POMUS Riwai Hina
Instruments: French Horn/Trombone/Keyboard/Bass Drum
Qualifications: Certificate of Performance Music (Brass) Diploma in Performance Music
Quote of the day:
You can take the boy out of Wanganui, but you can't take the Wanganui out of the boy.
Riwai comes all the way from the heartland of Castlecliff, Wanganui. He is one of six children; two brothers, two sisters and a half sister from his Father's second marriage. Riwai attended Aranui Primary School, Rutherford Intermediate and Wanganui Boys College, where his musical interest started. He played Hockey in his spare time, and also had a huge interest in art (pencil sketches, and painting).
Riwai first picked up the cornet at thirteen and won his first Slow Melody Solo after seven months. This led him to believe that he could be pretty good at it! He later decided to join the local Brass Band (Brass Wanganui) for nearly ten years under the direction of Kevin Jarrett who was also his music teacher.
After college he found music, apart from art, an easy subject (so he thought!) and decided to study it at the then newly established Wanganui School of Music. After three years he graduated with a Diploma. He played Cornet for six years and later changed to Euphonium for three years. He always thought the Trombone could be a cool instrument to play; he was fascinated by the slide mechanism. Having no idea how to use the slide, he began to teach himself and spent a whole Math class figuring out the slide positions. Riwai has now been playing for eight years.
In 1996 Riwai joined the RNZAF Base Ohakea Band before moving to Auckland in 1999 to join the Navy. The Navy Band has given Riwai many opportunities to further his interests in becoming a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger. This inspired Riwai to write a Naval March entitled Te Waka to celebrate the incoming ships.
Riwai's Naval highlights to date:
- 2000/2 - Tour to Korea for the International Military Tattoo
- Received a CO's Commendation
- Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Wellington
- 2001 - Travelled to Canberra with Tri-Service Band
- Australia for "Project Kete" and ANZAC Day
- 2003 - Received Sailor of the Quarter
- First runner-up for Sailor of the Year
- 2004 - ANZAC exchange to work with Royal Australian Navy (Sydney) for
three months, including ANZAC Day
- Meeting the All Blacks on his birthday
- Playing the National Anthems and Eden Park for the All Blacks' second
test against England
- Travelled to France for the Unknown Warrior with a Tri-Service Band
- 2005 - Tour to Hobart, Australia for a Military Tattoo
Riwai has played in the Central District Youth Brass Band and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He currently plays for the Rodger Fox Big Band.