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Ka oho te wairua waiata, ka waiata noa
Click here for English translation He ahakoa he kotahi tekau ma whitu noa te rahi o Caitie Newson, he wahine e kaha arungia ana e nga tauira ako waiata. Ko te ao waiata kai ona toto, whakatangi puoro, tito waiata kua titia ki tona whatumanawa. I whanau mai nei tenei wahine i Tamaki Makaurau no te tau e rua mano ma rima, katahi a Caitlin Aimee Newson ka nuku ki Rotorua, ka pau i a ia i te toru tau e noho Rotorua ana ka whaia ia e tana whanau. He hononga whakapapa hoki nona ki a Ngati Pikiao.
"No te kopu o taku whaea taku mohiohio ki te waiata e mohio hoki ki te korero, e mohio hoki ki te waiata, ka rawekengia te piana noku e kura tuatahi, kura tuarua ana engari kaore rawa au i aro ki te ao waiata tae rawa ki taku tau tuarua i te kura tuarua. Ka hapaingia te kuta kia rite ahau ki toku tuakana, na wai ra ka hoki nga matimati ki te piana. Wheoi ano, ka oho te wairua waiata, ka waiata noa ahau'. Kua eke noa ia ki nga maka teitei nona e aromatawaingia ana, kua tae hoki ia ki nga taumata rangatira nona ka uru atu ki nga whakataetae Smokefree Rockquest.
Kua waiata ia i Rotorua Glo Fest, te konohete nui o Lakeside, a nana tonu te atamira waiata i Te Puke Matariki i whakapuare hai manu tioriori whakatau i a Ria Hall. Atu i enei tunga nui kua whai tunga hoki ia ki te kaupapa Nahinara nui mo te NZ BMX me te whakaari puoro o Totara St.
"Ko etehi ano o ana mahi whakahirahira ko te kaupapa awheawhe mo Kenneth Myers Center Auckland Songwriting, Parachute Studios Making Waves Women in Production me te kaupapa awheawhe mo Roadhead Studios Aotearoa Music Producer Series. E rua ano o ana kaupapa nui, tera ko te tu ki te kaupapa pouaka whakaata i te hotaka Take the Mic me te hotaka 5 minutes of fame".
Nona e kura tuarua ana, ka rapu mahi mana hai utu i ana taonga puoro engari na te mea e noho taiwhenua ana ratau e noho kore motoka ana ratau, kaore tenei whainga ana i whakatutukingia.
Na te muri aroha o tana whanau ka whakawatea e ratau tetehi wahanga o te kareti hai wahi purei waiata mana.
"Ka maro taku aro ki te waihanga rautaki akoako me te taha pakihi. Ka tukuna aku panui ki te marea ma pukamata ko te panuitanga e mea ana, he karaehe ako piana ako kuta a te tau e rua mano e rua tekau ma tahi, noku e kotahi tekau ma rima anake te rahi, ka tumeke katoa ahau i te tahuritanga mai o etehi ki taku panui, na reira i whakapakari hoki ahau ki te ako i etehi atu taonga puoro.
"Katahi ka wera taku whona i te rahi o te tangata e kimi tangata penei i ahau hai kura mahita ko te mate tonu , ko te take kaore au i whakaae ki nga tono na te mea e noho kore motoka tonu ana matau. No te tau e rua mano, e rua tekau ma rua ka whakawhiwhia e ahau ki taku raihana tuarua, ka tono mahi a ipurangi ka nanaohia ki te kura o nga roto moana ki te wananga whakaari, a, ka whakamanahia taku tono, kai reira ahau e mahi ana, me taku hakoakoa hoki ki taku mahi".
He wahine rarata ki te wairua auaha o tana mahi, e kore hoki e mutu tana whakamihi ki tana whanau me nga hoa tata nana ia i amo i nga wa taumaha e puta ai ia hai kura mahita ako puoro.
Ka tae ki a ia nga wa o te pouri pena i nga wa ka kore etehi o ana tauira e hoki mai ki te whakaoti i a ratau karaehe. Kua taumaha hoki ia i nga whakawhiu wetiweti a te hunga whito e kaha nei ki te whakaparanga i nga rangatira . He korero parau, he korero tito, he whakahawene tangata. No te tau e rua mano, e rua tekau ma tahi ka huri ona whakaaro ki Rarohenga na tenei tumomo ahuatanga. He iti ki mua he roa ki muri e puta ai ia i te pokenekene horomi tangata. Na nga tatai korero mo tana matua tane nona e waiata ana i te whare karakia i whai tikanga ano ai tona wairua.
"Ko te wairua o te waiata i taua whare karakia, ara te hunga e noho haumaru ana engari kaore tetehi o ratau e wehi ki te whakaputa i nga kare-a-roto kia rite ki te manu motu i te koromahanga e rere kau na ki te komata rangi, ko te tauira tenei naku e whakaihiihi ai i aku hoa me nga tauira".
Kua ora ia i ana poutokomanawa i a Ian Pirrie, he tangata maia no te Lakes Performing Arts Centre me tona kura mahita ako waiata ko Marcy Stunell. Ko Marcy Stunell tetehi wahine kaha akiaki i a ia. He kitenga nona e parawheta- wheta ana tana tauira rangatira, na te ata noho me te ata poipoi i a ia, katahi ka tika ana te haere o tona waka.
"Ko taku whakaruruhau nana i whiti ai te ra, me i kore i a ia – taukiri e!"
He ahakoa he wahine ata noho ki te akoako, nana ano ia i whakapakari, nana ano ia i ako ki enei taonga whakamiharo.
Ko ana kupu akiaki ki nga whakatupuranga?
"E whakatangi taonga puoro ana koe, ki a rite koe ki te tangata whakatangi kuta atua – kore kore nei e he tana whakatangi kuta!".
Caitlin Aimee Newson could sing before she could walk and has "mucked around" with music all her life. Picture/Supplied
Music is in Caitie Newson's blood and although she is only 17 she is a sought-after teacher.
Born in Auckland in 2005, Caitlin Aimee Newson moved to Rotorua with her family three years later. She has connections to Ngati Pikiao.
"I've been a singer since the day I could speak, mucked around on the piano in primary and intermediate, but did not properly pursue music until the second year of intermediate. I picked up the guitar because I aspired to be just like my older brother and continued playing piano and singing whenever I had free time."
So far, Caitie's biggest highlights on her journey have been high distinction markings in music grading, podium placings every year she has entered Smokefree Rockquest.
Performing at festivals like Rotorua Glo Fest, Lakeside Concert and opening for Ria Hall at Te Puke Matariki Festival were also highlights but she also welcomed little gigs like the National Anthem at NZ BMX Nationals and Totara St Original music showcase .
"My favourite highlights have been my invites to participate in the Kenneth Myers Center Auckland Songwriting Workshop, Parachute Studios Making Waves Women in Production and Roadhead Studios Aotearoa Music Producer Series Workshop.
"And also making an appearance in the new TV show Take the Mic and competing on the TV show 5 minutes of Fame."
Caitie wanted a job to pay for instruments and equipment in her second year of high school but lived rurally with no transport available to get a job.
Thanks to family support a room in the back of the garage was turned into a mini music school.
"I worked hard at trying to create lesson plans and the financial aspect of the business and I advertised on the community Facebook page that I was offering piano and guitar lessons in 2021 at the age of 15 and to my surprise, my afternoons started overflowing with kids wanting to learn which gave me more inspiration to broaden my repertoire by picking up other instruments like flute, bass, drums, ukulele, cello and violin.
"I got job offers from music schools and performing arts companies in town but I had to turn them down due to lack of transport. Then in 2022 when I gained my restricted licence, I applied for Online High School/Correspondence and made contact with Lakes Performing Arts Center and started working there and have loved it ever since."
Caitie loves the creativity of being a teacher and she really appreciates the sacrifices made by her family and friends so that she could become a musician/artist.
But there are low points, like how Caitie doubted herself if students stop their lessons. As an artist, Caitie has experienced some horrible cyberbullying, hate talk and general bullying.
During the last school term of 2021 she went through some awful psychological struggles almost losing her life.
"It has been a long road resurfacing from such darkness."
Stories about her father singing in church gave Caitie inspiration.
"The effect music would have on people in that church, how safe individuals would feel to pour out such raw emotion is why I do what I do and why I encourage others to do the same."
Because of the dark periods in her life, Caitie is glad Ian Pirrie who she met at the Lakes Performing Arts Centre and her high school music teacher Marcy Stunell have her back.
As well as making sure Caitie had every possible help with her music Marcy Stunell noticed that something was amiss with her prize pupil and helped pull her back from the edge.
"She was my safe haven and I will forever be grateful of her sacrifices and gorgeous smile." Caitie is mainly self taught although she has pursued some online studies.
And her advice to the next generation of musicians?
"When you play music try to be like a little kid playing an air guitar, they never hit a wrong note."
