Kia ora Seiffe Tena koutou katoa I first learnt about Pakeha or non Maori folk music in school. My first folk song that I learnt at age 6 at school was The Water is Wide and later on again at primary school, St Patricks Primary in Taumarunui, others like, African American spirituals or Donna Donna and the like from other countries and cultures. I loved it. I hadn't known then that I was learning 'folk' music. It was just a part of life. I had it at home with Waiata Maori, Hebrew and Celtic sounds and just thought everyone learnt all these other sounds at school. And I still sing The Water Is Wide and most of you on the list will remember a year or more ago the spiels about that particular waiata. Lovely stuff. Mahinaarangi Tocker is a Wellington-based singer/songwriter of songs in both Maori and English.               Play this sound clip of her song "When I Grow Up" .               Other folk beginnings Songlist- Home Page made 17th August, 2004