Recognising that music is a way of life
In just a few short years, Ofisa Taeao has taken the Upper Hutt College music department to new heights. Now a seat in the National Music Centre will be named in his honour.
In February 2027, the creative heart of Wellington will be roaring back into life with the opening of the National Music Centre. Our community has a unique opportunity to leave their mark on this world-class centre for music education and performance by naming a seat in the beautifully restored Adam Auditorium in Te Whare Whakarauika—Wellington Town Hall.
Local radio station The Breeze gave listeners the opportunity to nominate someone who deserved to have a Deluxe seat named in their honour. Two winners were chosen based on their strong relationship to the arts scene in the capital city—one of them being Upper Hutt College music teacher, and New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī alumnus, Ofisa Taeao.
Marina Kaichis, a learning support coordinator who nominated him, says no one is more deserving of being a Chairholder than her colleague Ofisa.
“He has a mana about him that’s just beautiful,” Marina says. “He's the kind of guy who works in the background. He’s very gentle and soft spoken. You never hear about what he’s doing, but you see the changes happen. He gives credit to the kids all the time for the programme’s success, but I know how much hard work he puts into it.”
Marina immediately thought of Ofisa when the competition was announced. She says the music programme at Upper Hutt College has blossomed under Ofisa’s guidance over the past three years. What started as a department with a single teacher and only a handful of students now has two full-time music teachers, seven itinerant teachers, and 30 passionate singers.
"Ofisa is really invested in student voice,” says Marina. “He helps them develop a sense of self through music. I think his programme is so successful because he gets input from the kids about what they want and uses their experiences to help shape his curriculum. I can see how much the students have grown in their creativity and how their wellbeing has improved. Many have found that music is a strength of theirs, and I don’t think they would’ve discovered that without a person like Ofisa who can get the very best out of them.”
Music has played a pivotal role in Ofisa’s life from the moment he was born. His parents emigrated to Aotearoa New Zealand from Samoa in the 1980s and settled in Wellington at the invitation of a minister who asked his father to play piano for their church choir. Ofisa then followed suit by playing piano, singing in the choir, and discovering a passion for the harmonies of barbershop quartets.
He turned his love of performing arts into a Bachelor of Music at the NZSM, where he focused on jazz performance. He later pursued his teaching certificate, also through VUW, and jumped headfirst into the life of a music educator.
“I’m a big believer in the role music plays in personal wellbeing,” says Ofisa. “I have three kids of my own, and there’s always music in our household. I know I’m a teacher, but I don't see music as a subject. It’s just a way of life. It's a necessity. The beauty of the creative arts is that it's about expression first and foremost. For anyone who comes through my doors, I want to create a safe space for them to be able to express themselves in ways that maybe they struggle to or haven’t been encouraged to before.”
Ofisa cites many music teachers, university professors, and friends in the Wellington barbershop community as major inspirations for his teaching ethos. He says without them, he wouldn’t place such an emphasis on helping each student find their unique voice. There's one moment in particular that he recalls as a culmination of everything he believes in as an educator.
“One of our year 10 students was seen as a bit of a problem child,” he says. “One day I happened to walk past the music room and saw him drumming away on the kits. I asked him to join a performance group with some other classmates, and while he was hesitant, he consistently showed up for rehearsal. He’d never performed in public before but ended up playing in the band for our junior prize giving ceremony. He was really nervous, but he did it anyways. I saw his parents embrace him afterwards and I was so proud to have helped him show that side of himself to the world.”
Ofisa says he’s humbled to become a Chairholder in the National Music Centre. While he didn’t know Marina had nominated him until after she’d won the competition, he’s delighted to be part of this creative hub.
Ofisa recalls conversations from his days studying music at VUW about a centre like this opening, and he’s thrilled that future NZSM students will have the chance to work even more closely with seasoned professionals from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra—Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa.
“The arts are an extension of our collective mood and mental health as a society,” says Ofisa. “Having more space to express ourselves can only lead to positive things for our community, especially during a moment in time when lots of shops are shutting and funding is being cut. Creativity is more important than ever.”
Adding to his sentiments, Marina believes that having a world-class centre for music education and performance in the capital city will be life-changing for the young people she works with. Ultimately, that’s why she nominated Ofisa—to highlight the importance of passing the torch of creativity from one generation to the next.
“It’s so exciting to have a music hub in Wellington with a magnificent auditorium and all sorts of teaching facilities,” says Marina. “Taking young people to that kind of centre really exposes them to a whole new world and can open up doors to future careers. I think it will be fantastic for our city and our students.”
Ofisa’s name will sit alongside other members of our community who are dedicated to the power of the arts and music. Those who chose to name a seat in the Town Hall are directly supporting the fit-out of the state-of-the-art performance and teaching spaces occupied by the NZSO and the NZSM, and helping transform the Town Hall into a world-class performance and learning environment.
To find out more about becoming a Chairholder in the Town Hall, visit the Become a Chairholder website or contact Acting Associate Director, Fundraising Corinne Barnard on 04 463 6952 or corinne.barnard@vuw.ac.nz.