Fans of Hayley Westenra's first two discs are in for a big surprise when they hear her new CD. The singing sensation is setting out in a bold new musical direction as she prepares an assault on the global music market.
　

A typical brick Kiwi house tucked down a right-of-way in one of Christchurch's leafier suburbs is the global headquarters of Hayley Central. It is from here, with input from London and elsewhere around New Zealand, that 15-year-old Hayley Westenra's launch onto the international market is being meticulously planned.
Unlike the other living rooms in the neighbourhood, this one is dominated by two computers, a microphone stand, boxes overflowing with newspaper clippings and memorabilia, hundreds if not thousands of photos from her travels and performances. Occasionally, the computers receive mp3 files of songs for Hayley to consider recording on her upcoming album. Relentlessly, they receive e-mails of requests to perform, queries about what key she'll be doing this or that in, pleas from friends for tickets to sold-out concerts.
The work spills over into the kitchen, where the bench is piled high with CDs and tapes of more songs for Hayley to pass judgment on, and hastily scribbled notes and reminders of things that need to be done.
It's all overseen by Hayley's mum, Jill, and dad, Gerald, who also find time to be parents to Hayley's sister Sophie ("12 and a half") and brother Isaac, nine, both also musically gifted.
Hayley has just finished school for the year, marking the occasion by hanging out with her schoolmates at a friend's place "and having a big water fight". Now her attention is focused on a collection of short- and long-term goals which would daunt many seasoned professionals, but which this levelheaded 15-year-old seems to be taking in her stride.
The primary objective at the moment is completion of Hayley's new album, on which she has been working for many months and which may still be many months from completion. It will be her third but the first of her international contract with music industry giant Decca. And those who have heard Hayley's previous, classically oriented recordings are in for a big surprise.
"It's a bit different," says Hayley. "It's more pop, with a Celtic feel in some songs. It's actually kind of what I sort of enjoy more." Hayley may be exceptional in many ways, but her "kind of", "sort of", "and I'm, like" way of speaking will be familiar to anyone who has regular contact with teenagers.
"On the first two CDs," she continues, "I released songs I'd been singing. They were just the songs I knew. Now I'm discovering what I enjoy most. They've got some classical pieces and added lyrics and a beat which is quite cool. Some of the songs are more upbeat and poppy but it's still crossover between pop and classical." This album will be almost entirely original numbers. Decca is putting a lot of time, money and work into it, and that means taking as long as necessary to get it right.
Hayley could have merely re-recorded some of the popular numbers from her first two releases, in which case the album would already be in shops. As it is, no one is quite sure when the completed product will be available.

Hayley's career means she is a 15-year-old who happens to have a full-time job. Yet she's also expected to be able to say she's doing well at school, being a "normal" teenager with her mates, fitting in a bit of sport and keeping a level head on her shoulders. She has given up ballet. She works hard to keep up at school, although, ironically, she may not be able to study music next year because the amount of travelling she will be doing means she cannot guarantee to be in the right place at the right time for assignments and exercises.
She makes it look effortless, but it hasn't all been plain sailing. "If she hadn't had people outside the family saying, 'You're good,' " says Jill, "she might have been crushed by all the other things. You do get people who are jealous and give you a hard time. I remember Hayley said once she'd sung a song called 'Let's Hear It for the Boys' and girls were going 'Well, how's your boy then?' They constantly taunted her." Not that she'd choose another life.
Hayley positively glows when she talks about the experience of performing. She is relatively untroubled by nerves, although she's never over-confident.
"I get a little bit nervous. It's hard when you first walk onto the stage. The first note or the first phrase - that's the hardest, because as long as you've sung that well, it builds up your confidence.
Afterwards, I'm just pleased it's gone well. There's relief because it's all built up to that performance, including the' days beforehand, and you think, phew!" While most of us can struggle on with our jobs through colds and the odd ailment, for a singer, her health is vital.
In a case like Hayley's there are complications peculiar to IS-year-olds.
"One of the main things is getting early nights, which I should start doing," she admits. "It's hard when you've got schoolwork. And you're on the phone to London often at 10:30 or 11 at night. And flying is another big aspect. You have to be careful. It's really easy to catch something from recycled air. You have to be well beforehand and have an immune system that can fight things." And she couldn't have done it without her mum, who she names as a major role model. "Both my parents have been role models, but Mum more. If she hadn't encouraged me, I wouldn't have thought, 'I can do this.' I think I always thought, 'Well, I'll try really hard but I probably won't get there,' and Mum's the one who said, 'You can do this, Hayley. You've got the ability. Why not go ahead and do it?' " Of course, if Jill and Gerald had had big jobs or work constraints...
"We wouldn't have had time," says Jill.
"It wouldn't have happened," says Gerald.
"It wouldn't. It's a full-time job."
"Our income's probably halved in the last two years."
"Everything goes into this. You don't have a choice. You just do it."
"We're on a roller coaster that's just not going to stop. It's only going to get bigger."

PAUL LITTLE