Tina’s 40 years of Dreams

The Kiwi singer is performing two concerts to celebrate the 1979 song that captured the nation’s hearts.

Tina Cross never imagined she would pursue a career in music. Until 1979, she had plans for university, where she wanted to study social work. That all changed when she became the face and voice of Nothing But Dreams, the tune that became the overall winner of the 1979 Pacific Songwriting Contest.

‘‘Until then, I think I was still thinking that I might get a real job and it was a bit of a hobby,’’ Cross tells Stuff, chuckling about how things have changed.

When the former Penrose High School student was asked to perform the song for composer Carl Doy’s entry, she had already been making regular appearances on TVNZ 2’s Opportunity Knocks and had a contract with it to appear on another upcoming series, but that song and that win was the ‘‘defining moment’’ that set the tone for everything that came next.

It was ‘‘an iconic event’’ that left her determined and thinking, ‘‘I need to take this as far as I can’’.

On October 19, Cross and Doy will celebrate 40 years of the song that won the hearts of the nation.

Cross, 60, thought a decade ago that the 30th anniversary shows would be their way of ‘‘waving the flag for the last time’’.

To the delight of their fans, they’re celebrating 40 years with performances in Auckland and Wellington.

‘‘I’ve always had massive respect for Carl. He is such an amazing and accomplished composer, pianist and songwriter – and just a very classy guy,’’ she says, noting that the years he worked as the musical director for the TVNZ iteration of Dancing With The Stars NZ ‘‘really showed’’.

The 40 years between then and now saw Cross pursue a career in Australia as the lead singer of pop music band Koo De Tah, start a family, appear on countless television specials, establish a successful musical theatre career and release her own originals album, among other things.

One of those original songs, Walk Away, led Cross somewhere else she didn’t expect to land – inside our correctional facilities.

She initially gifted the song, which delivers an emotional message on domestic violence, to

Tina Cross

Women’s Refuge, for which she is now an ambassador.

It also led her to establish a strong relationship with the Manukau Police Choir.

Over the next two years Cross became an ‘‘honorary member’’ of sorts, something that got her thinking about how the song could help other high-risk groups in the community.

After telling her police contacts she would ‘‘love to take a workshop into the prisons’’, they helped her get the ball rolling and put her in contact with Corrections, who came on board after one meeting.

Just like that, her career had led her back down the social welfare path she had planned for herself some several decades back.

‘‘They could see the potential in what my workshop and teaching songs like Walk Away, and how that would have a positive impact on the prison,’’ she says.

At the end of the three-day workshop, the inmates would perform what they’d learnt alongside the Manukau Police Choir, something Cross says brought ‘‘a lot of aroha into the room that would not normally be there’’.

The programme was run at Auckland Prison, Northland Region Corrections Facility, and twice at Wiri Women’s Prison.

Cross is eager to take it across the country, but resources are yet to stretch that far.

A beacon of warmth and positivity, she’s quick to note it’s ‘‘not dead in the water’’ just yet, before referencing the fact she still has the contract with Corrections.

While she’s written a selection of songs in recent years, Cross never saw songwriting as her strength and says it often requires being ‘‘shunted up the backside to go ‘hey, take a look at this’’’ for her to land on a meaningful theme.

Had she approached it 20 or 30 years ago, she doesn’t think she’d have ‘‘the passion, the kaha or the interest’’ to get in that zone.

‘‘The world was my oyster and it wasn’t sitting in a room writing songs, but I totally get what’s happening now,’’ she says.

‘‘The benchmark is set so high for our up-andcoming performers and they’re all so proficient so early. I think it’s a much harder industry now in terms of how people can learn their craft.’’

These days, a feeling of deep satisfaction means Cross doesn’t feel the need to write more songs or take on every job she’s offered.

This kind of freedom – the one that so few creatives get to touch – brings her the greatest joy of all.

‘‘It’s being able to make the decisions and not feeling like I’m climbing the ladder any more.

‘‘I feel quite content with where I’m at and where I’ve been. What I’ve achieved, what I’m still yet to achieve.’’

‘‘Until then, I think I was still thinking that I might get a real job and it was a bit of a hobby.’’

Tina Cross and Carl Doy are performing at the National Library in Wellington on October 18 as part of the Pu¯ kana: Moments in Ma¯ ori Performance exhibition. They are also performing at the PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna on October 25. Tickets are available from pumphouse.co.nz