John McKay has been a musician for as long as he can remember, learning the recorder and ukulele at primary school and then progressing to Highland bagpipes at age 10. Restringing a guitar that he found at a local dump when he was 35 led to him becoming an accomplished guitarist and John has performed in an Irish band and as part of a musical duo throughout his adulthood. John has always been an active part of his community by helping others learn the bagpipes and ukulele and assisting with local pipe bands and uke groups
However, when John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, he thought that he would need to give up on music and began to sell his large collection of instruments. John's daughter Erin says, “Having Parkinson’s has meant playing many of these instruments has become challenging, and with some instruments he has had to stop playing them completely.” Erin, a psychologist living in Hawke’s Bay, heard about our music therapy centre in that region and met with one of our team members to learn more about how music therapy could help her father reconnect with his musical talent as well as how it might play a part in his Parkinson’s treatment. Raukatauri was thrilled when we were able to open in John’s home town of Whakatāne thanks to funding from Manatū Taonga, and John was our very first client to be confirmed in the Eastern Bay.
Denby, John’s music therapist, reports that John seemed pretty nervous when he arrived for his first session and that the two of them spent a long time talking before she could encourage him to pick up a ukulele and do some playing with her. Denby drew on her training in neurology to use specific musical techniques as tools for physiological entrainment, allowing John to lock in with her playing and join her in playing the ukulele. John says,
“I couldn’t believe how good I felt after my first session. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, but music therapy has shown me that I can still play.”
John has gone from strength to strength since that initial session. Each week Denby and John play new songs and instruments and John’s confidence continues to grow. Since John’s first session, his life has been filled with music and he has gained the confidence to do other activities as well including a Parkinson’s exercise group, weekly Pilates, and long bike rides.
However, Raukatauri’s music therapy services haven’t just impacted John’s life, they have also had an effect on his friends, whānau and community. The confidence that John has regained through music therapy has allowed him to resume teaching the bagpipes to local beginners and re-join his community ukulele group where he can share his years of experience as a musician with new members.
John also reconnected with his bandmate and close friend, Lee Corbett Barton, to begin playing music together again. John and Lee had stopped playing and performing together as a result of John’s diagnosis, but when John walked out of his very first music therapy session he knew that they needed to reconnect musically. He went round to Lee’s house that weekend and the two bandmates played for hours, just like they did before John’s Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Lee shares of his experience with John:
“John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, and when I heard the terrible news it was like a bomb being dropped on me, but I cannot imagine how it felt for John and his loved ones. Knowing how the condition can affect an individual over time is devastating, especially when it comes with the price of not being able to play music for yourself and others to enjoy.
“Being a musician is more than just playing music, it sits at the very existence of who you are and some say a gift shared to bring joy to others. There is an indescribable energy, which flows between musicians, and how that same energy absorbed by others then bounces back from the audience to reenergize the musicians.”
John and I persevered for a short period after his diagnosis in a performing capacity, but it gradually became clear it was becoming harder for him and us. The last time we officially performed a gig was late 2019, after which the curtain came down on our performing days and it was looking more like John was not going to play again.
Then John asked me in mid-2022 what I was doing on the coming Sunday, he totally surprised me with the suggestion that we could turn up at a local open mic session and perform a few of the old songs. Taken a back, I suggested we should get together briefly before hand, attempt to run through a few of those old songs and then we headed to the open mic session.
Both nervous, we got up in front of around 50 appreciative likeminded souls, and we performed for the first time in almost three years. It was like a new lease of life for us both, and to have rapturous applause when we finished each song, it brought that special energy back and a tear to my eye.”
John’s whānau have loved seeing the impact that music therapy has had on his wellbeing. His daughter Erin recently said via email, “It would be a huge understatement to say I am thrilled at how much Dad is enjoying these sessions with Denby and it brings me so much joy to hear about them, and the changes he can make to ensure he gets to enjoy music again. He just said to me on the phone the other night that doing music therapy with Rautakauri and Denby has made him realise he can still play music, and I got teary thinking about how wonderful this is, and how proud of him I am.”
John and Lee are so thrilled about John’s journey with Raukatauri that their next open mic is a fundraiser for Raukatauri, timed to coincide with Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa/NZ Music Month! We’re so grateful for their mahi. For everyone in the Bay, the Open Mic night will be held on Sunday 7th May, from 3:00pm at Mata Brewery in Whakatāne. Participate in the Open Mic event or enjoy the entertainment, and there will be a raffle and donations box to support Raukatauri. You can find more information here.