Tonnie ten Hove: Strings attached

Tonnie ten Hove, Masterton musician, songwriter and music teacher, pictured at his home studio surrounded by some of the guitars he owns. Photo supplied.

Tonnie ten Hove is pouring years of his musical life into an upcoming debut album with his latest Masterton band, Pencarrow.
``It's sort of like a continuation of some of the music I was writing through university and from school days as well. It's kind of like a project we're finally getting together. There's a lot of history there.''
The 23-year-old musician and music tutor, who teaches at Rathkeale and Kuranui colleges and at Masterton Intermediate School and Hadlow, returned to Wairarapa two years ago after completing a degree in music in the capital.
He will start playing in June with a backing band for former Masterton singer Cruize Karaitiana, and since his return to the region has also formed Pencarrow, which comprises his long-time musical ally Justin Chorley on drums, keyboardist Anthony Rose, vocalist Ryan Coles, Todd Thompson on bass, and himself on guitar.
The band is recording the seven-track debut album, which is titled Dawn Simulation, at a home studio Ten Hove has established. He is also an ardent videographer and photographer and plans to shoot and direct a music video ``using local acting talent'' and a song, Soul Paralytic, from the album.
He says a release date will be announced for the album within the next two months, which will be available as a digital download and a limited edition CD. Ten Hove started playing guitar at 11 and admits his launch into the world of song was less than extraordinary.
``I wish I had a more romantic story for my initial interests but the truth is a notice came around the school announcing potential guitar lessons and I thought it sounded fun.
``I was lucky enough to have supportive parents who bought me a guitar and took me to lessons. My parents (Wes and Karen) aren't players themselves but they have a great love of music.''
He went on to complete two years in a Masterton Intermediate School rock band that twice won the annual Wellington Battle of the Bands.
Veteran music teacher Elton Halford taught the band ``so much about playing and performing'' and had been instrumental in later igniting Ten Hove's career in music tutoring, he said.
Ten Hove also played in the Wairarapa College band Riven, which in 2008 released the Faded Faces album and scored a national prize in the Smokefreerockquest for best lyrics, as well as regionally placing second and winning the peoples' choice award.
In 2009, Ten Hove began a Bachelor of Music at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington, where he double majored in instrumental and vocal composition and music studies.
He finished his degree in 2011 and scored two short films before returning home to Masterton when he realised he was ``working mostly for free on someone else's artistic vision''.
Ten Hove said he had been flourishing musically since his return and an invaluable asset was the opening in Masterton last year of the entertainment venue, King Street Live.
``It's huge for the region. I'm just so enjoying going there and hearing incredible music. ``It's somewhere for Wairarapa musicians who might not otherwise have been exposed to such quality performers and it's like the carrot at the end of the stick, for them to play there themselves.
``We all slave away in our home studios thinking nobody's going to hear our music and wondering how we're going to get it out there and now we have this world class venue with people who are willing to showcase our talent as well. So very cool.''