Three Napier sisters in Hospital Hill take up drumming

Holly, left, Jamie and Sophia have yet to have a complaint from a neighbour. Photo / Warren Buckland

The idea of a budding drummer in the household isn't always music to the ears of those within, or indeed next door.

But the Paston family, of Hospital Hill in Napier, seem to have it all in check with three years of counting the beat behind them from not just one percussionist, but three – and all girls.

Their mum, Emma Paston, who works from home, says they're fortunate there are some solid wooden doors. "We've asked the neighbours if it gets too loud to come and tell us. So far we haven't had any complaint."

The drumming Paston sisters, from left Jamie, 13, Holly, 10, and Sophia, 8, and tutor Cameron Budge. Photo / Warren Buckland

The three daughters are Jamie, 13, Holly, 10, and Sophia, 8, all pupils of drumming tutor Cameron Budge.

He says having females among the aspiring John Bonhams, Ginger Bakers and Ringo Starrs is no longer rare, however he's never heard of three sisters giving it a bash before.

Jamie, now in her first year at Napier Girls' High School, started it all, after she saw someone drumming at school about three years ago and thought: "That looks like fun."

She has also learned to play the flute, and she and a few schoolmates have been forming a rock band, stalled a bit by the Covid-19 lockdown, and so far without a name.

Holly "liked it too" and thought she'd "try it", impressed by how simple the tutor had made it for her.

Sophia, who, like Holly, is at Napier Central School, thought it was a cool idea too, and the drum kit at home is in her room.

As for drumming heroes and who they might want to be? They hadn't heard of John Bonham, rated by many as the No 1 rock music drummer of all time. But then he hasn't been around the past 40 years, having died in 1980 aged 32.

There's just the slightest hint of familiarity with the name Ringo Starr, but then he's just turned 80.

The hero may be much closer at hand, in Budge, who was brought up on pipe bands and currently plays in recording group Infinity. In 2003 he set a New Zealand drumming endurance record of 24 hours non-stop apart from a 5-minutes' break every hour each, and broke the record with a 49-hours stint in 2007, when he was 44.

"Wow!" reckons Holly. "You did that …?"