Congratulations to David Tahere in the music department for his successful completion of his doctoral thesis and officially becoming Dr. Tahere!
Presentation for Dr. Tahere's Dissertation in the chapel, Monday, November 6, 2023. Photo by Sara Rogers '24.
On Monday, November 13, 2023, Tahere traveled back to his Alma Mater to present his doctoral thesis on the music of New Zealand and the union between the western music organization and the native music of New Zealand. The week prior (on Monday, November 6), Tahere did a “dress rehearsal” for his defense for the various students of Covenant College in the chapel. Most of the students in attendance were music students who had all benefited from learning from Tahere over the last few years.
Tahere began his rehearsal with a history lesson and told those present about how Aotearoa (New Zealand) was found by the Maori people that lived there and informed the audience about the colonization and the various problems that came with being a colony of the British crown. The students and professors in attendance were enthralled by the information, following along eagerly as Tahere shared about the history of his culture.
After speaking about the history, Tahere then moved on to speak about the composition that he commissioned Maori composer Dame Gillian Whitehead to compose about the story of a Maori soldier during one of the World Wars. Whitehead and Tahere felt compelled to tell this story because of the tension found between the soldier and his commanding officers. The composition by Whitehead featured traditional Maori instruments like the purerehua and the nguru, as well as the actual Maori language.
Tahere referred to the composition and project itself as a taonga, which means “treasure.” He said that he felt honored to invite the audience to participate in the story, looking at the various monuments, native storytelling, and the union between the native practices in music and the West. Both his paper and the music itself were geared towards inviting the audience to not be just passive consumers, but instead to participate in the storytelling.
Congratulations again to Dr. David Tahere! The Bagpipe and Covenant College wishes you success in all your future endeavors!