About Ian

My name is Ian Gould. I am a Danish-Brit-Canadian-Motswana-Basotho-South Africa-type person. My parents are both Christians and I made a commitment to follow Jesus at age 7 (strangely, the same year as my first kiss – but that is another story). I have followed Jesus since then, mostly with fervour. I have been involved in a number of churches over the years, but I have ended up finding that my values have been well written about by the Vineyard. Presently we are involved with some great people in a little Home church.

So what about music? There was always music in our house – my dad sings and plays piano. I quit piano lessons when I learned there were exams to be written. I started playing guitar at about 16 on a left handed guitar which my right-handed sister played (another long story). I then was privileged to play in a Youth for Christ band, New Song in Southern Africa for 2 years – full time touring. It was during this time that I began to play some worship music. After leaving the band to study at university I started leading worship at a local Baptist church.

Having done a lot of performing, Tanya (my wonderful wife) and I started playing more worship – although lots of what we had already done was really done worship-fully. We then helped to promote worship in Valley Vineyard Christian Fellowship (Jo’burg, South Africa) and around Southern Africa – we even got to record a few CD’s. At this point we became more involved in reconciliation and cross-cultural worship.

In 2006 we finally moved to New Zealand in response to a word from God and met Simon and Cheryl, who really had a heart to worship over the nation. That’s more or less what we have been doing since then. We have two children, Bethany and Andrew – both of whom are musos. It has been a real pleasure to do all of this – worship and community  – and now this website with friends and the whaanau (extended family). This is an expression of the life we have lived together.