Tauranga teen vocalist Iharaira Ranapia-Hira to co-lead national choir

Iharaira Ranapia-Hira singing with the national choir on their South Island Tour. Photo / Supplied

Singing has been a part of Iharaira Ranapia-Hira's life for as long as he can remember.

As a child, his nana's soothing voice would sing him to sleep every night. He discovered a love for singing at church and kapa haka.

Now, the Tauranga teenager is helping lead a national choir for secondary students across Aotearoa.

"It was my nana who found singing within me. She used to sing me and my brother to sleep every night, and we used to join in."

Iharaira is a tenor and one of 56 students selected for the 2021/2022 New Zealand Secondary Students Choir.

He is the only Bay of Plenty student part of the prestigious singing group and was previously a member during the 2019/2020 cycle.

Under the direction of Sue Densem, the choir brings together New Zealand's finest young voices and offers a two-year membership learning from top vocal teachers.

The group has its sights set on an international tour in 2022, following the cancellation of their trip to Germany in 2020.

The new choir first rehearsed together in the April school holidays. They will come together in Auckland during the July school holidays, taking part in the biennial Choral Connect conference.

Iharaira Ranapia-Hira is a Year 13 student at Bethlehem College. Photo / Supplied

The 17-year-old, who attends Bethlehem College, helps lead the choir alongside two other members.

When Iharaira first auditioned for the group about three years ago, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"I didn't see myself singing choir because I come from a background of kapa haka, I only auditioned for another girl who didn't want to do it by herself. I didn't know what it was about."

Shortly after joining, he discovered beauty in singing with a large group of talented young people.

"The first time we sang together I was blown away and shocked at how good people were. It just amazing to see how much talent young people do possess, and how much potential they have in their music."

But Iharaira said building relationships with these individuals has been the highlight for him.

"It's not the music, or the choir itself - it is the people that make it for me. Getting to know people from different backgrounds with different stories.

"The singing is beautiful, but those are the moments that count for me."

When he's not singing choral music, he spends his time listening to old school Rn'B and Aotearoa reggae. He loves Beyoncé. He also plays the piano, violin and timpani drum.

"I sing every day from dawn to dusk. Music sort of brings me a sense of peace, because life, man, it can throw a lot of stuff at you.

"And I just feel like music is a bit of an escape from reality into your own little universe. Throughout my life, it has helped me be where I am today."

He said the "unreal" feeling of performing with the choir was something that was hard to forget.

"Making beautiful sounds with other people, it just feels like you are connected to each other, the music and the message behind it.

"You are captivating the audience with the message you are trying to portray. It is always unreal, it is always new - and that is the beauty of performing."

Next year Iharaira is keen to study music at either the University of Auckland or the University of Waikato. He is attending the University of Waikato part-time this year, completing a first-year music paper.

And his goal for the future was clear.

"I want to be able to uplift my people through music."

He said wanted to help give Māori and those in less fortunate positions than himself the opportunity to learn what he has.