Tongan trombonist shares story of passion

Tavite Tonga attributes his successful trombone career to his culture and his faith.

“Brass instruments, they're the closest you can get to the human voice, essentially…the only difference between singing and brass playing is that it's your lips buzzing instead of your throat.

“Take the trombone, for example, I think it kind of goes back to our roots and Christianity, the trombone and trumpets were treated as divine instruments from the earlier composers and they were primarily in the early days, they were only used for like religious masses or oratorios.

Tavite Tonga in his element performing in 2020 / Photo: Tavite Tonga/Facebook

“They were really connected to religious music and I think that's kind of found its way in Tongan communities as well.”

Tavite has performed with the National Youth Orchestra of New Zealand and Auckland Choral and currently plays with the Manukau Concert Band and Auckland City Brass.

Aside from playing in ensembles, he also teaches low brass instruments and conducts school ensembles and has been named as an associate conductor for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

In an interview with Pacific Days’ host Ma’a Brian Sagala, Tavite said he had to pick up the euphonium and tuba instruments out of necessity to teach his students.

“My educational role is as an itinerant teacher. I go and travel throughout various schools and I currently do a little bit more conducting. So taking groups and ensembles, concert bands primarily.

“Alongside that, I still get to do a little bit of teaching primarily on this thing [trombone]. And I've had to pick up the euphonium and tuba along the way as schools are looking for those things.”

Family connections

Tavite’s journey with the trombone began by chance when a music teacher noticed his potential.

“I think obviously being a Tongan, we love brass playing, but for me personally, the very weird introduction to it. My cousin, Filipe Manu, the opera singer, he won Lexus a couple years back.

“My mum saw that he was singing and playing the piano and stuff and she wanted me to go down the same track and I'm not a great singer to say the least.

Tavite in the National Youth Ochestra Trombone section in Wellington in July 2024 / Photo: Tavite Tonga/Facebook

“Anyways we rock up to sign up for music lessons and this lady looks at me and she goes, you have the lips of a trombone player. And ever since that moment…some 13 years later I'm still doing it.”

Tavite said “it took quite a while” before he found his passion for the trombone.

“Probably my first year of university, I took a gap year between my Year 13 year and my first year of uni and I just worked. And I kind of asked myself a question at the end of the year, what do I miss most? Funnily enough, it was playing the trombone every day.

“So I decided to sign up for a music degree [at the University of Auckland] and then I walked in those doors for the first time and I was just hooked.”

Looking ahead, Tavite aims to diversify his musical pursuits, focusing on performance, education, and directing.

“I remember our first chat in 2021, I was very set on becoming an orchestral player, but I feel like as I get older, I wanna diversify my interests a bit more.

“Not only through my playing but through my educating and my music directing. I want to be more of a multifaceted kind of musician.”

Watch the full interview below.