What's you favourite thing to do in Whanganui?
Buying a coffee and a cake at the markets on a Saturday and sitting by the river. It brings everything in, and encapsulates what's great about Whanganui.
There's the busy market on one side, then you've got the water, the Waimarie, and the ducks, of course.
How do you think Whanganui has changed over the years?
It's more go-ahead than it ever used to be, I think. Even in the time I've been back (since the early 1990s), you can see major changes.
There's still work to be done of course, but I think things like the port will certainly help the local economy.
People that left have come back, and having a population increase of 5000 people in a couple of years is amazing.
You see that in the city itself - a vitality and pizazz that comes with people from other places.
What do you envisage for the future of the Whanganui Musicians Club?
An upgrade to facilities like the toilets and the kitchen.
We've just replaced all our band gear, so that means our sound quality is assured for the next few years.
We want to maintain that ongoing community support for the club itself.
We're a committee of volunteers, and that's what makes it what it is.
We all have a vested interest in maintaining what we've got. If we keep that going, we'll be around for a long time to come.
Do you think Whanganui has a vibrant music scene?
It certainly does. I saw that firsthand when we did the songwriter contest recently. There was so much talent.
I think we punch well above our weight.
We might not have that star quality, but we have an ongoing musical quality and a really strong musical base. One thing is for sure - the Musos Club will still be here for people to perform at.
How would you like to see Whanganui in 50 years?
We need to ensure there's equity for people, we can't lose our social responsibilities.
Whanganui has always cared about its people, and we've always cared about each other.
You walk to the supermarket and people smile and say "hi". We don't want to get too much bigger, but we need a strong economic base. I want my grandkids to have a good, safe place to live.
What would be your dream booking for the club?
I'd love Stan Walker to come and play. He lives in Whanganui now.
It would be great to have him. We don't have much money to offer though, it's all from door sales. We are what we are.
What do you think Whanganui's best kept secret is?
Our best kept secret is our people. Until you come here you don't know what you're going to get - a beautiful, friendly city with really lovely people in it.
You find it when you walk down Victoria Ave, all these smiles just come from nowhere.
Are you currently involved in any musical projects?
I sing in a covers band called Once Were Blondes, not that I was ever blonde.
There's some rock, some blues - music from the 50s, 60s and 70s.
I'm planning another variety show - Jam and Scones- for September as well. It's an afternoon concert with older acts, for older people. Afterwards we serve up cups of tea with jam and scones. It's great.
What are your favourite music memories in Whanganui?
Mum was always involved in music when I was a child. There'd be family jam sessions with my great uncle, Henry Davies.
People would come around home and play guitar, piano accordion, and sax. Those are my fondest memories - family jams.
How has film and television production changed over the years?
I was there in the beginning, when TV was in black and white.
I actually worked on Country Calendar back in the early days. The technology has changed, and that's made a huge difference in communications.
Sasha goes out and shoots, comes home, edits, and puts it online that night.
For something like Country Calendar it would take a week to make 15 minutes of television. Now you can do that in half a day.
The internet has falsified a lot of things, I think.
Stuff made now isn't made to the truth, it's made to suit the individual putting their face in front of the camera.
Technology has made it so easy to manipulate things. In the early days, if you were shooting with film you had to be honest. You couldn't just go back and do it again, so you had to tell the truth.
In terms of Māori content, it's a different world.
When I was an agent, I'd be given a casting brief and it would be 'white, middle-aged, male traffic cop'.
I'd ask 'Why not a Māori woman traffic cop in her 30s?'.
Trying to get Māori on screen in the 70s and 80s was a really hard job.
Barry's Tangata Whenua series was the first time there was Māori language on screen, and then he made Ngati, the first Māori feature film.
It was like 'Wow, we can really do this'. It was really heartening.
