Name: Richard Nunns

Check out the Radio New Zealand website to find more information about Richard Nunns.

Occupation: Musician
Richard Nunns has spent many years learning how to make and play the traditional Māori instruments or taonga pūoro he had seen lying silent in the museum. To find out how to make and play these traditional instruments, Richard teamed up with Brian Flintoff and the late Hirini Melbourne and spoke to older people who remember hearing these instruments when they were children.

Over the last thirty years this team have taught hundreds of people about taonga pūoro, recorded CDs, held wānanga on marae, and shared their knowledge of these unique instruments all over New Zealand and the world. To hear these instruments go to the Radio New Zealand website.

What inspired you to revive these traditional Māori instruments?
From Lucy

Lucy, I need to answer your question in a rather roundabout way.

I grew up in a musical family. My father was a trumpet player and he was involved in big bands and swing bands that were fashionable at that time. So I grew up with that kind of music all around me and following in his footsteps I started my musical journey playing the trumpet. Much later when I went to Teacher’s College I was given the opportunity to study the flute. These two instruments require the player to do very different things with their lips and mouth, which was a perfect preparation for most of the traditional instruments that I was eventually to research, reconstruct, and play.

Now to try and answer your question. When I was in the third form I saw an article in the Auckland Weekly News, a magazine that no longer exists. The article was about a group of beautifully carved objects in the Auckland Museum that were thought to be musical instruments but very little was known about them and nobody knew how they were played. My interest must have been captured because I still have the article that I cut out. So that, you could say, was my initial inspiration point. What inspired me from then on is somewhat of a mystery but it has been a long and wonderful journey.

What interests you about another culture’s music?
From Jordan

Perhaps like another culture’s language, music takes you a long way into the heart and soul of a people.

What are your favourite instruments to use? And why?
From Margaret

There would be some very grumpy taonga pūoro (instruments) if I started naming favourites in amongst my whānau of around 90. Each one has its own special reo or voice, its own special mahi or work.

How did you and Hirini Melbourne meet?
From Jonathon

Hirini and I met at Pipitea Marae in the late 1970s. He was giving a concert for a music conference I was attending. Our next meeting was at Hinerupe in Te Araroa at a wānanga or workshop for the revival of taonga pūoro. This was in the early 1980s.

Are there many people that still make these instruments? And if so where?
From Naunau

There are a number of carvers and craftsmen making these specialised instruments throughout the country. Many craft outlets often have a range for sale including Te Papa.

What things (apart from plenty of breath) do you need to play these instruments?
From Siosi

These taonga are hard to play well. The main quality you need is determination, a real desire to play well. It is a slow process as the instruments give you very little help, unlike modern Pākehā–type instruments. Having someone to help you with basic starting techniques is also very useful.

Do you try to incorporate Pakeha tunes into the traditional Māori music, if so how?
From Marita

The first point to make, Marita, is that the melodic members of the family of instruments (kōauau, nguru, pūtorino etc.) only produce around four tones which in comparison to most Pākehā melodies make them very limited in what they can do. However, the taonga can make very valuable contributions both melodically and atmospherically to many people’s music.

The second is that mōteatea – the traditional song forms are very protected as taonga – treasures by the iwi to whom they belong so we have been very careful about what, how and when we play.

What insight can you give to people, who are eager to find out more about Māori music?
From Taiakoa

Finding out more about traditional Māori music is a slow and multi–faceted task. You have to take any chances you get to hear, and if appropriate, learn the mōteatea or ancient songs. You need to take any opportunities given to learn to play ngā taonga pūoro – the instruments. There are also books DVDs and CDs now available to help you on that journey. But in my experience it is a slow process.

What kind of emotions and meanings do you try to revolve your songs around?
From Donna

I am much more a performer of ngā taonga pūoro than a song writer but the kinds of emotion and meaning I try to breathe into my playing are such things as tangi or sounds of crying, hotu or suppressed and sad sighing. In short I try to sound like an old singer of mōteatea.

What other musical projects have you been involved with?
From Mei

One of the great joys of my work is the variety of projects I am invited to participate in. I am often involved in recording whether for CD or film, sometimes for museums. I have just completed 40 programmes telling stories and playing the taonga for Concert FM with another 10 to be done shortly. I will have worked with two dance companies this year, performed at several festivals with a jazz ensemble and a contemporary art music ensemble and been a speaker at several major conferences. My musical work takes me to many different countries. At the end of last year I was performing in Bolivia and then touring in the United States with the New Zealand String Quartet. Shortly I leave for Toronto and then spend a week recording and performing in Los Angeles.

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