At just 11 years old, Te Kura student Ao Haruna already knows exactly what he wants to be: the best pipe band drummer in the world.
His passion began unexpectedly at an All Blacks victory parade, the first parade he had ever been to. As the pipe band approached, something clicked.
“I saw this pipe band coming and thought, wow, what is this? It was so catchy, and the music was so good,” Ao recalls.
Ao Haruna practising at the Auckland Domain
From that moment on, drumming became much more than a hobby. It became his dream. Ao loves every part of drumming, not just the sound, but the craft behind it.
“I like how the drums are maintained and how they work. Drums are interesting,” he says with quiet confidence.
His dedication is easy to see. One of his most treasured items is his unique half drum, modified by his band major, Kerry Ballentine. He also uses bright orange drumsticks, created by 12-time world champion drummer Jim Kirkpatrick.
Ao Haruna preparing to perform at the Botany Christmas Parade 2025
“He’s very good. I’ve seen him play,” Ao says, clearly inspired.
For Ao’s mum, May, watching her son discover what he loves at such a young age is something she deeply appreciates.
“Sometimes it is very hard to find your dream or what you like, but he’s very lucky he’s already found what he likes. That’s why I want to support as much as possible.”
Drumming competitions and practices often fall outside normal school hours, with late nights and early starts becoming part of Ao’s routine. May says this is where Te Kura has made a huge difference.
“We are lucky to be at Te Kura because it’s very adjustable. Sometimes he has practice at night and his bedtime will be midnight. Sometimes he needs to wake up very early in the morning for a competition. At Te Kura he can learn wherever he is and whenever he is.”
Ao Haruna studying online with Te Kura from Japan
“When we were back in Japan he had class at 6am but he loved the Te Kura lessons,” May says.
Ao agrees that flexibility is key.
“I have a flexible schedule,” he says, and that flexibility is helping him move closer to his goals.
Since Ao’s interview, there has been some wonderful news! Demonstrating his incredible talent on the regional stage, Ao recently placed first in the Under 14 category at the Oceania Solo Drumming Contests.
Now, one of his biggest dreams is about to come true on the global stage. Ao will be competing at the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland this August.
Even while travelling back to Japan or preparing to fly out to Scotland in just a few weeks, Te Kura's flexible learning model keeps Ao fully connected to his education wherever his journey takes him, and his whānau couldn't be more excited for the adventure ahead.