Nā Mele 2021 Special Edition Newsletter

Hawaii Youth Symphony Association 1110 University Avenue, Suite 200 Honolulu, Hawaii 96826-1598

Let’s Make Music A Right NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 1177

SPECIAL EDITION | NA MELE NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2022

Dean Taba teaches HYS Jazz Combo

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Board of Directors Chair: Patti Look Vice Chair: Sharon R. Himeno Secretary: Erica Mau-Schank Treasurer: Mary Ellen Williams Directors: Alan Arizumi, Lorrin Hirano, Collin Hoo, Martin Hsia, Richard K. Ing, Malcolm Lau, Michael Onofrietti, Aaron J. Salā, Geoffrey S. Sewell, M.D., Jake Shimabukuro, Jean Tsukamoto

SUPPORT IN STYLE | SHIRT $20

Special thanks to all our sponsors and community supporters, to Jake Shimabukuro and Amy Hānaiali‘i for their commitment to fostering young people’s love for music, and to Hawaii Tourism Japan for once again connecting our students in Hawaii with friends in Japan. Mahalo also to Ashley Nagaoka and Billy V. for being gracious hosts.

President, Randy Wong Administration Director of Operations: Aris Doike Assistant Operations Manager: Parker Nakamura Programs Manager: Hannah Watanabe Operations Assistant: Justin Woo Symphony Program Wayne Fanning Elton Masaki Susan Ochi-Onishi Joseph Stepec, Director Hannah Watanabe

Academy String Program Michael Lim, Conductor Brent Ramos, Coordinator Chad Uyehara, Director & Conductor

Jazz Program Ryan Howe Noel Okimoto Dean Taba, Director

Music in the Clubhouse Parker Nakamura, Music4Kids Yuseon Nam, Nanakuli Violin Class

Pacific Music Institute Ignace Jang, Solo & String Quartet Jeremy Lawi, General Manager Joseph Stepec, Artistic Director Dean Taba, Jazz

Follow us on social media @HiYouthSymphony

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Collaboration undoubtedly defined our annual He Makana O Nā Mele: The Gift of Music gala.

In keeping with a longstanding tradition of supporting the arts in Hawaii, the Halekulani generously provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s celebration of music and aloha, showcasing the talents of our future leaders and innovators.

Sport your passion for music with these super soft tees designed by Geoffrey Siu. hiyouthsymphony.org/shop/

NOTEWORTHY PROGRAM Learn more about our programs and talented youth through this beautiful digital booklet designed by volunteer Mark Nakamura.

Watch the show again at hiyouthsymphony. org/namele

Nā Mele underscores the importance of universal access to music education and its transformative power. The last two years have been challenging. Yet these challenges only reaffirmed our commitment to find ways to safely and steadily return to in-person learning, perform together, and connect with audiences.

Unity is what drives change, evident in the reach of our televised and streamed Nā Mele. Over 60,000 impressions were delivered across Hawaii News Now platforms, with an opportunity to galvanize even more viewers to get behind the vision of HYS during our Nā Mele rebroadcast in March—perfectly timed to National Music In Our Schools Month! Here’s to continuing our vital work together in the New Year as we break down barriers and create a more musical future for all.

SOUND ADVICE WITH DEAN TABA, JAZZ DIRECTOR

HYS Jazz Student, Noah Chang, Advanced Contemporary Ensemble

Hawaii Youth Symphony Jazz Director Dean Taba played a unique and vital part in creating the magic that is Nā Mele 2021. Bringing a sophisticated understanding of audio to the production from his years recording albums, TV shows, soundtracks, and more, Dean not only elevated the recording process through his counsel, but provided an unforgettable learning experience for the students—one that typically only seasoned recording artists can access.

Said Dean, “We provide opportunity for the students to best represent themselves by selecting appropriate music and giving them the information they need to prepare. They have access to several resources, including a professional audio engineer, production crew, video producer, time in a studio environment, and involvement in post-production.”

The coordination required to execute a televised and collaborative musical journey like Nā Mele comes down to a science. While improvisation has an essential role in the pieces, the students also play parts that require a particular type of production precision. For these numbers, HYS provided students with a reference recording that includes a click track—a series of audio cues to synchronize sound recordings—with mock-ups of all, or most, of the other parts of the ensemble. After learning to play their sections by working with a metronome, the students simulate an actual session.

Perhaps what is most surprising about a gala of this scope is the tempo at which it all comes together, notes Dean, and the short amount of rehearsal time the students have as a group.

Yet the challenge of executing their parts at an exceptionally high level of professionalism has been an exponentially gratifying experience for the students—orchestrated at the speed of sound.

Na Mele filming at the beautiful and newly renovated Halekulani Hotel

1/25/22 3:13 PM

MAHALO TO OUR DONORS

AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION Through the help of our friends at Hawaii Tourism Japan (HTJ) and the magic of television, Hawaii Youth Symphony students joined Junior Orchestras from Hawaii’s sister cities in Japan and the Ukulele Junior Orchestra from Kanazawa once again in a celebration of the gift of music. Honoring the special connection between Hawaii and Japan, junior orchestras from Dosanko, Ehime, and Naha performed a composition commemorating Hawaii’s Queen Lili’uokalani from HYS alumnus and acclaimed composer Michael-Thomas Foumai. Together with globally renowned artists Jake Shimabukuro and Amy Hānaiali‘i, Nā Mele feted the universal language of music and generated support for all HYS programs.

This partnership with HTJ also wonderfully extended to their assistance in generating awareness for the Nā Mele special abroad—which was also presented in Japanese via the HI Now Japan streaming player—translating the press release into Japanese and sharing it with key media outlets in Japan.

Local highlights also include two Nā Mele stories in MidWeek, a spotlight in Pacific Business News, featured student interviews across community newspapers, promotional opportunities with Honolulu Magazine’s newsletter and social channels, radio PSAs across Pacific Media Group and iHeart, and a social campaign that illuminated how HYS is where musical journeys begin for so many young people. A partnership was also formed with Consolidated Theatres for a week of on-screen promotions.

Nā Mele inspired supporters for all walks of life. Some already had a deep connection to HYS then saw yet another layer to the organization during the program, while others became introduced to the HYS mission and vision for the very first time. Here’s a snapshot of some donors—including a student performer—and how they experienced Nā Mele:

Ehime Junior Orchestra

Dosanko Junior Orchestra from Hokkaido

“The hotel has a rich history of celebrating and supporting the arts and culture across Hawaii. Hosting the students of Hawaii Youth Symphony and celebrating the efforts of HYS to keep the Academy Strings Program students at Na Mele filming music continuing for young people in the community aligns naturally with us for Halekulani. Decades ago, I grew up playing trumpet in New York, and its been a vibrant part of my life. We know the practice of playing music instills so many life skills, and the emotion of taking music in as a listener is such a critical part of the human experience. It is such a great celebration of arts in Hawaii, and we can’t think of anything more appropriate. We are delighted to play a part.” Peter Shaindlin, COO of Halekulani Corporation “We have been supporting Hawaii Youth Symphony for many years, and it boils down to the concept of music. Music culturally has been with civilization since the beginning of time, and it’s how we communicate.

Asking our youth to stop playing and expressing themselves with music is like telling someone to stop reading or writing. At ALTRES, we understand that live music is a skill set and form of communication that takes a lifetime to achieve. If we do not promote live music and the concept of our youth playing in 50 years, we only hear recordings from yesteryear.” Barron Guss, President & CEO of ALTRES “Hawai’i Tourism Japan has been supporting and conducting international exchange programs including educational programs and sister city relations. Hawaii Youth’s Symphony’s mission to help youth develop to their full potential through music aligns with HTJ’s mission and objective to ensure that tourism and community enrich each other. Through Hawai’i and Japan’s youth collaboration even virtually, we believe and hope that it has shows that creating music together internationally is possible. 2021 marked our second year working with HYS and we have received positive feedback from the community and junior orchestras from Japan, as they look forward to collaborating with HYS. Hawai’i Tourism Japan is excited to continuing to work with HYS and create opportunities for Hawai’i and Japan’s youth.” Ayako Ishiwari, Hawai’i Tourism Japan

Naha Junior Orchestra from Okinawa

A BOARD MEMBER’S TAKE | ERICA MAU-SCHANK Hawaii Youth Symphony’s televised Nā Mele is a beautiful representation of the organization’s mission, told through its entirety of stakeholders. It’s wonderful to see the engagement of staff, faculty, board members, donors, students, and our other community partners, woven together into what is truly the gift of music.

Learn more how you can join them in making music a right at hiyouthsymphony.org/donate.

NĀ MELE WITH MAESTRO STEPEC

Shifting programs to be more accessible during times when we can’t easily gather is just one way for us to keep pushing to make our vision a reality. While it felt to many like the world stopped during the pandemic, our efforts did not. It was and continues to remain crucial for us to Make Music a Right for keiki in our state.

The moment we came back together again was truly exciting. Sharing musical experiences with peers can be transformative, and a way for our youth to create and cement friendships that go beyond boundaries. What an unbelievable opportunity to work with Jake Shimabukuro and Amy Hānaiali‘i, and to see that partnership with the students. This year’s Nā Mele was also the first time our students got to meet Amy and to record with her, and it was just electric.

Every year when I read the HYS senior class bios, I’m reminded of why I loved my HYS experience and am warmed by the sense that those experiences remain true today. As an alumna, the biggest thing I took away from my time in HYS was the critical and creative thinking skills that helped shaped who I have become. As an adult, my appreciation for those invaluable lessons is what brought me back to the organization—while its mission and vision continue to inspire my involvement. Being able to significantly impact an organization that means a lot to my heart is an ineffably gratifying feeling.

It is amazing to see how, almost universally, once a student gets an opportunity to learn music, it becomes a source of strength and joy throughout their lives. The pandemic has required such an extreme level of resilience. Yet the quality of the performances from these students—to see how they have navigated these times and brought such strength and beauty to the gala—it is incredible. The end result of it all…beautiful music performed by Hawaii’s most talented students with exceptional guest artists and friends.

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1/26/22 2:32 PM