Kiwi musician Rob Ruha. Photo / Erica Sinclair
Each week the Herald's entertainment team gets the lowdown on a celebrity's formative experiences. Today, musician Rob Ruha.
My first job was ... mowing lawns for my uncle, Tama Hiini. I remember going to mow them and the grass was above my knees!. It took me two whole days and I got $20 and an iceblock. It's pretty safe to say that I never went back.
It taught
me … never to mow lawns for a living and to never let my lawns grow that long.
My big break came … I think I am still waiting for my big break. However, I have done some amazing things and met some pretty awesome people. I met my music idol, John Legend, in my very first year of doing music and even got to open his Auckland show back in 2014.
The last job I quit was … as senior lecturer at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, head of discipline for the Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts degree and acting director for the National Institute of Māori and Pacific Performing Arts - flash, eh? I quit because I needed to invest all my energy into making a living off of my music, which I've been doing for five years now.
