24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Musos embrace month
The Box Car Blues Band and friends (from left) Craig Conlan, Jay Morriss, Tammy Shepard, Eric Shepard, Gary Shirley, Dean Criddle and Mike Corder, perform at Oamaru Public Library as part of New Zealand Music Month celebrations. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Waitakians were treated to some of the district's finest talent as part of New Zealand Music Month, Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa 2025.
The month-long spotlight on local music is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Oamaru Public Library ran a focus on a variety of musical performers from the area.
Community educator and engagement officer Lisa Jane Potaka-Ross said the celebrations included some "extraordinary" instruments and musicians.
Beginning the musical programme earlier in the month were Oamaru musicians Eric Shepard and Gary Shirley who spoke about, and then played, the musical instruments they craft from "found objects".
Shepard builds cigar-box guitars, and Shirley makes and plays stomp boxes. A stomp box is a foot-activated percussion instrument.
"Gary Shirley spoke first about cajons (box-shaped percussion instrument) and stomp boxes which he pours an enormous amount of energy and detail into and has enjoyed passing on to other musicians and enthusiasts to play.
"Eric Shepard then gave a wonderful talk about his passion for making cigar box guitars.
"He isn't a musician himself, so he builds these extraordinary instruments from scratch, sourcing cigar boxes from the USA, and gifts them to local guitarists," Ms Potaka-Ross said.
The evening culminated with a performance from the Box Car Blues Band who debuted at the recent Harbour Street Jazz and Blues Festival, in which the band featured four players on Shepard's crafted guitars, she said.
"It was great. We probably had knocking on 30 people in the audience; some who had come for a second helping, testimony to the following the band are gathering already, and the appreciation for the unique and special sound of these incredible instruments."
Lunchtime entertainment was also provided last week at the library with three-piece band The Reveal playing covers of Kiwi classics, the Waitaki Singers from Waitaki Girls' High School providing an "entertaining repertoire" and the Ōamaru Library Community Waiata group singing some "catchy tunes" in te reo Māori, Ms Potaka Ross said.
