It is hard to believe, but before his recent selection to tour Canada with the New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir, his experience singing publicly was pretty limited.
''I joined the school choir when I was 14. And before that, I just used to sing along with the radio. I've been singing since I was about 4 or 5.''
''I simply didn't know about it until earlier this year. I became aware of it because one of my friends was in the last NZSS choir, and they told me I should audition for it.
''I said, `Nah, I'm not good enough', because I'd heard it was for the top of the top New Zealand secondary school singers - it was for the geeks of singing. So, it was a really humbling experience when I was accepted.''
He was one of 60 singers selected during a nationwide audition process of more than 350 people.
At a recent training workshop, his leadership skills shone through and he was elected by his fellow choir members as the choir's leader and cultural leader.
''It's an incredible experience. The amount of talent in the choir is really educational for me - I'm learning a lot by listening to the people around me.''
The NZSS Choir will travel to Canada in June next year, to perform as the guest choir at the International Choral Kathaumixw Music Festival in Powell River, British Columbia.
So, he is practising hard at the moment.
''I do most of my singing practice in the bathroom in the morning while I'm getting ready for school. An iPod on the bathroom counter is a necessity.''
Matariki has organised a fundraising concert for next Wednesday at Otago Boys' High School, to help cover some of the $7000 costs associated with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The concert starts at 7pm.
Matariki said he had planned to take a gap year next year while he decided which career path to pursue.
However, being selected for the choir had given him a confidence boost and he now hoped to study performance singing at the University of Otago next year.
''This has really inspired me.''
