Dan Hitchens. Photo supplied.Plato once said that music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything and, while former Ashburton muso Daniel Hitchens may be no Plato, his musical talent and natural teaching ability definitely changes lives.

One area that Hitchens has a dramatic influence in is in his work with youth at Te Poutama Arahi Rangitahi.

Te Poutama Arahi Rangitahi is a specialist, secure residential treatment programme near Christchurch, housing the most high-risk youth in New Zealand, aged between 12-to 18-years-old. The residents have engaged in harmful behaviour that have left them unable to live safely in the community.

Classroom teacher Gabby Tuaine, and residence manager Lincoln Ellery, both agreed the youth in this programme are all severely at risk and have a range of anti-social behaviours with mild to moderate learning delays.

Tuaine and Ellery cannot speak highly enough of Hitchens and the positive influence he has had on students since starting there in 2016.

“There is ongoing interest in interventions, such as participatory music programmes, that seek to foster social reintegration, support mental wellbeing and equip young offenders with life skills, competencies and emotional resilience,” they said.

“Dan has the ability to connect and engage all youth into an inclusive individualised music programme.

“Students feel at ease in Dan’s presence as he manages to engage our young akonga (pupils) after years of disengagement from mainstream education.”

For Hitchens, teaching at Te Poutama Arahi Rangitahi is the highlight of his day. With his long dreads and tattoos he fits right in, “I look like one of them”, he said.

Over the last four years at the facility, Hitchens has unearthed some very talented musicians. The end of year concert where Dan performs and his students get to showcase their abilities is often the highlight of the calendar year.

“For the Maori and Pasifika residents, music is part of their heritage, so they know a bit about it already and it’s in their blood.”

It’s a great feeling to know that his students are now jamming together at break times, rather than staring each other down over the lunch table, he said.

Right from a young age music has always been a huge part in Hitchens’ life.

He was six when he first picked up a guitar, seven when he first stepped on stage in his local church and was still attending Ashburton College when he led his first band.

Graduating high school gave him the freedom to follow more of his musical interests.

To begin with, as well as playing professionally, he decided to give teaching a go and soon gathered up an impressive list of students from all around Canterbury.

His growing interest in the technical aspects of jazz saw him move to Christchurch in 2011 to attend the CPIT Jazz School.

In order to make ends meet while studying, Hitchens continued teaching and also played in a covers band, Sammy Jay and the Cucumbers.

“We were four people each with small town backgrounds, who met at jazz school and formed a band. The name didn’t have any special meaning, we just liked the sound of it.”

Sammy Jay and the Cucumbers’ talents soon become widely known and bookings rolled in.

Hitchens, the band’s lead guitarist, avoided the microphone, declaring himself as not much of a singer, he said.

Hitchens established himself in the late night music scene in Canterbury and New Zealand, but that wasn’t the only area where his name was gathering momentum.

In 2017 he started teaching in primary schools in Christchurch and Canterbury.

Within six months he had a waiting list of five-to-eleven-year-olds wanting to learn guitar, ukulele or basic piano.

It’s not hard to work out how the waiting list happened, he’s a great teacher and mentor.

His music school also focuses on giving students somewhere public to show off their skills and they love it.

“So often they work really hard learning an instrument, but then nothing. They are not given the opportunity to perform in public other than in front of family or at the odd school assembly.”

Hitchens soon changed that, he takes his students busking with him or organises special concerts. Performing live is good for confidence and that self-confidence spreads into everyday life, he said.

“To begin with they are too scared to perform in public, but once they have a couple of songs under their belt the nerves fall away.”

In 2019 Hitchens could see his teaching idea was working out, so he decided to step it up a notch and open an official music school, Monster Music.

Talented musicians are often referred to as ‘Monsters’, plus kids love monsters and think the name is really cool, he said.

Monster Music’s philosophy of teaching music in a modern and fun way has worked out well, as he now has three tutors working with him, teaches at seven schools and has over 200 primary-aged children on the books.

“I love teaching and seeing the kids grow musically, and personally, as well.

“Music is really good for everybody,” he said.

Even though he is still teaching and working up to 60 hours a week with his music school, Hitchens still finds the time to perform live and is currently with the covers band Wishlist, alongside fellow Ashburton mates, Simon and Nikita Christensen and Ben Crosson.

By Heather Mackenzie © The Ashburton Guardian - 18 June 2020