Gigs at Ruth Pretty Catering winter lunches will help buy music instruments

Freddy Sayer, left, and Pierre Lange-Gerrard will be busking at Ruth Pretty Catering in Te Horo.

Two youngsters are performing at a well-known catering business to raise money for a music programme close to their hearts.

Freddy Sayer, who goes to Ōtaki College, and Pierre Lange-Gerrard, from Te Horo School, have been part of The Afterschool Music Programme, based at Ōtaki College for a long time.

The not-for-profit music learning programme is run as a valuable community service headed by Carylann Martin and helped by other local music teachers.

It aims to offer an affordable music programme for primary aged children from the wider Ōtaki area.

The music programme has been running for 11 years and has always been supported by Ōtaki College and the head of music, Joanna Devane.

Ruth Pretty Catering in Te Horo has again offered the boys an opportunity to raise funds for a music/arts cause locally.

The boys, both aged 13, have decided to raise money for new instruments for The Afterschool Music Programme.

"This is something that they have both attended and they feel they could really get behind it," Freddy's mother Ange said.

Pierre is still in the music programme and Freddy is now training to be an assistant to Carylann Martin on keys at the music programme.

The boys, whose stage name is The Pretty Boys, have been given leave on Friday afternoons by their respective principals to perform at the catering company's Friday Frolics, an annual set menu winter lunch in July and August.

They know the venue well having performed there for the past two years where they raised enough funds to assist their school drama group to go to the Junior Theatre Celebration, in Auckland, both years.

The boys will play a set of music (busk) at both sittings of lunch while diners enjoy a delicious two-course meal.