It started with a phone call

… AND THEN FIVE MORE

It didn’t start with a blue-print. It started with a musician, an idea, and more follow-up calls than I could count.

Back in 2016, I was working at Church Road Winery, and a local musician named Annabelle reached out. She’d recently moved to the Bay and founded the Napier Music Academy — a place where young musicians could learn, and hone their craft. And now she was on the scout for live gigs, not only for herself but for her students. Wouldn’t it be amazing, she said, to have local artists, both emerging and experienced, playing live acoustic sets on the winery lawn? Easy Sundays, music in the air, families on picnic blankets, wine in hand.

It sounded lovely, it really did. But at the time, I was juggling a full time job of weddings, private events, and had two little ones under three at home. Life was full. The thought of adding another event to the calendar felt… a bit overwhelming. So while I genuinely loved the vision, I tucked it away, thinking - maybe one day. But Annabelle wasn’t letting go that easy. She called again. And again. And again.

Eventually, I paused long enough to really hear her out. Her energy was infectious. Her vision was grounded in community and connection — an open, welcoming space for music to simply be shared. I took it to my boss Brent, who’s been at Church Road for over two decades and knows a good idea when he sees one. He scraped together a small budget, gave us the green light, and we got to work.

The first session was held in early 2017. We kept it simple: the cellar door steps became the stage, a big umbrella offered shade, and we let the music do the rest. Annabelle and her partner Ash performed, along with Daniel and Hayley Munro — also music teachers and part of the Academy whānau. There were maybe 30 people on the lawn. It felt small, but not insignificant. The kind of afternoon that didn’t need a crowd to feel like something special.

Daniel & Hayley Munro performing in 2017 at the first Church Road Session

And it grew.

Nearly a decade on, the Church Road Summer Sessions have now become a fixture of Hawke’s Bay summer — the kind of Sundays people plan their calendars around. The format hasn’t changed much. The series now features 18 different artists every season. No repeats. All handpicked. Mostly acoustic covers, yes, but also space for original songs to be shared.

People arrive early to claim shady spots. There are sunhats, dogs curled up on rugs, kids playing cricket, wine in hand. It feels loose, in the best possible way — exactly what Sundays should feel like.

I left my full-time role at Church Road about a year after that first session. But the team wanted the event to continue — and so did I. It became one of the very first projects delivered by Littlestone. One of the first events I got to fully own, both creatively and operationally. It was the beginning of something new for me, too.

And Annabelle? About two years later, as Littlestone grew and the work piled up, she came on board as the very first official employee. Still full of ideas, still full of heart. She and Ash eventually moved to Gisborne, where they live in a georgeous wee tiny house with their two boys. But the legacy of those early calls still lingers, every time we set up the lawn.

Every season we find new artists, new energy, and somehow, it still feels like that same idea that started with a few calls, a PA and a big umbrella. A space for people to gather, slow down and just… breathe for a while.

So here we are, heading into our ninth year. It’s nostalgic to think how it started. And even wilder to think how many memories have been made on that lawn since. But that’s what happens when you say yes to a good idea, especially one that comes with just the right amount of heart and persistence.

So if you’re sitting there reading this with an idea of your own, one you keep circling back to - maybe this is your sign to call someone. And then call again. And again.

You never know what you might start. All it takes is an idea, and someone brave (and persistent) enough to chase it.
Ngā mihi nui, Annabelle - for calling, and calling, and calling again.

Annabelle & Ash performing at Church Road Winery - Summer 2019