When word got around that children's songwriter Natalie Yeoman planned to retire, parents started asking her if they could have copies of her fun and educational songs.
The only problem was, the majority of them were stored inside the George Street Normal School teacher's head.
It was then that she realised, if she did not write them down, they might be lost in the mists of time.
''I got thinking about that, and I thought why just a song book? Why not an album with all the songs recorded as well.
''It's a way of leaving them with everybody.''
Her songs have been used to teach Maori language, whakatauki (proverbs) and local legends, and have been performed by the school choir and kapa haka group at school assemblies and at community concerts over the past 14 years.
Now that some of them have been published, she hoped they would be just as popular with other school communities around the country, as they had been at George Street Normal School.
She said they were an effective teaching tool because they were a fun way to learn, and the lessons within them stayed with the pupils for life.
Mrs Yeoman planned to retire at the end of this year, and although she was looking forward to it ''with some trepidation'', she believed that the time was right.
''I've had some health issues over the last few years, and I'm really grateful I've been able to keep going for as long as I have.
''I want to stop while I'm still well, and make sure I capitalise on that good health.
''I know it's a cliche, but I will say what a lot of other people say; I'm looking forward to having more time with my grandchildren and no doubt some more musical projects.''
