Jean Toms has shared her love of music with Piopio's piano students for more than 25 years. PHOTOS SUPPLIED
PIOPIO’S Jean Toms is organising a piano tuner to visit the district, but one more booking is needed.
The piano teacher says the final instrument will make it economically worthwhile for the tuner, Jeremy Richards, to travel over from Pahiatua.
“At the moment, I’ve got seven, and I need another one,” Jean said.
Jeremy will confirm the date when he has the full complement of pianos.
He travels out to country districts because it is important to him to support people in comparatively remote areas.
“I don’t feel that country folk should have to be at a disadvantage, music wise, because they live in the country,” he said.
“In the city, you’ve got everything at your fingertips, but in the rural sector you don’t.
“Bringing music and creating the passion and the drive, there should be no difference between being in the city and being in the country.”
Another reason he does so is because his stomach is always full in places like Piopio and Aria.
“The rural folk are extremely hospitable, that’s one thing I will say. Either coffee, biscuits or cake… it’s always available in the country.
“That’s what gives me the hankering to come back all the time, that country warmth in the people.”
The piano tuner knows of no others who visit the districts regularly, which feels very remote compared to his home.
“Piopio-Aria is a long way from where I am, and as you go on towards Mōkau, up there – there’s no cellphone coverage whatsoever going through the little townships. That’s way out of the way.”
It was unusual for piano tuners to come to rural areas, he said.
“They used to … traditionally, they stayed with their last call of the day, and they used to go around country farms and things like that. But those days are possibly long gone,” Jeremy said.
Jean Toms has taught in Piopio for more than 25 years.
She has played piano for 82 years – at church, and marriages and funerals. Her first wedding performance was at age 17.
“I’m still teaching, actually,” Jean said. She has two students, both girls.
“They’re doing very well,” she said.
She began teaching on request from a family friend, after her own five children – born in the 1950s – had grown into adults.
‘I felt I wanted to do something and there was a need for it. I started with one little girl because the music teacher had left. They [her parents] said ‘just see if you can keep her going’ because she was going to secondary school in New Plymouth.”
At that time, Jean was in her 60s.
“I enjoyed it so much that I took on more kids. Because I’m not actually qualified, really, it’s just that I enjoy it. I love music.”
Her favourite thing about teaching is the children and seeing them achieve. She is especially pleased when they start playing more confidently from written music.
“It’s all to do with sight reading, and how quickly they can learn to read music.
“It’s always a great achievement when you can put music in front of them and they can read the music, read the notes, and play the piece without me having to help them.”
“I love to see progress. It’s about achievement… and pleasure.”
Coming from “a very musical family, and a musical background,” it was perhaps inevitable that she learned piano alongside her sisters, from age 11.
At that time, Jean rode her horse to school and used to tie it to the gate.
The piano she now plays may be new, but it is in the same place, in the same house, where she first learned more than 80 years previously.
