Sound Advice
Having a daughter with cerebral palsy inspired TV producer and musician
Hinewehi Mohi to set up a music therapy centre for young Kiwis with special needs.
Searching for a name for her newborn daughter, Hinewehi found herself recalling Hine Raukatauri, the Maori goddess of music and dance.
Legend has it that the goddess takes the form of a case moth on earth – a creature which hangs out in flute-shaped cocoons in New Zealand’s forests. While the male case moth is free to come and go as he pleases, the female spends her entire existence in her silken encasement. At night, when a gentle breeze blows, she can be heard calling to her mate – a soft, sweetly high-pitched song said to transcend the physical realm.
To Hinewehi, the goddess and her daughter had much in common – both were beautiful beings physically entrapped. It soon transpired both also found an escape in music. Befittingly, she named her firstborn Hineraukatauri (Hine for short).
Hineraukatauri and her namesake are the inspiration behind the not-for-profit music therapy centre Hinewehi founded with husband George Bradfield in 2004. Based in Auckland’s Grey Lynn, the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre (RMTC) now supports more than 100 children and teenagers with special needs and their families internally and via its outreach programmes in schools. The centre’s four registered music therapists tailor sessions to each client’s needs, using a mix of improvisation and proven techniques to help them achieve their potential.
Goals can include improving communication and co-ordination skills and building self-confidence.
“Music therapy can make a world of difference to these kids and their families,” Hinewehi says. “Music is a fantastic connector, which makes it really beneficial for those unable to communicate in a conventional way.”
Hinewehi’s faith in music as a therapeutic and learning tool is based on personal experience.
Born in Hawkes Bay to a Pakeha mother and Maori father of Ngati Kahungunu and Ngai Tuhoe descent, Hinewehi was taught to embrace her Maori heritage. She participated in traditional cultural activities and events throughout her childhood, of which music was typically a huge part, and started learning te reo Maori at age 10.
“My dad didn’t grow up speaking Maori but, when he was about 40, he decided to learn and my mum, sister and I got roped in,” she laughs. “I found it pretty boring back then. I’d much rather have been out on the farm on my motorbike!”
But when she went to board at St Joseph’s Maori Girls College in Napier, her passion for the Maori performing arts and te reo developed in tandem.
Hinewehi went on to complete a degree in Maori studies at Waikato University and landed her first TV gig in 1986 with TVNZ, helping to a produce Maori-focussed current affairs show.
“It was one of the first Maori shows on TV and had a pretty good screening time, so it was great for me career-wise,” she says.
Still at TVNZ, she went on to produce another pioneering Maori current affairs show – the bilingual Marae series, which is now in its 18th year and screens on Maori TV.
Dedicated to producing programmes that helped New Zealanders to better understand Maori culture, Hinewehi adored her work, certain she’d found her calling.
It’s easy to understand her sense of devastation then, when she discovered the consequences of Hine’s diagnosis, which had left her unable to talk, walk or eat or breathe unaided. Her breakup with Hine’s father soon afterward made things tougher still.
“I found myself as a solo mother struggling to work through everything my daughter needed. There was no question of me returning to work. When you’re faced with a special needs situation, your life is turned upside down.”
Friend and musician Jaz Coleman encouraged her to express her emotions in song – a process which proved incredibly cathartic and resulted in the production of her first album Oceania in 1999. Hinewehi’s haunting vocals complemented by a mix of Maori harmonies and modern dance beats resonated internationally. Selling more than 70,000 copies worldwide, Oceania is recognised as the first international Maori album.
Although Hinewehi is very proud of the album and its successor Oceania II, released in 2002, both she and Hine find them difficult to listen to these days.
“Hineraukatauri often weeps when she hears those songs,” Hinewehi says.
Hinewehi and George first took Hine, now 14, to see a music therapist in 2004. Their amazement at the difference it made for her, emotionally and physically, prompted them to set up the RMTC.
The centre has attracted significant support from the start, particularly from the music industry. High-profile Kiwi singer-songwriters Boh Runga and Hayley Westenra are the RMTC’s official patrons and a star-studded line-up of their musical peers act as ambassadors, including Tim Finn, Brooke Fraser, Don McGlashan, Anika Moa, Scribe and Holly Smith. The RMTC has also attracted considerable support from the corporate sector. Fundraising is still imperative, however, and volunteer staff need to raise about $500,000 a year to cover operational costs. Hinewehi says fundraising has been especially difficult since the recession took hold, but she is frequently astounded by the kindness of friends and strangers alike.
“It has been a real struggle over the past 18 months but I’ve been amazed at the extent of generosity. Fortunately, in our hour of need, we’ve been surprised with additional contributions. So we’ve been lucky, but we do have a great mix of people on board who are creative, resourceful and completely dedicated to the cause.”
Hinewehi and George are joined by eight others on the RMTC Board of Trustees and, together, they possess a wealth of business knowledge.
“We have a great combination of the two things needed to keep a charitable organisation going: business skills and commitment to social service,” she says.
Just one of the other board members has an immediate family member with special needs – something Hinewehi believes proves most people want to make positive contributions to society.
“That people can give so much time and energy to a cause they’re not directly affected by is really heart-warming,” she says. “You do sometimes feel quite isolated by disability so it’s great to have that moral support.”
Hinewehi says Hine continues to benefit from her music therapy sessions, saying that, “for someone with such complex needs, it provides a magic experience.”
Hinewehi describes Hine as “the heartbeat” of her family, saying she reminds everyone to take daily stock of all for which they are grateful. It’s an important reminder in a household which Hinewehi admits is often chaotic. She and George share their Sandringham home with a combined brood of four and Hinewehi’s 11-year-old niece. Their two eldest live with their respective partners but visit regularly.
True work-life partners, Hinewehi and George also run a TV production company, Raukatauri Productions, from their home.
Hinewehi has relished her return to TV and is perhaps more determined than ever to make programmes that promote Maori culture. She has produced numerous programmes for Maori TV, has just finished a Maori version of 1960s children’s show Mr Ed and is making the final edits to a documentary on Maori political history. Upcoming projects include a documentary on Maori broadcasting history.
Hinewehi feels very strongly that she has twin purposes in life – to raise awareness of Maori culture and disability issues.
“A lack of understanding has led to discrimination in both areas,” she says.
Hinewehi believes the secrets to her personal and professional successes have been focusing on the things she’s good at, nurturing relationships with loved ones and maintaining a sense of humour.
“Sometimes you just have to laugh your way through a situation, especially if you can’t change it. It’s important to look for role models and others who remind you of the bigger picture. You can only do your best, and most major feats are group efforts. Nothing I ever do is on my own. As they say, everything is a whanau affair.”
Lorna Thornber
