One Working Mic, Forty Minutes
The kapa haka rōpū has a 12-minute set in the school hall for a 250-strong audience. At soundcheck, one of the two wireless handheld mics fails; only one works. The group has 18 performers, four taonga pūoro players (pūtātara, kōauau, pahū), and a poi item that involves loud foot stomping on the wooden stage. The kaitātaki tane and kaitātaki wahine both expected a mic. The hall's sound desk is at the back, and the technician is a student who has not mixed kapa haka before. The set list is waiata tira, haka, poi, waiata-ā-ringa. The waiata tira is the least rehearsed. You have 40 minutes until doors open. The principal wants the full set kept; the technician suggests cutting the waiata tira to allow more sound checks.
1. Decide how to allocate the one working mic. Justify your choice using the purpose of each item.
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Start from purpose and balance, not from who expected a mic. The haka is designed to project; a close mic on the kaitātaki tane can distort the call and pick up stomps. The waiata-ā-ringa carries text and melody, and the waiata tira is a group blend item. The taonga pūoro, especially kōauau, are quiet against 18 voices.
A defensible allocation: put the mic on a stand for the kōauau and spoken introductions, and let the voices work acoustically. If the group's voices are weak, give the mic to the kaitātaki wahine for the opening mihi and the waiata-ā-ringa solo lines. Test both in the 40 minutes and choose what the audience can actually hear.
Justify the choice to the leaders: the mic is a tool for clarity, not a status symbol. A single mic waved between performers will create more problems than it solves.
2. Advise on whether to cut the waiata tira. What factors outweigh 'keeping the full set'?
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The least rehearsed item is the highest risk. Cutting it protects the quality of the remaining three items and buys soundcheck time. The audience will not know what was cut; they will notice a weak opening. Group morale matters, so explain the reason to the rōpū rather than issuing a silent cut.
Check the rules first. If the festival requires four items, you cannot cut; shorten or reorder instead. If this is a school hall performance, the principal's wish for the full set is a preference, not a rule. Weigh it against the risk of a messy item and a rushed sound check.
A middle option: perform the waiata tira unaccompanied at the front of the stage, with no mic, as a short opening. That keeps the item and reduces technical risk. Decide before doors open, not during the performance.
3. What sound plan would you give the student technician, including stage layout and foot stomps?
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Keep the desk simple. Put the one mic on a stand where it will be used, set gain before doors, and mark positions with tape. Place the pūtātara to the side, away from the mic, and do not let performers tap the mic. Use a signaller at the side of the stage for cues because the desk is at the back.
For foot stomps, avoid floor mics or high gain; rely on natural sound and keep the vocal mic away from the floor. Run the actual item order once, including the transitions, so the technician hears the loudest moments. Brief the kaitātaki to project and to keep going if the mic fails.
Have a backup plan: if the remaining mic fails, the group continues acoustically and the technician signals the principal. Write the plan on one page and leave it at the desk.