) is made up of New Zealand’s best youth band members and chooses three locations a year to meet and practice - visiting local schools and doing concerts along the way.
Dwight Aide, one of the FNZYPB band managers, said the band has performed to 32,107 school students, and counting, in the past four years.
‘‘We love the school stuff actually, that gives us a buzz,’’ Aide said.
Sheran Hancock, the other FNZYPB band manager, said the school performances encouraged children to have a go too.
‘‘About 80 per cent of these kids would have had a go on an instrument,’’ Hancock said.
Aide agreed. ‘‘They can have a bash on the drum, or a play on the bag pipes, whatever they want to do.
‘‘They enjoy it, you can see them tapping a way, and twirling their hands.’’
The FNZYPB has just finished up its tour of Taranaki - the Touranaki, visiting schools all over the region - one of which was Ha¯ wera Christian School.
School students Skye Jones, 12, Miles Beazley, 11, and Bonnie Mapp, 12, are also part of the Ha¯ wera Highland Pipe Band, so the visit was extra special for them.
They all said it was really cool to have the FNZYPB visit their school.
Hancock said they decided to come to Taranaki after meeting people from here who made them want to visit. They have had one band member from Taranaki in the past too.
‘‘We hadn’t been here with the band before and we made friends with some pipe band people,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve got regions putting their hands up now, wanting us.’’
The band itself currently has 35 members, but not all could visit Taranaki because they’re all under 21 and have commitments.
The visits to different parts of the country bring the band members together to practise for regional concerts, and potential international concerts too.
Since starting as a one offproject in 2010 the FNZYPB has travelled to Canada, Australia twice, and performed at Disney Land in America.
‘‘It was so successful that we’ve just kept it going,’’ Hancock said.