Aloha kākou!

Because it’s a holiday weekend, I thought I’d make this week’s question SUPER EASY:

What is the 3 letter airport code for Honolulu International Airport?

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

Today, I’ve been thinking about my writing desk and how similar it is to a pottery studio.

(Which is funny because I don’t think I’ve ever been to a pottery studio!)

But from what I understand…

A potter first needs to acquire some clay. Then they “throw” that raw material on the potter’s wheel and shape and mold it into a form–sometimes a vessel.  And finally, they add heat (and sometimes glaze?) to bring that piece to completion.

Sounds  a lot like what I’m doing here at the writing desk these days.

As I’d mentioned in an earlier post, I’m working on a new writing project.

It’s both really exciting and really terrifying.  But… it’s something that has to be done.

Part of my kuleana, my responsibility, with my studies on Molokai is to share what I’ve been learning.  And I’ve been working on finding a way to present that material.  For months, I’ve been preparing–doing a TON of reading.  I’ve read so many books about personal essays.  I’ve read so many books about writing a memoir.  I’ve read so many books about different authors’ creative processes.  It’s been absolutely fascinating.

And I quickly realized that I was doing a  really GREAT job of PREPARING but a really LOUSY job of actually WRITING!

Currently, I’m in the “acquisition of the clay” stage.

This project will need a lot of raw material to select from.  I mean A LOT of material.

Where am I getting this material? I have to write it.

Right now I’m writing little vignettes.  I’m learning to just “let go” and write.  Not edit.  Not worry about spelling, punctuation or grammar.  The vignettes are timed.  I pick a topic from a list that I’ve compiled and write like a madman.  And then I stop and put it aside.  I’ve made a promise to myself that I won’t look at it until at least a week has passed. (My internal editor is a cruel and malicious creature.  If I were to read it immediately after writing, I’m sure I’d be so disgusted with my own “mistakes” that I’d never pick up a pen, again.)

I’m nowhere NEAR ready to start to shape the material into the vessel which will contain the stories.  I’m not ready to edit.  To cut.  To add.  I don’t even know what kind of raw material I have yet!

And that’s kind of fun!

I’m enjoying watching the pages fill up.  I’m enjoying knowing that I’m writing and letting myself be free on a page–despite the fact that it terrifies me.  (I’m one of those people who’s afraid that someone will get a hold of my notes and think I’m stupid or ego-centric or just plain WEIRD!)

The flip side to all of this is that some of this “clay” isn’t very nice to deal with!

It’s tough stuff.  Some of it is ugly.  It crumbles in my hands.  Some of it smells terrible.  And that’s all part of it.  Because this clay is just plain ol’ life.  Warts and all.

But I have to say, I’m enjoying the sense of accomplishment–both the physical accomplishment of cranking out a ton of writing and the personal accomplishment of learning to LET GO and just WRITE!

And I’m enjoying the thought that someday I’ll have something that I can share with folks about this wild and crazy ride.  It’s what I’ve been instructed to do.

I’ll keep you posted.  The clay is coming along.  And maybe before the last leaf falls off the trees here in NYC, it will be time to  ”throw” it on the wheel for some shaping and forming. (Maybe?)

(P.S.  You know that now I’ll HAVE to go and do some reading about pottery studios, right?!  All in the name of research, of course…)

Happy Thursday.

What is it about a Monday that is so stressful?

Is it because it’s the start of a week?   Is it because we are more aware of the pressure to get things done over the upcoming days?  Was today even MORE stressful because it’s the end of a month/start of a new month?

Instead of the Monday Blues, I usually have the Monday Panic Syndrome!

And today was no exception.

I woke up this morning and headed to my desk to do my daily writing practice.  The coffee was brewing away in the kitchen.  The sun was streaming through the windows.  It looked like it was going to be a perfect day.

And by the time I was finished with my writing session, I was totally stressed out.

I had started making a list all of things that I needed to do.

And the list grew.

And grew.

And grew.

And before the coffee had even finished brewing, I felt like I was drowning in a sea of things that NEEDED to be done.  A panic had settled in my chest.

And then the panic made me feel like I was paralyzed.  There was simply TOO MUCH to do.   And instead of calmly looking at the list and picking projects to work on, I just saw the ENORMITY of the list and froze.  I was completely stuck.  (I wanted to run back to the bedroom and hide under the covers!)

So you know what I did, right?

I went and picked up my ‘ukulele.

And then I strummed.  At first, I just strummedt the Hawaiian vamp that opens so many of the Hawaiian songs.  A simple chord progression.  But that lead to a full song.  And another.  And another.

And before I knew it, 15 minutes had passed.  And so had my stress-induced paralysis.

That little instrument makes me smile.  Its sound, which is a delight to my ears, helps to bring me back to the present moment.   And the physical act of strumming helps to take me out of my typical “OH-MY-GOSH-I-HAVE-SO-MUCH-TO-DO-AND-IT-WILL-NEVER-GET-DONE-THEREFORE-I-MUST-BE-A-COMPLETE-FAILURE” cycle that runs through my head and brings me back to the physical body.  The “real” world.

Yup.

Those four simple strings worked their magic on my world today.

They’ve helped me battle the case of Monday Panic Syndrome that I was facing.  So far, I’ve crossed a lot of things off of my TO DO list.  And I’m still smiling.

Right on.

Are Mondays hard for YOU?  What do YOU do when you get a case of the Mondays?  I’d love to hear from you…

Cleaning kalo (taro) for poi in Hālawa Valley, Molokai (Summer 2009)

Because sometimes a pictures says it all…

I’m always obsessed with something.  An object… An idea…

And I’m currently chewing on this:  the thought of living a more “acoustic” life.

Is something like that even possible??

Here’s the backstory:  I spent Sunday afternoon with a friend while she went on a hunt for a manual typewriter for a project she’s working on.   Cool.  We ended up a flea market at a vendor’s booth who sold manual typewriters.  (Note:  I LOVE MANUAL TYPEWRITERS!)

I knew I couldn’t even allow myself to put my fingers on the keys.  I would have been too tempted to buy one–and my finances just won’t allow that at this moment.  Just being there was an exercise in resisting temptation!  Such willpower!  I kept having to remind myself that I was there to observe and consult.

It was heaven to stand there and listen to folks poke at the keys.  That all-too-familiar CLACK as they strike the page.  A musical sound, indeed.

She wound up with a beautiful typewriter from the late 1930s.  I’m kinda jealous.  (OK… I’m TOTALLY JEALOUS, but jealousy is just so… so… uncouth.)

But what does a manual typewriter have to do with living an acoustic life?

Bear with me.  I’m getting there…

Afterwards, a group of us were talking about how much we love the “old school” ways of doing things.

I started thinking about how much I love “unplugging” in my world.  I love the idea of talking to someone face-to-face instead of relying on email to connect us.  I love the idea of writing things by hand instead of relying on a computer screen.  (Note:  The notes for every blog post are written by hand on loose leaf notebook paper.)

I love playing an acoustic ʻukulele instead of an electric guitar.

There’s something really romantic in the idea of unplugging.  Of living more “acoustically.”

But the truth is… we’re totally a PLUGGED-IN society.

At least I am.

I wake up to a digital alarm clock.  I use electric lights instead of lighting my way with candles and oil lamps.  I brew my coffee in an electric coffee maker instead of heating water over an open flame.  All of that “techno-stuff” in just the first five minutes of my day!

I depend on technology for so many things!

I wouldn’t be able write this blog every day without technology!

But there are times when we need to UNplug.  Right?

Put the hand to the pen to the page instead of the fingers to the keyboard?

Grow something green instead of relying on the supermarket?

Is it possible to UNPLUG more and more?

I can’t get enough of traditional/”classic” Hawaiian music.  And most of that would DEFINITELY count as “unplugged” or acoustic music.

I LOVE playing at a backyard kanikapila (Hawaiian-style jam session) with a circle of musicians.  Everyone sharing a song.  Everyone making music together.  The intimacy of  gathering like that just can’t be beat.  But here’s the funny thing: when I play for large groups at a venue, I love to use my ʻukulele that is able to be plugged in to an amp.  And I love to use a microphone in those situations–less “wear and tear” on the vocal cords.

Ah!  So many contradictions!

What is about the acoustic things that I love?

Am I acoustic-centric in my heart and techno-centric in my actions?

I don’t have the answers.  I’m just exploring this.  (Ok–I’m obsessing about it.  The thoughts are just going around and around and around.)

What are YOUR thoughts on living a more “acoustic” life?

Rainbow Falls (Hilo, HI)

I love this picture of Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.  It was taken when I visited Hawaiʻi Island (aka The Big Island) in January of 2009.

I did a little bit of research about the place because it was so captivating.  Located along the Wailuku River, it is a favorite spot for folks to take photos.  According to Hawaiian tradition, it is said that the cave below the falls was the home of goddess Hina, mother of the demigod Māui.  Its Hawiian name, Waiānuenue, is made from two Hawaiian words:  Wai (water) and Ānuenue (rainbow).

I loved it there!  The air was so clean.  It felt like it was sparkling.

I remember getting out of the car and taking a HUGE breath. Instantly rejuvenating!

(And if you look closely at the foot of the falls, you can see the start of a shimmering rainbow.)

**Crooner Factoid:  I’m not really a beach person, but I can’t get enough of Hawaiʻi’s waterfalls.  I could sit and stare for hours.

The kids are learning about the wonders of the 4-strings!

I’ve been working with some kids at a day camp this summer.

We’ve been exploring the ʻukulele and making music together.  I’ve been fortunate to act as their “teacher”–although I think we’re all learning a lot as we go along.

Watching them learn to put their fingers on the strings reminds me of the first time I did it.  I remember saying out loud, “I’ll never be able to do this.”  The strings hurt my fingers.  I was frustrated.  But something made me push on… (Thank goodness!)

Their eyes POP when they see ʻukuleles!  They ask “Are those mini-guitars?”

I have everyone make the shaka sign and then repeat after me:

“I promise to treat this ‘ukulele with respect.  I understand this is a REAL instrument.  Not a toy.  I will not lay it down in the dirt.  I will not play it with sticks or rocks.  I will only use my fingers.  I will treat it like a precious little baby.”

(A necessary oath considering weʻre playing music outdoors!  Who knew so many of ‘em would think that rocks would make great ʻukulele picks?)

At the start of every session, we review the parts of the ‘ukulele.  We sing “My Dog Has Fleas” to make sure the instruments are in tune.

These kids are MUCH QUICKER than I was when it comes to learning chords!  Does playing video games make someone more dextrous?  Is that why they are so good at it?  Or is it because they’re younger than I was when I started?  Maybe they’re just quick studies? (Or is it because I’m simply lame when it comes to “things with strings?!”)

They are blowing my mind as I watch them master simple chord progressions.   And it thrills me to know that once they learn a few basics, the whole world of making music–ON THEIR OWN–will open up to them.

Some of the younger campers struggle with chord shapes.  So… we work on strumming patterns.  And we sing familiar songs.  Rhythm.  Coordination.  There will be a time for them to learn chords.  But right now they’re excited to be making happy noise!

It’s a privilege to be a part of the process.

And they’re teaching me as we go along.  They ask great questions.  I find myself stopping and thinking about how to explain things–and every time I do that, it makes ME a better player.  And better at communicating.

The very best part of all is watching them smile and sing and strum.

And it makes me fall in love with this “simple” instrument all over again.

Feeling lucky.

Some days are better than others.  There’s no denying that.

I was sitting at the computer this morning, thinking about what it was that I would write about on the blog today.  It had been a long weekend.   There were some rough moments as I learned about someone close to me who’s facing a serious health crisis.  But there were also some great moments–some laughs with good friends, some strumming.

I was looking at the weekend as rich material to write about.  A steaming mug of coffee was at my side and I was ready to begin.

And then–BLAM!–the world shook again.  The phone rang.  More bad news.

I don’t know why things seem to come in waves.

It honestly felt like the world was crumbling under my feet.  My head was spinning.  I couldn’t breathe.  And before I knew it, I was having a full-blown anxiety attack.  (Do any of you guys suffer from these?  Holy wow…  It’s like being broadsided by a truck!)

And then I had a thought that broke through the chaos in my head:  Pick up your ʻukulele.

Sounds crazy, right?

But I’ve been writing about how Hawaiian music heals.  I’ve been telling you all about the magic of 4 simple strings.

So it was time to practice what I’ve been preaching…

I went over and picked up my ʻukulele.

I wanted to lay under the bed and instead I was standing in my living room holding an ʻukulele.  I must have looked like a mannequin.  Frozen. My head was spinning.  My chest hurt.  I had no idea what to play.  I couldn’t think of a song–ANY SONG–at that point.

“Come on, dude.  It’s time to strum.”

My hands instinctively went to the “Hawaiian turnaround”–a chord progression that’s used to begin so many Hawaiian songs.  One time through the progression.  And again.  And again.  And sure enough, the music started.  Slowly.  Painfully.  But strumming those 4 simple strings was cutting through the fog in my head.

I played a Hapa-Haole tune first–the English language lyrics were a good anchor.  (I was having trouble breathing.  Remembering Hawaiian lyrics wasn’t really an option a that moment.)   And then that song segued into another.

And another.

And another.

And 20 minutes later, I had realized that my chest wasn’t as tight as it had been.  I was breathing a bit easier.  And the fog had lifted in my head–I was even singing in Hawaiian, again.

Look, I’m not here to tell you that an ʻukulele can cure all of your ills.  That would be crazy.

But I know that I there’s SOMETHING in those 4 simple strings.

Something that always manages to reach inside me and calm me down.  Most of the time, it even brings a smile to my face.

When I was younger, I was always looking for something that made me smile.  Something that made me feel better.  I tried all sorts of things–some of ‘em were healthy and some of ‘em were, well, let’s call ‘em “less-than-healthy.”

But nothing made me feel like I do when I strum that little ʻukulele.

I wanted you guys to know that I REALLY DO practice what I preach.

When the world feels like it’s falling down around me, I strum.

What do YOU do when you’re faced with a crisis?  I’d love to hear what you have to say.

On Friday night, I sat next to Aunty Maile Yamanaka as she deftly moved her hands and wove strips of lauhala into a beautiful pattern–covering a ceramic tile in a matter of minutes and making a wonderful trivet/hot plate.  ”I learned how to do this when I was in the fourth grade,” she beamed.

I looked around at the other students in the Hawaiian Crafting class.  No one else appeared to be distressed.  My stomach was in knots.

Why?

Because I can still hear echoes of an art teacher that I had when I was younger.  The class been carving squares of linoleum for several days to use to make block prints.  I was sitting next to the girl of my dreams–thrilled to be able to be close to her throughout the days that we worked on carving.

The teacher came over to look at our progress.  He told the girl that hers looked great and gave her the “green light” to start printing.

But when he looked at my block, he clucked his tongue disapprovingly and said something like ” I see what you’re trying to do here.  And… well… maybe you’re just not very good with your hands.”

I was crushed.

Devastated to hear someone tell me my work wasn’t good.  And humiliated in front of the girl of my young dreams.

It’s sad that someone would do something like that–and it was especially damaging for a teacher to say that to a student.  Perhaps he wasn’t aware that his words would have such a lasting effect on me.  But that day–and the hurt–still echoes in my mind.

Cut back to last week:

Aunty Maile had finished her demonstration.  The group of students moved to assemble their supplies.  And I could hear the art teacher in my ears–as clearly as if he were standing there beside me.  ”Maybe you’re just not very good with your hands.”

Aunty Maile showed how to do three other Hawaiian crafts that night.  I was reluctant to do any of them.

“I’ll just watch, Aunty,” I said to her.

“Ok, ” she replied.  ”But I KNOW you can do it.”

And when I looked at her face, I think could see she believed what she was saying.  She really DID think I could do it.

I’m blessed with the opportunity to work with young people.

I have the chance to share my stories of Hawaiʻi and to teach the simple joys of strumming an ʻukulele.

However, I am acutely aware that it is a serious responsibility–not one to be taken lightly.

Yes, I’m able to strum.  But for some kids, strumming represents a challenge.

Does that make them “not very good with their hands?  NO WAY!
Does it mean that they will become an expert strummer?  Not necessarily…
Does it give them an opportunity to TRY something new?  YUP!

And it means that we have an opportunity to work on it.  Together.

I wish I could tell you that I got over my fears and jumped in and made a lovely lauhala trivet/hot plate.  I didn’t.

But I learned a lot just watching Aunty Maile do her thing.

I don’t have to be an expert lauhala weaver.  That’s ok.  I can be an admirer of those that are able to do that.

And isn’t that what it’s all about anyway?  Each of us doing whatever it is we do–and admiring the skills of others.

Have you ever had an teacher “tear you down” instead of “build you up?”  How did YOU handle it?

Fourth of July Celebrations are so varied!

For some, it’s a BBQ out in the backyard or the park.

For others, it’s about hitting the rivers and lakes–or even better–the BEACH!

A lot of us in the Hawaiian community here in NYC spent the day hanging out at Mariko Gordon’s house with revered Hawaiian teacher, Maile Yamanaka.

Aunty Maile had been here for a week, offering workshops to hula and Hawaiiana students.  I’m sure I’ll have more stories to share about the week in upcoming posts.

But my FAVORITE part of the whole week happened yesterday morning–before the day of sessions had begun.  Before most of the folks started showing up.  Before we all were even FULLY AWAKE!

Aunty Maile’s first class of the day–Hawaiian crafts (lau hala weaving)–was supposed to start at noon.  And because I like to get to places a little early, I arrived around 10:30 A.M. with my coffee in hand.  I wasn’t sure what I would be getting myself into by arriving that early.  Thankfully, the folks in the house had been up for a while.  So at least I wasn’t rousing anyone from their sleep!

It turned out I’d arrived at the perfect time.  The kitchen was ALIVE with activity because breakfast was in the process of being prepared. Eggs were being scrambled and Portuguese sausage was frying away on the stove. (Ok… it was really Andouille sausage, but close enough!) Rice was heating in the rice cooker.  Some of Sarah’s stellar bread was toasting.  Delicious Molokai coffee was brewing.

IT WAS HEAVEN!

Like a scene in Hollywood movie, everything seemed to finish cooking at the same time.  The folks who had been upstairs made their way down to the kitchen.  We made a circle and joined hands.  Prayers were said in Hawaiian and Tibetan.

And then it was time to DIG IN!

We managed to grab seats—without anyone being hurt!—around Mariko’s giant table.  And it was soon piled high with plates of ʻono-licious food and steaming mugs of coffee.  The walls echoed the sounds of laughter and lively conversation like folks asking each other “Have you tried THIS yet?  It’s so gooooood!” (And OF COURSE we had some sweet Hawaiian music playing in the background!  What meal would be complete without that?!)

I sat next to Aunty Maile and we challenged each other to see who’d added the most Sriracha Chili Sauce to their eggs and rice.  (She won.)

After we’d eaten, we all got up to clear the plates from the table and prepare the supplies as the first of the non-breakfast crowd showed up to learn the art of weaving lauhala.  Again, it was like a Hollywood movie—timed perfectly.

Now… I’m not a breakfast person, usually.

At least not in an “I need to have breakfast so that I can start my day” kind of way.  I have a tendency to be very nervous.  And eating something so early in the day—on a nervous stomach—can have disastrous results.  (I learned that the hard way when I was in elementary school and would get sick in the bushes near the bus stop!)

But…

Breakfast is one of those communal moments that can be so much fun!  The dishes tend to be a lot simpler than those prepared for a dinner party.  And… there seems to be a great feeling of camaraderie around a breakfast table.  Maybe because it’s so early in the day and folks aren’t quite as “guarded” yet.  I enjoy a breakfast party more than a dinner party, for sure!

The day was full of great moments.  We laughed a lot.  We learned a lot. But the impromptu breakfast “party” made this Fourth of July REALLY special.

What did you guys do to celebrate??  I’d love to hear from YOU!

When I woke up this morning, I looked at the clock and then pulled the pillow back over my eyes.  Morning?  Already?!  Auē!

And even now, hours later, I’m sitting at my computer and I’m still completely EXHAUSTED.  It’s been a busy week.  I haven’t had much sleep.  My voice is scratchy.  And my eyes are heavy.

But tonight I’ll be strumming and singing for some lovely dancers.

And I’m really excited about it.

There were years that I performed other kinds of music.  And there were some great times, for sure.

But…

If I was gearing up for a performance–and if I felt like I do today–I would have told you that there was no way I’d be able to muster up the strength to sing tonight.  Performing always seemed to give me an adrenaline rush and then leave me depleted when it was over.  And being that I have so little energy to start with–well–I just don’t think I could have done it.

But with Hawaiian music, it’s different.

In my mind, it’s like a well.  You know… one of those old-fashioned “wishing wells.” The kind with the little peaked roof.

I show up with an empty bucket (my tired body, mind and spirit) and after lowering it into the well, I bring up a bucket full of the coolest, cleanest water imaginable.

Hawaiian music does it for me.  It refreshes me.  Even when my energy is just plain “tapped.”

The equation works in reverse:  I give what I have and I get a lot more than I’d started with!

How do YOU refill the bucket when you’re reserves are running low?

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

**A lot of my friends are at the Aloha Music Camp this week on the beautiful island of Hawaiʻi.  They are on my mind–and I miss them so much! Here are some songs that are TRULY incredible–and they feature some of the master artistry of some of the teaching artists there this week.**

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1.  Hula O Makee (Keola Beamer’s recording on the album Island Born)

One can always tell a Keola Beamer song by his touch on the guitar.  And you can usually recognize it in the opening note of the song.  He’s a master in the truest sense of the word.  His guitar literally sparkles.  And this song, which features his vocals, allows the listener to hear the Beamer ʻohana’s signature musical experience…  There’s a reason this family is legendary!

It also features Uncle George Kahumoku, another musical genius, who lends his voice as harmony.  A fantastic duet in every way.

This traditional song is one of my favorites.  It’s something that Pops and I sing when it’s time for kanikapila–once work in the loʻi (taro patch) is finished for the day.  It tells the tale of a ship that gets stuck on a reef–and it’s rich with hidden meaning or kaona.

2.  All Pau Now (The Hula Honeys recording on the album Life Just Got Sweeter)

I had the pleasure of hearing this song sung live by the incredible Robyn Kneubuhl a few years ago.  And it’s one of those songs that sticks with you.  There have been MANY mornings that it echoes in my head when I wake up.

From what I was able to dig up in my research, it was written by Gordon Beecher in 1941–and it SINGS  like a true crooner staple.  The luscious harmonies of both of these talented women call to mind a different era–an era when dapper men and elegant ladies might have sipped cocktails and danced the night away on a beachfront terrace.

Robyn Kneubuhl and Ginger Johnson (along with their richly talented musical partners, Cliff Collins and Jeff  Costello) allow us, as listeners, to step back in time.  And that’s so gooooooooood!

**And special CONGRATS to The Hula Honeys on a recent win at the 2010 Nā Hoku Hanohano Awards for their album, Girl Talk!  Jazz album of the Year!  Uihā!

3.  Beautiful Hula Dancer (John Keawe’s recording on the album Beautiful Hula Dancer)

I’m so honored to know John Keawe and I’m a huge fan of his master guitar and vocal skills.  As a composer, he writes contemporary songs that are so very traditional!  It’s a treat to know that the rich tradition of Hawaiian composition is alive and well in gifted artists like him.

AND… this song is about the beautiful hula dancer in his life–his amazingly lovely wife, Hope.

Just listen to the lyrics.  You’ll know EXACTLY how he feels about her.  This song provides a peek into a loving relationship.  We should all be so lucky to have someone write a song like this for us!

What have YOU been listening to this week? Drop me a line and let me know!

Pops and I at Moʻoʻula Falls in Hālawa Valley (Molokai)

Today, I thought I’d share one of my favorite pictures in the world.

This is a photo of Pops and I in front of Moʻoʻula Falls in Hālawa Valley.  It was taken a while ago–back in the days when I still had long hair!

It was a great day.  The scenery was fantastic.  It was just one of those rare moments when a picture REALLY DID capture the feeling.

Nānā i ke kumu.  Look to the source.

I talked with Pops last night on the phone.

And, wow… I really needed that.

Life here in NYC can be crazy at times.

Who am I kidding–it’s crazy MOST of the time!  When I wake up in the morning, the city’s pulse is strong enough to have me outta bed, out on the sidewalk and caught up in the whole NYC momentum.  It’s easy for me to lose my focus.

And when I feel like that, I know I need to PLUG INTO THE SOURCE.

• I need to hear Pops’ voice.
• I need to stop speaking English and make an attempt to communicate in Hawaiian.
• I need to hear about life on Molokai.
• I need to hear about how things are going for everyone down in the Valley.
• I need to hear how the river and waterfalls are flowing.
• I need to hear about how the kalo (taro) is growing.
• And sometimes I need to be reminded of what the heck I’m supposed to be doing with my life!

It’s not like I need an answer to a specific question.  (Although sometimes I come prepared with a list of things I’m curious about.  I guess that all depends on how long it’s been since our last phone conversation…)

I just need to RECHARGE my personal battery.

I should also point out: there aren’t many days you can catch him on the phone anymore!  Now that they live in Hālawa Valley–with fewer trips to town–and that means NO TELEPHONE! Factor in the 6 hour time difference (at least at this time of year) and you can see how these times become more and more precious.

Last night, we talked.  We laughed.  My “city life” connected with my “island life.”

And for 20 minutes, I PLUGGED IN.

That ought to last me for a little while.

How do YOU plug in to YOUR source?  I’d love to hear from you!

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

What is the name of the treasured (and very prolific!) composer of the lovely ballad, MAILE LEI?

Hint:  The song was composed for the Kahauanu Lake Trio in 1963.

Interesting Fact:  I just read that it was originally titled LOVELY MAILE LEI.

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Crooner Update: You guys are great!  Mahalo for playing!  And I learned a valuable lesson with this week’s question:  I need to be VERY SPECIFIC about the question!

It seems there’s  more than one version of a song called MAILE LEI!  (I added the Hint and the Interesting Fact after the first two responses came in with different answers!)

So… There are 3 WINNERS this week: Eleanor and Deidre for their answers and KanoeMAILEokalani for getting the answer I was looking for:  Maddy Lam!  (Note:  Kanoemaileokalani was randomly chosen from all of the “correct responses” using www.random.org)

Congrats, gang!

Hope you all had an AWESOME Aloha Friday.

Have a great weekend.  See you on the blog on Monday!

A hui hou…

Jason

I woke up this morning with a phrase ringing inside my head:  Have Patience.  E Hoʻomanawanui.

I remember sitting with Pops in Hālawa Valley on Molokai.  I had been pestering him for a week to teach me how he braids the cords he wears around his neck.  They look so simple.  So elegant.  He uses raffia–and after they’ve been worn against the skin, they no longer look like plant fibers.  They look like shiny leather.

It should be easy enough to braid, right?  Of course!  But he uses a special “loop closure” that I’ve only ever seen him do.  A way to only use raffia–no need for other materials.

All week, he’d been telling me, “‘Ae. ‘Ae.  I know you want to learn.  Let’s do that later.”   But every time we pushed it off, I grew more and more worried that I’d be heading back to the mainland WITHOUT every learning how to do it.  When I knew I was heading back to Molokai to study for a week, I’d added ” Learn how to make Pops’ necklaces” to the top of my TO-DO list.   I had searched the internet for instructions, but I’d come up “empty” every time.

And FINALLY the time had come.  We were standing, side by side, under the awning by the house.  He’d found some twine for us to practice with.  He wrapped his twine loosely around a nail sticking out of a post.  I watched as his fingers expertly held and simultaneously twisted it.  And before I knew it, he had completed a long length of cording–complete with this signature “loop closure.”

“Ok.  Now you try, ” he said and I placed my twine upon the nail.  In just a few moments, I managed to botch the whole thing up, tying knots in the twine and making a mess.  I was frustrated and sweaty.

“Wait!  Wait!”  he said.  ”You’re going too fast.  And your hands are shaking!  Why are you so nervous?”

I explained that I wanted to learn how to do this.  (I didn’t tell him that I’d been mildly OBSESSED with the idea of learning how to di it!)  I HAD watched him.  Very carefully.  I wanted to move my hands the way he did it.  But I was clumsy.  I was “all thumbs.”  And my hands were shaking because I was nervous about screwing it up!

He laughed.  ”E hoʻomanawanui.  Have patience.  If you go quickly, you’ll end up making knots.  If you go quickly, you’ll end up making a mess.  Now take a deep breath and try again.  And GO SLOWLY!”

Of course, he was right.  As soon as I slowed down, I was able to hold and twist and in a few minutes, I had made one end of the loop closure and was making progress with the length of the cord.

“Stop,” he said.

I was shocked.  I was doing well!  Why should I stop?

He took the loop off of the nail and looked at it.  And then he gave me another piece of twine.  ”Start again.”

“But Pops,” I started, “I was doing well.  Look at the loop!”

“It’s OK, ” he said as he looked at my work more closely.  ”It’s a start.  But you need to practice.  Here’s more twine.  Do it again.  From the beginning.”

And even though I was frustrated, I did what I was told.  I’m sure he could tell I wasn’t happy.  After I’d gotten a short way in, he told me to stop, again.

And–again–he handed me a fresh piece of twine.

“E hoʻomanawanui.” This time he laughed.  ”Have patience.”

Was this a lesson in braiding? Maybe.

Was this a lesson in learning how to follow directions? Probably.

Was this a lesson in learning how to slow down and have a little bit of patience (and a little bit of fun,too) Absolutely.

I think about it all the time.  I see what I want to do.  I make all sorts of plans.  I want to jump up and “go get ‘em!”

But…

I know that I need to take things slowly.  One step at a time.

Remembering to breathe as I work.

And remembering to laugh.

E hoʻomanawanui.

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1.  Iā ʻOe E Ka Lā E ʻĀlohi Nei (Holunape’s recording on the album He ʻOlu)

A brilliant song that describes the voyages of King David Kalākaua and his voyages.  Holunape’s recording opens with sounds that call to mind the opening of so many of Aunty Genoa’s hula recordings… I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking: This as a GOOD SIGN!

And, as usual, the guys in Holunape never fail to delight with their amazing delivery.  The arrangement, done in a perfect hula tempo, includes verses sung in leo kiʻekiʻe–Hawaiian falsetto–and that makes it a standout.

Every song I’ve ever heard Holunape do is fantastic.  I feel lucky to have both of their albums–they’re always a favorite!

2. Lei Mānoa (Hapa’s recording on the album Māui)

Do you guys have a song that makes you get teary-eyed–every time you hear it??  Well, this song has that effect me.  I can’t get enough of it.  (Which means I look like a cry baby all the time!  Ha!)

Written by Barry Flanagan and sung by Nathan Aweau, this song showcases the team’s musical talents beautifully.    The melody is haunting.  And Nathan’s voice…  AUĒ!

I DARE YOU to listen to it without getting choked up.  Even if you don’t understand the lyrics–written in both Hawaiian and Tahitian–you’ll get it.  I promise.  Yup.  It’s THAT good.

3.  No Tūtū (Kawai Cockett’s recording on the album Hula!  Hula!  Hula!)

This song, written by Aunty Alice K. Namakelua, is a gem.  I’ve read that she wrote it for young children–a song about stringing a lei for one’s grandmother.  But… hearing a gentleman’s voice sing of the love of his grandmother…it’s really, really great.

Tender.  Simple.  Honest.  Perfect.

And it makes me want to string a lei for MY grandmother.

What have YOU been listening to this week? Drop me a line and let me know!

Ever have one of “those mornings?”

Well, today was one of those days.  And there wasn’t even a good reason to feel that way.  (Other than the fact that I’m just plain tired!)

The alarm went off.  I hit “snooze.”  The alarm went off again.  I hit “snooze” again.   A vicious cycle.

Finally, I got out of bed.

I had what I thought was a brilliant idea:  Instead of brewing a pot of coffee like I usually do in the morning, I would GO AND GET A CUP OF COFFEE from a nearby deli.

That would wake me up, right?

Wrong.

I got my coffee and staggered back home.  I sat on the couch and became comatose all over again.

And then I looked over and saw my ‘ukulele… my trusty friend… (who, in all honesty, didn’t look all that appealing to me at that moment.  I really wanted to be looking at my pillow–or the backs of my eyelids!)

And I knew what I had to do:  I picked it up and started strumming.

Just a simple chord progression.  Strumming familiar tunes and humming along.  My reluctant fingers felt like claws.  My voice was rough and scratchy like I’d been gargling with broken glass.  It wasn’t pretty.

But you know what happened?

The claws softened.  My fingers began to “dance”–still somewhat clumsily–on the strings.  My voice softened.  The notes started to come out more smoothly.

And before I knew it, I was “up and at ‘em”–strumming and singing.  I started with familiar tunes–standards in my repertoire.  And then I started thumbing through my notebook, looking at the song titles I’d written down on a page marked “I NEED TO LEARN THESE SONGS!”

And I was digging through books.

And looking up vocabulary in the dictionary.

And figuring out chord progressions.

And before I knew it, an hour and a half had passed.  And I was awake and alert.

And the music was flowing again.

Because it’s a practice.   And a practice means you “keep at it”–even when you don’t wanna…

(And by the way, I ended up throwing away my coffee from the deli.  It had gotten COLD while I was jamming!)

I’d love to read about how YOU “keep at it”–even when you don’t wanna.  Drop me a line!

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

What is the name of the iconic character played Jack Lord on the long-running television show, Hawaii Five-O?

**Fun TAHC Factoid:  The theme song to Hawaii Five-O is the ringtone on my phone!

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Crooner Update:  The answer to this week’s question is DETECTIVE STEVE MCGARRETT!  You guys are GOOD!!!

And this week’s winner (chosen randomly by the methodology at www.random.org) is… (Drum roll, please…) BOO!  Conrgrats, Boo!!

I’m so glad you guys played this week!  And I hope you’ll play again next week, too…

Happy Aloha Friday, gang.  Have a great weekend!

See you on Monday…

Jason

Taro plants in the loʻi (Hālawa Valley, Molokai)

The mud in the loʻi (taro patch) sucks at my hands as I try to pull the weeds out by their roots.  We’ve been working since late morning and now the sun is warming up.  The cool has been replaced by the early afternoon heat.

I’ve been in my own little world for most of the day.  It’s so peaceful to be standing, ankle-deep, in the cool lepo pōpolo, the dark mud.  There has been a gentle breeze–which seems to come at just the right moment to dry some of the beads of sweat that have gathered on my brow.  I’m wearing a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and  a baseball cap to protect my face from the sun.  Pops, working another loʻi nearby, is wearing only a lava lava–a piece of fabric wrapped around his waist.  My clothes identify me right away as an outsider.  A malihini.  But I haven’t learned how to wrap the fabric without fear that it will come untied and fall off.  At least not yet.  And even though we are the only people for at least a mile in any direction, modesty wins.

I’m in charge of weeding the loʻi, a rectangular plot of flooded land that’s filled with heart-shaped leaves on green stalks that come up to my knees.  I’ve been bent over for hours with my hands in the  thick and oozing mud.  It’s not glamourous work, but it’s honest work.  And it’s important:  if we don’t remove all the weeds, the taro plants will choke and they won’t mature.

Pops is working at harvesting the kalo (taro) that are mature enough to eat.  We are planning to prepare some dinner tonight.  Some will be cut into chunks for “table kalo”–much like an a traditional potato.  And some will be pounded into poi.  A Hawaiian staple–and a delicacy to my mainland stomach.

Every once in a while, I look over at him.  I watch his movements.  Not because I’m checking on him to make sure he’s okay.  It’s more like I’m studying him.  He grew up right here in Hālawa Valley.  He knows these loʻi like the back of his hand.  I watch his movements.  I watch to see when he bends down to feel the corms beneath the mud.  I watch as he rearranges the rocks to control how the water flows through the loʻi–building up and tearing down the little dams as he goes.  He’s at home when he’s literally immersed in the land.  There’s no separation between the man and the ‘āina, the earth.

Suddenly I see him look up at the sky.  I check to see what he’s looking at.  Did a bird fly by?  Is a storm approaching?  But nothing.  The sky is clear blue with only a few puffy white clouds.

Without missing a beat, he turns to me and says, “Iakona, we are pau (finished) here.  Let’s go up to the house.”

“But Pops,” I say, “I’ve still got more to do.”  I gesture to a portion of the loʻi that I’ve been working in that’s still full of wild green weeds.

“We’re finished for now.  The sun will be too hot soon.  We’ll take a break and then come back when it’s cooler.  Later in the afternoon”  He’s already picked up his hand tools and moving quickly up the hill and over the ʻauwai, the freshwater stream that supplies the loʻi with water from the river.  ”Hele mai.”  ”Come here.”

And before I know it, he’s disappeared from sight, already hidden by the awning over the lānai.

I make my way back up to the house and kick my slippers off at the steps.  As soon as I reach the lānai, Mom Solatorio comes out of the house with food for lunch.  ”I made this for you guys.  It’s time to eat.”

How amazingly they both move, perfectly synchronized.  They both know the time of day by natural signs.  I don’t think either of them wears a watch when they’re down in the Valley.  But there’s not really a need to wear one.  Time is different here.  It’s not determined by numbers on watch.  It’s a rhythm.

“But Pops,” I say as I eat my rice, “I was almost finished.  Just a little while longer and I could have had that whole loʻi clean and free of weeds.”

“Yes.  But Iakona, there is a time for everything, ” he tells me.  ”We take a break when the sun is at its hottest.  It will be cooler later.  This way we’ll be able to work better.  And YOU won’t burn to a crisp.”  And he laughs.

And, of course, my teacher is right.  There is a time for everything.

And I have so much to learn.

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1.  ’Ekolu Mea Nui (Keoki Kahumoku’s recording on the album Rise & Shine)

Pops is always telling me that this song is the key to understanding the Hawaiian concept/practice of hoʻoponopono–the practice of bringing a sense of “balance” to a situation.

Written by Robert K. Nāwāhine, the song reminds the listener that there three important things in this world–and the most important is LOVE.  It’s based on a passage from the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13:13.

I love Keoki’s delivery of it.  It’s simple.  It’s pure.  It’s gentile.  It expresses the lyrics so well.  I can only imagine it’s how Mr. Nāwāhine intended for it to be sung.

2. Lei Ana Molokaʻi (Teresa Bright’s recording on the album Lei Ana)

This song, written by Kawaikapu Hewett, makes me happy.  Perhaps it’s the songs gentle rhythm… like riding on the back of a Molokai mule.  I love the sounds of the ʻili ʻili (lava rocks often used as hula implements).  It really FEELS like a Molokai song.

And the combination of Teresa Bright’s voice–in its jazzy smoothness–coupled with Kawaikapu Hewett’s lyrics are ALWAYS a perfect combination.

3. Sleepy Lagoon (Alfred Aholo Apakaʻs recording on the album Best of Alfred Apaka Vol. 2)

You guys have probably noticed that I LOVE the songs that were recorded by the unbelievable Alfred Aholo Apaka.  And this English language song is one of his finest.  It just “oozes” all of the lushness of the crooner trademarks.  The lyrics and the melody–both rich in their own right–are a wonderful playground for the master crooner to create magic.

And… because the song’s lyrics are in English, I’m sure it was easy to have this one play on the radio.  It could only have HELPED to introduce his voice and vocal stylings to a broad audience.  An audience that went beyond the islands’ boarders.  An audience that spanned the globe.

**Note:  The song also appears on his album Hawaiian Favorites.

What have YOU been listening to this week? Drop me a line and let me know!

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

Who composed the hauntingly beautiful 1930ʻs ballad, MY HAWAIIAN SOUVENIRS?

Hint:  It’s been recorded by many Hawaiian music legends like Gary Aiko, Genoa Keawe, Elodia Kane and George Naʻope.

Hint:  Itʻs a classic crooner song.

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Crooner Update:  The answer is JOHNNY NOBLE.

And this week’s winner is… (Drum roll, please…) BETH COMES! Right on!  Congrats to you, BETH!!

And mahalo to you guys for playing!  I hope you’ll play again next week.

Happy Aloha Friday.  Have a great weekend!

See you on Monday…

A hui hou…

Jason

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1.  Waikīkī (Andy Cummings’ recording on the album The Wandering Troubadours)

Wanna hear someone REALLY croon?  Like the kind that’ll make you SWOON?  This is the song.  It’s not often that we have songwriters who are also great singers.  (Folks like Kealiʻi Reichel don’t come along every day, you know!)  But, as Pops is always saying to me:  Nānā i ke kumu.  Look to the source.  And with Andy Cummings, you don’t need to look any further!  Yes… there are a lot of other great recordings of it.  But nobody does it like him!  He wrote it–and he can deliver it best.

I’ve read is that he composed this tender ballad when he was touring the mainland in 1938 and felt homesick for his beloved Waikīkī.  The song is filled with all of the nuances that define that era.  Beautiful lyrics.  A melody that tugs at the heartstrings.  And vocal flourishes that are the mark of the a master crooner.  It’s a song that never grows old.

2.  Wai Ānuenue (Bill Kaiwaʻs recording on the album This is Bill Kaiwa)

Ok… I’m not usually a fan of a waltz.  That 3/4 time can feel so rigid to me!  But there are some beautiful Hawaiian waltzes–and this one is one of my favorites.  Bill Kaiwa, a staple of the radio show Hawaʻii Calls, delivers this with his signature sound.  He’s gentle and sensitive while still sounding like a rugged Hawaiian cowboy.

If I close my eyes while I’m listening to it, I can picture myself sitting by the radio on Molokai, hearing it come across the airwaves while a cool breeze rustles the lau niu (the leaves of the coconut tree) outside the window.   I keep Bill Kaiwa’s recordings in constant rotation on my iPod.  I study his style… a perfect mix of masculinity and sensitivity.

4.  Seabird (Olomana’s recording on the album Like a Seabird in the Wind)

I think it must be the change in the weather here in NYC that makes me crave “beach music.”  You know–the kind that makes you want to lay on a towel in the sand and bake in the sun? (Yes…even super-fair-skinned folks like me dream about sunbathing!)  And this song is one of those that makes me feel like I’m laying on the sands up at the North Shore on Oʻahu.  Watching the killer waves and surfers.  Ah….

Jerry Santos wrote this great piece that has a true 1970s vibe–complete with ocean and sea gull sound effects!  Come on!  That’s too cool!  It’ll take you back to simpler time.  Itʻll help you to relax without any nasty side effects.  Now where did I put my suntan oil?

What have YOU been listening to this week? Drop me a line and let me know!

Kumu Hula June Tanoue and Jason dancing HŌPOE (Photo by Alex Yu)

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to hula.  In public.  Yikes!

Now for those of you who know me, you know that I’m always quick to say “I think my dancing days are behind me.”  And a public performance of a hula isn’t an every day occurrence for me.  But sometimes you’ve got to just SHOW UP AND SAY “YES!“ Right?

Kumu Hula June Tanoue wanted to me to join her at a hula demonstration that her her hālau was giving in Chicago  But this number would be just the two of us.  Dancing a piece called HŌPOE.

I learned the hula when she’d taught it to her hula school, Hālau i Ka Pono, in December.

The hula was to be performed when the hālau made its way to Hawaiʻi in the spring.  This particular piece holds special meaning for Kumu June as it was both composed and choreographed by HER teacher, Kumu Hula Michael Pili Pang, for the dancers of his hālau, Hālau Hula Ka Noʻeau, in Waimea, Hawaiʻi.  It is about Hiʻiaka (the sister of the fiery goddess, Pele) who’s searching for her beloved friend, Hōpoe.  (Note: In the Pele stories, Hōpoe was destroyed by Pele’s wrath with a lava flow.)

The hula is called a hula noho or seated hula.  The dance is performed while kneeling–sitting on the heels.  Sounds like it would be easier than a hula that’s danced on the feet, right?

It isn’t.

There is an element of control that one must have when doing a hula noho.  An element of restraint.  I think it’s difficult to be so expressive using only the hands and face.  I guess I prefer the more “kolohe-style” or “rascally” hulas that allow me to be silly.  What can I say–I’m a clown!

I’d had the opportunity to perform the hula in April when her hālau was on Hawaiʻi Island.  And whenever we danced it, we were given truly heart-felt applause by both Hawaiians and tourists alike.  It’s a subtle and beautiful piece.  It often moved people to tears.

So you’d think I’d be comfortable performing it by now, right?

Wrong!

When it came time for us to dance, my heartbeat quickened.  My breath became more shallow.  I could feel little beads of sweat form on my brow.  I wanted to run.  Or be anywhere other than right there… in that moment… about to dance…  Then I remembered:

IT’S NOT ABOUT ME.

It had nothing to do with me.  It had nothing to do with my sometimes-fragile-artist ego.  I was the vehicle for the message.  I was the messenger.

Yes… I had to know the choreography.

Yes… I had to know the chant.

Yes… I had to SHOW UP AND SAY “YES.”

But…

The most important thing was that we were sharing Kumu Michael’s song.  We were sharing his dance.  We were sharing his interpretation of this part of the Pele stories.  We were breathing life into his words and movements.  We weren’t June and Jason.

We were storytellers.

Did I “nail it” as a performance?  Well, I gave it my best shot.

Was it perfect?  Nope.

Was it from the heart? Yup.

And that’s what it was all about.

Sometimes SHOWING UP AND SAYING “YES” means forgetting about the “self” and honoring the message.

Gotta love it, right?

This past weekend, I was in Chicago–strumming and singing for my buddy, Kumu Hula June Tanoue and her hula school, Hālau i Ka Pono.

I’ll be blogging about that later this week once I get a few pictures ready!  (Gotta have pictures, right?!)

Today, I was on a flight heading back to New York City.

Now I don’t know how many of you travel to and from Chicago.  Or how many of you even travel THROUGH Chicago.   But if you do, you know that the weather can be unpredictable.  I’m usually delayed–both arriving and leaving the city.

And that’s TOTALLY ok with me!

I’ve grown to really enjoy the Chicago area airports!  There is always some good food to be found at one of their eateries.  I can usually find a place to sit down while I wait.  I love to watch all of the people…

But I digress…

Of course, my departing flight was delayed today–although it was because of weather here in NYC and NOT CHICAGO’S FAULT!!

And… it was a smaller “commuter plane” which means SUPER cramped quarters–and that can be a problem when I travel with my tenor ‘ukulele!

Yes… I know it’s not a BIG instrument.

Yes… I know folks have a much harder time traveling with things like cellos, tubas–even guitars!  (Can people travel with harps?  Iʻll be THAT would be rough.  Iʻll have to ask my pal, Sarah.)

But my ‘ukulele is–well–it’s my BABY!

And the thought of gate checking it makes me sick to my stomach.  It’s a Kamaka tenor 6-string.  And it’s signed by Aunty Genoa Keawe. I keep it in the most compact hard case I can find.  But it can still pose a bit of a problem when trying to fit it into an overhead compartment on airplane as wide as a No. 2 pencil.

Thankfully, the flight attendant at the front of the plane was VERY ACCOMMODATING and allowed me to stash it with the coats in the tiny closet in the tiny first-class cabin.  (Yup.  My ‘ukulele flew first class and I flew in coach.  Ain’t that always the way?!)

BUT WAIT!  It get’s even better!

So after I took my seat back in steerage class, the most lovely sound came over the airplane’s PA system.  Hidden in the back of the plane, a flight attendant that made the pre-flight speech.  And it sounded like she was from Hawaii!  Her vowels and the musicality of her speech were the things that gave her away.  I was so happy to hear it!  I must have looked like a crazy man because I was craning my neck around to try to see where the voice was coming from.

When she made her way through the plane, I looked up and said “Hui!  Are you from Hawaii?”

She said she was and asked me how I knew.

I told her it was pretty clear from the way she spoke–and she got red in the face.

“Oh no!  Was I speaking Pidgin?”

I laughed.

I told her that as much as I would have LOVED to hear the speech done in Pidgin, it was just her vowels that gave her away.

It was great to be able to talk-story with someone from the islands on a flight from Chicago To New York City!

What are the chances, right?

And once weʻd met, she seemed to love to play with our island connection.  Every time she made an announcement on the PA system, she’d add either an “Aloha” or a “Mahalo” to her speech–and sometimes BOTH! It made the flight so much fun.  And it was great to feel the sense of family that happens–often instantaneously–when folks from the islands meet.  Even though I’m only Hawaiian in my heart, E ʻohana mākou.  We are all family.

We exchanged information and I told her that I would connect her with the Hawaiian ohana in the Chicago area.  I know she must be missing the Hawaiian vibe being so far away from home.

The BEST part of all?

I had some Portuguese sweet bread in my bag that Aunty Cissy baked for me while I was in Chicago.  (Maybe the MOST FANTASTIC sweet bread I’ve ever tasted!  I think I need to interview HER for the blog!  Stay tuned…)  And I know that the taste of that magical bread would instantly remind my new flight attendant friend of her home.  It was so cool to be able to give it to her–her smile lit up the whole airplane.

It’s pretty cool to be flying through the skies–far from the islands, themselves–and still be able to share that Aloha spirit.

Right On!

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

What is the name of the bakery (located  at 933 Kapahulu Avenue in Holonlulu, Hawaiʻi) that is known for their WORLD FAMOUS MALASADAS?.

Hint:  It’s named after the bakery’s founder.

What’s a malasada?  Click HERE.

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Crooner Update:  You guys sure know your malasadas!  Right on!

The answer to the question this week is LEONARD’S BAKERY!  But so good to know about the other places like Tex’s and the Punalu’u Bakery!  Mahalo for the tips!  I’m going to have to check ‘em out FOR SURE the next time I’m on Hawai’i Island.

And this week’s winner (using www.random.org) is… (Drum roll, please…) CAROL BROWN!

Hope you guys had a great Aloha Friday!  And I hope you’ll all take the ALOHA FRIDAY TRIVIA CHALLENGE again next week!

See you on Monday!

A hui hou…

Jason

Meeting with Hawai‘i Congresswoman, Mazie K. HIrono in NYC!

It’s not everyday that a member of the U.S. Congress visits New York City.

Ok… well, maybe that’s not that unusual.

But it’s definitely not everyday that the U.S. Representative is from Hawaiʻi!

On Monday night, I had the pleasure of meeting Representative Mazie K. Hirono while she visited New York City.

Quick Trivia: How many Congressional Districts does that state of Hawaii have?

Answer: Two

She represents the 2^nd Hawaiian District which includes part of Oʻahu and the seven Neighbor Islands as well as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (which have been a protected Marine National Monument since 2006).

An intimate gathering was held at a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan called Bann.  I’m still not entirely clear on all of the details as to how it happened.  But I can tell you that at some point, it was discussed that I come to STRUM AND SING! Two of my favorite things in the world!

Because the Congresswoman was literally only in town for a few short hours, her time was limited.  However, I still had the great fortune of being able to talk with her for a while.

Being that I’m not from the islands (coupled with the fact that I’m a bit behind with any state’s current political scene), I was afraid we wouldn’t have a lot to talk about.

But I had forgotten a fundamental truth—it’s NEVER hard to talk to someone who’s lived in the islands!  Talking-story is a way of life!  Hawaiian-style.  Walaʻau.

She told me about how she’d met some of my all-time favorite Hawaiian musicians.

We talked about the amazing Jake Shimabukuro and all of the wonderful work he’s doing to help share the Aloha spirit with the organization, Music Is Good Medicine.

She told me about some of her own Hawaiian music favorites.

A song she loves? Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s version of TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITLLE STAR.  (And I have to agree—that’s a totally killer version!)

And …  she seemed genuinely interested (and surprised!) by my story of how I came to be singing Hawaiian music.

Sometimes I forget how odd it must be to see a dude from Pittsburgh standing there in an Anne Namba Aloha shirt holding a Kamaka ʻukulele and singing in Hawaiian!

The thing that struck me most about her was her smile–I noticed that the minute I arrived at the restaurant.  And I was so thrilled to discover that not only can she talk about politics, she can also speak the universal language—music.

Singing, strumming and sharing the Aloha spirit.

Our political leaders need a dose of that too–especially when they’re 5,000 miles away from their island home!

And thankfully, I was blessed with the opportunity to do just that!

Super Bonus Trivia: How many Congressional Districts does the state of New York have?

Answer: 29

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1.  Ke Aloha (Aunty Genoa Keawe’s recording on the album Genoa Keawe Sings Luau Hulas)

This song, written by Lei Collins and Maddy Lam, is a classic love song.  And it’s been recorded by SO MANY great Hawaiian singers.  But this week, I’m in love with the version recorded by the one and only, Aunty Genoa Keawe.

A simple arrangement like this makes it feel like it is, indeed, being sung at a backyard lūʻau.  Intimate.  Her voice is something never ceases to amaze me.  And it ALWAYS brings a huge smile to my face.  (I keep a picture of the two of us on my writing desk.  She inspires me every day!)

2.  ʻUlupalakua (Hui ʻOhana’s recording on the album The Best of Hui ʻOhana)

If there was ever a song that ALWAYS makes me want to jump up and hula, it’s this one!  I learned several different versions to this classic paniolo (cowboy) song and when I hear it, I can’t sit still!

John Piilani Watkins gave the world a great gift with this song about the legendary ranch on the island of Maui.  It’s fun.  It’s masculine.  It’s sensitive.  It’s rugged.  It’s, perhaps, the greatest of the Hawaiian cowboy songs.  Certainly one my all-time favorites!  And Hui ʻOhana’s version begs the listener to hula…  How can you go wrong?  Right?

3.  Naturally (Kalapana’s recording on the album Kalapana)

Those of you who know me understand that I LOVE A GOOD 70s VIBE! And this song delivers.  For real!

From the opening “ding” of a chime and wind sound-effects to the incredibly LUSH chorus… Come on!  If you need a good 70s vibe to get you through the day, this song will never disappoint.  It’s been featured on several other albums, including a fantastic compilation of  ”drive-around-the-island-in-a VW-van tunes” called Island Classics.  (Ok… so I wasn’t anywhere NEAR driving age OR living in Hawaiʻi when these songs were popular, but I can dream, can’t I?)

What have YOU been listening to this week? Drop me a line and let me know!

Here’s a question for you…

Do you ever wake up in the morning and find that you have a song playing in your head—over and over and over–in a constant loop?

I know I can’t be the only one this happens to!

These “song loops” have always been a part of my world.

And it used to drive me crazy!  It was always a terrible song—one with really sappy lyrics or one of those songs with a hook that wouldn’t leave me alone.  NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED!

I can remember a time in high school when it was particularly troublesome.  It seemed like every time I started to get ready for school in the morning, I would “hear” a loop in my head of a jingle from a fast food restaurant advertising one of their special value meals.  Inevitably, I would start to sing along—further embedding the song in my brain…

And that wasn’t even the biggest problem!

The real trouble was that I had eaten the meal once—and it made me VIOLENTLY ill.

So there I was in my adolescent bedroom, stuck singing a jingle that wouldn’t leave me alone.  AND… the thought of the food I was singing about made me sick to my stomach!

AUĒ!

Thankfully, over the past few years my obsession with Hawaiian music has grown considerably.

And that means that MOST OF THE TIME, when I hear a “song loop” in my mind, it’s a Hawaiiian song!

And those songs make me happy.  Pure and simple.

I don’t have a problem with a “song loop” if it’s a song by The Kahauanu Lake Trio.  Or Alfred Aholo Apaka.  Or The Brothers Cazimero.  (Yes… I listen to folks other than these amazing Hawaiian crooners, but come on!  You know I love this stuff!)

Is it their voices?  I’m sure that’s a part of it!

But I think it’s also the SONG, itself.

I think there’s something incredibly HEALING that’s inherent in the music.

The other day, I woke up with a start of a headache—just barely there but I knew it had the potential to be devastating.

I got in the shower, hoping that the warm water would ease some of the tension and the pain.  As usual, I started humming–and then singing–a Hawaian song.

That song became the days “song loop.”

And that song made it possible for me to concentrate on something other than the headache.

And it went away.

The song that I’ve been “looping” lately has been KAIMANA HILA, a song about the places around Diamond Head and Waikīkī on the island of Oʻahu.  I think I’ve been “hearing” that song because we were working on it in a Hawaiian mele (song) class here in NYC.

Have I told you about that class yet? That’s a blog post, for sure!

Funny how “song loops” can either make you feel great—or make your stomach hurt!!

Do you guys experience the “song loop” phenomenon?

Are there songs guaranteed to make you feel better?

Showing up and saying “Yes” seems to be the biggest theme in my life right now.

On Saturday, I had the privilege of strumming and singing some Hawaiian music at a school in Harlem.  They were having a spring carnival—with a lūʻau theme!

The call to perform had come on Thursday afternoon from Midori & Friends, a non-profit music education organization.  Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with them at one of their events. (See more about that event HERE.)  And one of the schools they are involved in was hosting this carnival/lūʻau.

A few things you should know:

• Performing at an unknown event can be scary. You just don’t know what to expect.
• Performing at an outdoor venue can be scary. You can’t control the weather.  And you can’t control the acoustics.  (Sound has a way of INSTANTLY EVAPORATING at outdoor gigs.)
• Performing in unknown turf can be scary. Nowhere to run if things suddenly take a bad turn!
• Performing for a group of kids can be scary. Why?  Because kids are honest.  If they don’t like you, you’ll know it!

Like many performers, I LOVE to have performance situations within my control.  I love to know exactly what’s expected of me.   AND… I love to know exactly what I can expect of the situation.

But…

Let’s face it:  How many situations REALLY happen according to plan?

When I was asked, I knew what I was getting into—or rather I knew that I DIDN’T KNOW what I was getting into.

And you know, ten years ago when I was still living the NYC actor’s life, I might have said “No, thank you” to this opportunity.  There were too many variables.  Too many things COULD go wrong.

And if I would have said “No, thank you” to this event, I would have missed out on the opportunity to share the Aloha spirit.

I got to the venue, which was the school’s outdoor/recess area. A steel drum band with percussion was playing.

“Oh wow… “ I thought.  “And I’m going to be following  (gulp!) THEM with just an my voice and an ʻukulele?”

But you know what? It worked!

Yes… there were minor technical difficulties.  For example, we didn’t know where the microphones were.

But as Pops is always telling me, “E hoʻomākaukau!” Be prepared.  And I was.  I had thought to bring along my amp that accommodates both my ukulele and my microphone.  (And thankfully my partner-in-crime, James, was there to act as roadie/sound technician/official “crooner calm down” coach!)

Could I make as much noise as the steel drum band?  Nope.

Could I rock the whole playground with thunderous beats?  Nope.

• But I COULD sing a few songs from the islands.
• I COULD share some stories about what it’s like to study on the island of Molokai.
• I COULD tell ‘em what it’s like to stay in a valley with no electricity or telephone.  (They were horrified that I had no electricity or computer!  “But does that mean you had NO computer games to play?”  Ha!)
• I COULD share some of the Aloha that Pops and the whole Hawaiian community has been sharing with me.

And my buddy, Mariko, showed up to share a hula with the kids!

The whole afternoon was a beautiful experience!

So many smiling faces!  Their laughter and their spontaneous “hulas” could have melted the coldest of hearts.

And… the added BONUS of the day was a young man who had recently moved from Hawaiʻi to New York City.  A student at the school.

And you know what?  He played the ʻukulele!  I was so excited to call him up to the microphone and share a song—and he ended up sharing THREE songs throughout the event!

He was the gift of the afternoon.

It was incredible to see how his fellow students rallied around him when he stepped up to the microphone.  How they formed a tight semi-circle around him as he played so that they could hear every note that he brilliantly played.

And it was incredible to see how his schoolmates came to him after every song and cheered for him.

He wasn’t an outcast.  He wasn’t the “new kid who played a strange instrument.”

He was a STAR in their eyes.

He shared music from his home.  He shared the Aloha spirit that runs through his veins.

He was willing to Show Up and Say “Yes!”

And that’s what it was REALLY about:  SHARING ALOHA!

Not the performer’s ego—especially the part that DEMANDS that everything be perfect.  (And what’s really PERFECT, anyway?)

It’s about Showing Up and Saying “Yes.”

Because only then can we share that magic of Aloha.

Was the event flawless from a technical standpoint?

Nope.

Was the event flawless from a sharing/laughing/singing/stumming/”spontaneous hula” standpoint?

Absolutely.

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

ALOHA ʻOE is one of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved and cherished songs.  What is the name of the song’s much loved  and respected composer?

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Crooner Update:  Wow!  You guys are awesome–as usual!  I had that beautiful song on my mind when I woke up so it seemed like an appropriate question for our ALOHA FRIDAY TRIVIA CHALLENGE!

The answer was Hawai’i's beloved QUEEN LILI’UOKALANI!  And this week’s winner, chosen randomly (using www.random.org) is… (Drum roll please…) SARAH!  Congrats, Sarah!  Check your email inbox for special email message from me!

You guys rock my world. Mahalo for playing this week!  And I hope you’ll play again next week!

Happy Aloha Friday!

See you on Monday!

Jason

It’s funny.  It seems like CONNECTION–and what that means–is something that I’m supposed to be paying attention to right now. Everywhere I go, I find myself noticing how things are connected.  I have even noticed that I see the word “connections” all over the place: in books, in television commercials, on billboards, on the side of a truck…

Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be a preachy blog post where I pretend to know all of the answers to everything.  Or even a blog post that’s full of “I had an epiphany the other night” statements.

I haven’t been having epiphanies.

And I certainly don’t have all the answers!

It’s just a theme that continues to come up around me over and over again.  And one that I’ll likely be exploring—perhaps over and over again—on the blog.

Today, I have spent several hours using my computer to connect with the world.

I am constantly amazed by the internet’s ability to bring people together.  Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are astounding.  (And a wee bit frightening to me, too!)  They have introduced me to people I probably would never have had the opportunity to meet in any other way.

I have “friendly relationships” with people all over the world. Granted, we only know as much about each other as we’re willing to share with the cyber world.  But I truly look forward to their messages. (And by “their messages” I mean YOUR messages!)

I look forward to blogging every day. I have no idea who’s reading these words as I type them and then send them out into cyberspace.  Kind of like the proverbial “message in bottle.”  And I’m always astounded (and delighted) when someone feels compelled to leave a comment.  It’s a gratifying experience.  I managed to “reach” someone out there in the world—at least enough for them to want to respond.

Email allows me to write letters at any time of the day or night. So keeping in touch becomes easier and easier.  I suffer from insomnia from time to time (Although I really don’t think it has anything to do with my obsession with COFFEE!) And those late night hours are often a great time for me to catch up on my email correspondence, both reading and sending.  And because the receiver can read it when it’s convenient for them, I don’t have to pay attention to details like time zones, “normal” sleep hours, etc.

Cell phones keep us connected in ways we’d never dreamed of when I was a kid. I can talk on the phone and conduct a business meeting as I walk down the street.  I can make phone calls to friends even though I’m MILES away from the nearest landline.  (And I thought my walkie talkies were cool!)

And then, getting away from the technological side ENTIRELY…

Let’s talk about my studies with Pops on Molokai.

Pops is always pointing out how WE’RE ALL CONNECTED.

Not just people.

Everything.

The way he sees it, we’re all connected because we’re all “cut from the same cloth”—although that’s really my expression, not his.

I love when I’m working with him on some sort of cultural presentation for guests in Hālawa Valley.  He’ll usually point out:  “E ʻohana mākou.” We’re family.

I see the folks scratching their heads.

Does he mean “blood family?”  Nope.

He means that we’re all tied together in this world. The people.  The animals.  The plants.  The rocks.  The earth.  The sky.  The ocean.  The wind.

We’re ALL family.

We’re all connected.

And I love they way they get this far-away look in their eyes as they start to chew on that concept.

Deep stuff, indeed.

Do I have all the answers and a lot of insight?  No way.

Do I have ANY answers or ANY insight?  Well …

I have a lot of questions!

I’m still chewing in it, myself!

And I look forward to exploring this theme in future posts.

And I look forward to hearing YOUR stories and thoughts, as well!

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1.  Hōlei (Cody Pueo Pataʻs recording on the album E Hoʻi Nā Wai)

I love the arrangement of this song. From what I’ve read, it was a chant that was set to music by Hui ʻOhana. There are many mornings that I wake up with this song is going through my head. So you know it’s got to be a favorite!

Pueo’s voice is powerful. It sounds both contemporary and ancient. His command of the Hawaiian language is humbling. A gifted composer, singer, chanter and kumu hula. He’s one of my favorites, for sure.

2.  Hokulani (Steven Espaniola’s recording on the album HOʻOMAKA)

You know how some songs just make you smile?  EVERY TIME I hear it, I can’t hep but grin from ear to ear. The strum he uses reminds me of a Tahitian ‘ukulele. I’ve been told he wrote this song to honor his wife.  AND … I’ve been told this was his one of his very first compositions. Fantastic!

His falsetto is killer!! So smooth and effortless … It inspires me to work harder.

3.  Mele O Lānaʻi (Peter Ahia’s recording on the album Peter Sings…)

This is the first recording I heard of the song that was composed by Val Keplilino. And it’s quickly become a favorite. Peter’s delivery is so nahenahe … sweet and gentle. And you KNOW he had to be doing something right to be recording on Aunty Genoa Keawe’s own record label, Genoa Keawe Records!

This song coupled with Peter’s voice is like a quick visit to the islands. And it makes me miss my friends on Lānaʻi–BIG TIME!

What have YOU been listening to this week? Drop me a line and let me know!

Demonstrating the 'ukulele at the Midori & Friends event. (Photo by S. Deb)

On Saturday, I went back to high school.

No… Not for classes…

I went to Landmark High School here in NYC to be a part of Midori & Friends’ 5^th Annual Children’s Music Festival:  A Landmark Event … It’s All Music!

And it was incredible.

I had the pleasure of playing Co-Host for the concert along with my new buddy, Paula Chan Bing.

I had the privilege of sharing the stage with such legendary musical greats like Paquito D’Rivera, who WOW-ed the audience with his amazing performance. (And I was so excited to watch the students from the Landmark High School Jazz Ensemble join him for a number!)

I met the nine-year-old cellist, Sujari Britt, who astounded the audience with her musical prowess.

I witnessed the technological innovation of Bora Yoon who had the audience joining her as they all made music together—using their cell phones!

I was blown away by the group, Melody of Dragon, who whisked the audience away to foreign lands by playing music from Mongolia—and we didn’t need a passport!  When they were joined by some students from P.S. 130 and P.S. 42 for the Kan Ding love song, the audience couldn’t stop smiling!

I sang along with students from P.S. 70 and P.S./I.S. 180 as they belted out “Seasons of Love” from Broadway’s RENT.

I was mesmerized by the uber-talented Midori.  Her violin tugged at the heartstrings of the entire audience.

I was so excited to share a little bit about my ‘ukulele and to sing a little bit of Hawaiian music for them.  Watching kids experience Hawaiian music—and for many of ‘em , it was their FIRST taste of Hawaiian music—is a beautiful thing!

And I “shook what my mama gave me” when Nation Beat took the stage along with some students from P.S. 4 and P.S. 85 and rocked the house with their fierce rhythms.

It didn’t matter that we had some technical difficulties like microphones that wouldn’t cooperate.

It didn’t matter that we had some “set changes” that required more time than we’d anticipated and I needed to “stretch my spiel” while the musicians and stage team set up.

Why?

• Because the day was all about the KIDS.
• Because the day was all about the MUSIC.
• Because the day was all about KIDS AND MUSIC JOINING TOGETHER!

Midori & Friends is bringing music to literally THOUSANDS of students in New York City public schools.  Kids who NEED this music.

Let’s face it:  we’re watching our nation’s educational budgets go through some ROUGH times.  And a school’s music program is often the first thing to be cut.  Programs like Midori & Friends are KEEPING MUSIC ALIVE for these kids!

Think of where YOU would be without music in your life.

I know where I would be if it weren’t for the positive effects of music when I was a kid.  I would have been lost, for sure.

Music literally saved me. And it continues to feed me on a daily basis.

It was an honor to be there.  I was thrilled to witness it.  And even more excited to play a part in the day’s festivities.

Why?

Because we all worked to reaffirm that MUSIC IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN KIDS’ LIVES.

And watching the kids smile and clap their hands makes it all worth it.

Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anne Namba and The Accidental Hawaiian Crooner (Photo by M. Gordon)

On Thursday night I had the great privilege of performing as the “pre-show” entertainment at the Anne Namba fashion show at the Baryshnikov Arts Center here in NYC.

It was SO COOL!

First:  The People Running The Show

Wow.  Fashion designer, Anne Namba rolled into NYC along with jewelry master, Anna Meng and their husbands–and we got along like old friends.  Don’t you love it when that happens?  She made me feel like I was part of her posse and that really helps when you’re feeling a little nervous!

(Note:  It’s not an EVERY DAY occurrence that I’m asked to perform at a fashion show.  Or to perform at the Baryshinikov Arts Center.  Or at a party where fashion and dance combine for a spectacular event.  You can understand why I was nervous, right?)

And did I mention that the clothes, which had been inspired by dancers’ movements, were being DANCED down the runway by members of the NYC Ballet??

I got to the venue and hung out with some folks as everyone prepared for the event.   The dancer/models were busy getting in and out of outfits for fittings and photos.  I had the chance to meet some of the BAC folks—and they were so kind!

And people all pretty much said the same thing when they met me:  Wait!  YOU’RE  the Hawaiian singer? (See more about this reaction HERE.)

Gotta love shocking people, right?!

AND … I got to wear one of Anne Namba’s killer shirts!  She called it “River Blossom” I think.  It will be one of my all-time favorite Aloha Shirts to wear.  So bright.  So cool.

Next:  The Event

I talked with Anne briefly before the show.  I was supposed to stroll and strum (and “croon” a little, of course!) for the folks as they arrived to the show and got their food.  (Super-‘ono sushi was prepared on site by chefs from HARU here NYC.)

I asked her if she wanted to me to do an Oli Aloha when the guests arrived.  I love that she was into it!

The venue was a room that had a movable wall—2 dance studios that easily opened into one incredible space.  Tables lined the runway/”catwalk” on either side.  One of those iconic New York City spaces.

A few minutes past 600pm, we opened the doors to the room and I walked out into the waiting area.  Without any kind of announcement, I just launched in to “Onaona i ka hala me ka lehua”—a Hawaiian chant often used to welcome guests.

I wish you guys could have seen the looks on the faces of the guests!

I don’t know if any of them had ever heard the Hawaiian language before!  And I would be willing to bet that most of ‘em had never heard an oli!  Ha!

When that was over, I said “E komo mai!” (the Hawaiian way of saying “Welcome!”) and walked into the room.

The brave ones followed me and I stood at the door strumming the ‘ukulele.

Some folks love strolling musicians.  Some folks run in the other direction.  It’s kinda like seeing a costumed character at a theme park.  Either you like ‘em.  Or they freak you out.

I gravitated toward one end of the room.  There were some familiar faces.

And there was a man sitting at one of the tables wearing an Anne Namba shirt.

I thought he was one of the dancers—which meant that he’d HOPEFULLY be sympathetic to the strolling musician.

Hey, performers all belong to the same family.  We look out for each other.  We’re kin.

And thankfully, he was all smiles when I’d pass by his table.  I thought it was strange that he didn’t duck backstage to line up for the show.

Then the show started.

It was incredible.

I had seen the dancers getting ready.  I had seen them “rehearsing” their runway passes—they were improvising dance as they came down the aisle.

But I wasn’t prepared for the quality of the SHOW!

Fashion.  Dance.  An incredible combination.  Anne pulled out all of the stops with the clothes she presented.  Anna had them decked out in some amazing jewelry.

The clothes were wearable ART.

I don’t know how else to describe it.  The dancers did their thing.  The clothes did their thing.  Everything worked beautifully in perfect harmony.  Like a blur of fashion and movement.  Unreal.

At the end of the show one of the dancer/models stopped at the end of the runway and gestured to the man I’d thought was one of the dancers.  When he got up and joined her on the runway, the room erupted into applause.  They all recognized him instantly.

It was Mikhail Baryshnikov!

I had been singing to him all evening.  Looking to him for moral support.  And it was the legend, himself.

I’m such a boob when it comes to celebrities!

Oh well … at least he seemed to like it!

And Finally:  After the Show

There were pictures.  A lot of ‘em!

I stayed at a table near the door.  Some of the guests came over to talk.  Most of them wanted to know how I’d gotten involved in Hawaiian music.

And so many of them wanted to share THEIR stories about visiting Hawai’i.

I love that.  I can’t help but smile when I see people get that “dreamy look” in their eyes when they talk about the islands.  It’s like they go there in their minds.  It’s a treat to have them share their memories.  Every time.  A gift.

And then Baryshnikov, himself, made his way over and shook my hand to thank me.

Making connections with people are what makes being the Accidental Hawaiian Crooner the coolest gig in the world.

(And I got to keep the shirt!  Mahalo, Anne!)

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

What is the name of the legendary composer who wrote the 1930′s crooner classic, MY HAWAIIAN SOUVENIRS?

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Crooner Update:  Ok… Seriously… Are the questions THAT easy?  Y’all blow my mind every week.  Where do you get your answers?  Wikipedia?

The correct answer is JOHNNY NOBLE and this week’s lucky winner is… (Drum roll, please…) Grace S.!  Be sure to check your email for a special message, Grace!!

Congrats to everyone who answered in on the blog, via email, etc.  You guys rock.

Hope you have an awesome weekend!  See you on Monday!

A hui hou…

Jason

Tomorrow afternoon,  I have the great honor of co-hosting an event for Midori & Friends!  You know who they are, right?  Just in case, click HERE.

Midori & Friends is a non-profit organization founded by the world-famous violinist, Midori.  It’s mission in a nutshell:  BRINGING MUSIC TO KIDS. Inspiring them.  Educating them.

And we’re talking about NYC public school kids.  Our schools NEED organizations like Midori & Friends.

EVERY SCHOOL IN THE WORLD NEEDS PROGRAMS LIKE MIDORI & FRIENDS!

Kids and Music.  A perfect combination.  The key to my heart!

We’ve been talking about ways that we can work together over the last few months.  And I hope to be doing some great stuff with them in the future!

But TOMORROW, Saturday, May 8th …

They’re putting on a Family Concert, A LANDMARK EVENT … IT’S ALL MUSIC!,  here in NYC.  And it’s FREE!

Click HERE for the Event’s Details

Question: Are there still tickets available?

Answer: I don’t know.  Call and find out!  Here’s their website again: www.midoriandfriends.org

The event is going to include some FANTASTIC artists like:

• Stellar violinist and “super-advocate” of music education, MIDORI
• Multi-Grammy winning performer & composer, PAQUITO D’RIVERA
• 9-year-old Cellist extraordinaire, SUJARI BRITT
• Musical inovator, composer & performer, BORA YOON
• The ever-popular Chinese musical ensemble, MELODY OF DRAGON
• The thrilling sounds of NATION BEAT
• AND some of the STUDENTS currently involved in Midori & Friends programs!

And I’m honored to act as  Co-Host for the event along with my new friend, PAULA CHAN BING.

(And maybe while I’m there, I’ll show ‘em the ‘ukulele!)

It’s going to be a special afternoon, for sure.

Lots of music.

Lots of families.

Sounds pretty perfect, right?

Hey Gang!

So I sat down to write this morning and was having the hardest time staying focused.

Why?

Because tonight I’ve got a pretty unique opportunity.

I am honored to be a part of an evening that includes an  ANNE NAMBA fashion show at the BARYSHNIKOV ARTS CENTER here in NYC.

My two worlds are coming together under one roof!

For the first 10+ years that I lived in NYC, I was part of the theater/dance world.  Mikhail Baryshnikov is like.. well, he’s BARYSHNIKOV!

And …

When I got interested in the Hawaiian scene, I kept hearing about this incredibly cool fashion designer named Anne Namba who was making beautiful clothes and using exotic (and some antique) Japanese silks.

Well …

Tonight I get to hang out with BOTH of ‘em at this event!  (As well as the founder of The Meng Dynasty,  jewelry master Anna Meng! )

I’ve been asked to “strum and stroll” during the pre-show.  And for a crooner–well–strumming and strolling is the ULTIMATE gig.  I have the opportunity to sing and strum.  And … I have the opportunity to share the Aloha spirit with … well … WHO KNOWS!  That’s the best part!

And …

There’s a sake tasting provided by Joy of Sake and some super ‘ono food being provided by HARU.

And the whole evening is a fund raiser for  the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

It just doesn’t get much better than that.

(I hope I don’t spill anything on the beautiful shirt that Anne has given me to wear!)

I’ll fill you guys in with the details of how it all went on Monday.

AND THEN …

On Saturday, I have the honor of co-hosting a Family Concert for Midori & Friends!  But I’ll tell you guys more about THAT EVENT tomorrow… Stay tuned!

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1. Nani Venuse (The Kahauanu Lake Trio’s recording on the album The Kahauaunu Lake Trio at the Kaimanahila Beach Hotel in Waikiki)

A lucious staple in every crooner’s songbook. The sound is so clear. The arrangement is definitive. It’s just one of those songs that you should listen to. I guarantee youʻll want to listen to it over and over. Yup. Itʻs that good …

2. Pōhai Ke Aloha (Kawai Cockettʻs recording on the album Beautiful Kauaʻi)

This song, written by the legendary Lena Machado and Mekia Kalakaʻi, has been recorded by so many great Hawaiian artists. And each brings their own distinctive style to it.  I’ve been hooked listening to Uncle Kawai’s version this week. So masculine. And still so tender.

3. He Aloha Mele (Iva Kinimaka’s recording on the album Hawaiʻi Coconut Hits)

I’m told that Uncle Iva wrote this song for his daughter. A lovely lullaby. Remember being sung to when you were a child? Well, this song allows you to recapture that feeling. Sweet lyrics that suggest images for a child’s sweet dreams. Makes me wanna be a kid again…

What have YOU been listening to this week? Drop me a line and let me know!

Lisette & I offering an Oli Mahalo at the closing of Nā Lehua Melemeleʻs May Day Celebration in NYC

Do you ever have one of those moments when you suddenly “wake up” and see where you are?

It happens to me from time to time.  I’ll be fully involved in an activity and then it’s like someone snaps their fingers and I wake up see and where I am.

This happened the other night at the May Day Is Lei Day celebration here in NYC.

I had the great privilege of joining a group of musicians to play for one of the locally-based hula groups, Nā Lehua Melemele. It wasn’t a public event.  There were no tickets sold.  Instead it was a simple “thank you” offered to the family and friends of those involved.   A chance to show them what they had been working on over the last several months in their classes.

And it was an opportunity for the musicians to show THEIR friends and families the reason they disappear for hours every Monday night.

(And, of course, it’s always great to have an excuse to get together and jam with them!)

The dancers had worked so hard to prepare for the evening. Studying the choreography.  Studying the chants and memorizing the kāhea (dancer’s call to the chanter) for each verse.  Researching the people and places mentioned in the chants. Learning to work together and move as a single unit.  And supporting each other throughout the months as a family.

They had done program of hula kahiko (ancient hula) as the opening of the celebration.  Lisette, their instructor (and an accomplished hula dancer, herself!), pounded her ipu and the beats filled the room.  The musicians stood as a unit in the corner–watching the hula dancers move in unison while they chanted in Hawaiian.

After they’d finished, it was the musicians turn to take the stage. We played a piece to entertain the audience while the dancers made a quick costume change.  What fun to be able to share a song with the audience.  It was close and intimate–like singing in someone’s living room at a private concert!

The dancers returned wearing plumeria lei that they’d strung that afternoon.  Something about the fragrance of that flower takes me to the islands in my mind.  It’s like a mental plane ticket.

In that instant, I was transported to Hawaiʻi.

We played a few numbers for their hula ‘auana (more contemporary) section of the program.  We sang in 4-part harmony.   We traded lead vocals for the songs.  We laughed with each other.  It honestly felt as though we were all in Hawai’i, trading songs with each other at someone’s backyard at a kanikapila or local-style jam session.

When the program ended, Lisette asked me to join her in the front of the room. We offered on Oli Mahalo (a chant of thanks) to the audience for being there.  And, of course, to thank them for their constant support of the dancers and musicians throughout the year.

As we began the oli, I looked out at the faces of the folks sitting in the chairs. Several of them had tears in their eyes. When we finished, they rose to their feet, giving the dancers a standing ovation.

That was when I “woke up.”

I suddenly remembered that we weren’t in Hawai’i. We were 5,000 miles away from her shores!

We were in a dance studio in the heart of New York City. We had presented a program of Hula and Hawaiian music for our friends and families.

And we were COMPLETELY SURROUNDED by their love and support.

It never ceases to amaze me that the Aloha spirit knows NO borders. It thrives wherever folks come together to share that Aloha with each other.

What a blessing.

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.  Did YOU celebrate May Day??

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

What are the small stones called that are often held in the hands of dancers and used as hula implements?

Hint:  The name is also a word for “pebble”  in Hawaiian.

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Crooner Update: Yup. I’m convinced you guys all called each other. How else could ALL of you get it right??

The answer is ʻili ʻili.

So… to play fair and square, I assigned a number to each of you and then went to the random number generator at www.random.org and the number that came up was 4 which was:  (Drum roll, please…) JULIE YU!

Congrats to all of you guys. You rock.

And MAHALO to each of you for playing this week! I hope you’ll play again NEXT WEEK!!

Happy Weekend and HAPPY MAY DAY!!

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1. Hawaiian Lullabye (The Brothers Cazimero recording on the album Some Call It Aloha … Don’t Tell)

One of my favorite English language “Hawaiian” songs composed by Hector Venegas and Peter Moon.  Its rich language reminds this listener of some of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved elements:  rainbows, laughter, starry night, flowers, song birds …

And who better to do it than the incomparable Brothers Cazimero?  They create a whole soundscape with their arrangements.  Dreamy.  I love ‘em.

2.  Kawohikūkapulani (Mahi Beamer’s recording on the album Hawaiʻi’s Mahi Beamer)

Helen Desha Beamer’s songs are classics–not only for their beautiful melodies but also because of the RICH language she used when writing them.  If you want to understand Hawaiian poetic expression, her songs are a virtual textbook.

And who better to interpret a Helen Desha Beamer composition than her grandson? Mahi Beamer’s amazing vocal prowess never fails delight!  His tender vocal delivery and effortless falsetto are something every Hawaiian singer should study.  He’s a true master.

3. Kuʻu Ipo I Ka Heʻe Puʻe One (Emma Vearyʻs recording on the album The Best of Emma Veary)

Emma Vearyʻs recording of  this song, attributed to Princess Likelike, is one of my all-time favorites.  That voice!

And the lush orchestration that Jack de Mello added is absolutely crooneriffic! Wow. So many layers…  And so fitting of a song that speaks of a love that simply wasn’t meant to be.  Auē!

What have YOU been listening to this week?  Drop me a line and let me know!

ʻĀINA ULUWEHI (Hālawa Valley, Molokai)

I’m sitting here at my desk today and looking out a tree covered in stunning green leaves. One thought keeps running through my mind:

Spring is here!

And SPRING makes me think of GARDENS.

Do you guys garden?

We moved around a lot when I was growing up, so we never really had a chance to create a “real” garden. Although I seem to remember my folks had one or two over the years. Tomato plants. Beans. I think we even tried to grow pumpkins once!

I never liked to garden. But the important word in that sentence is LIKED. As in past tense. Things change. People change.

After living in the heart of NYC, I think I would LOVE to garden. I find that I’m envious of my friends who have their own houses with enough land to start even the simplest of gardens.

Maybe it’s the time I’ve been able to spend in Hawaiʻi that’s changed all of that.

Certainly spending time in Hālawa Valley could make a plant lover out of anyone.  Either that, or make you run away in horror.  It’s THAT extreme.  Plants that grow WAY taller than the house can have a dramatic effect on a person!

There’s something rich in the smell of organic material.  Dirt. It’s kind of intoxicating to this city-dweller.  Here in NYC, we smell all sorts of stuff.  Some good.  Some, well, not-so-great.

Don’t get me wrong:

There is a lot of DIRT.

Just not the kind of dirt that I’d want to touch with my hands.

A few years ago, I read about a controversial new therapy that a doctor was using to treat people suffering from depression. He said that people (especially city-dwellers) had gotten out of touch with nature. And that disconnection to the natural world was making people sick.

His remedy? One should begin by keeping a bowl of dirt (potting soil or other organic material) readily available.

And then, my favorite part: The patient should spend time every day with their hands in the dirt. Running it through their fingers, etc.

I can’t remember how long it was recommended that a person do it each day, but does it really matter?

Totally wacko? Maybe.

Totally cool? I think so!  It couldn’t hurt!

I’m not saying it should be used in place of conventional treatments! Believe me, as someone who’s suffered from depression, I can honestly say you don’t want to just stop taking your meds and just sit with your hands in dirt!

But as a COMPLIMENTARY therapy … I think it’s pretty cool!

One of the things that I love most about Hawaiian songs is the emphasis on the natural world. I’m hard pressed to find a song that doesn’t mention some kind of plant.  Or flower. Or wind. Or rainbow. Or waterfall.  You get the picture?

It’s deeply embedded in the lexicon of the Hawaiian people.

And it makes me more apt to stop and notice the trees and flowers.  (See my Earth Day post here.)

And it makes me interested in how they grow.

Is the city-dweller turning into a county boy?

Well… let’s just say that they still laugh at my “city feet” in Hālawa. (Yes… I STILL need to wear my rubber slippers when walking on sharp rocks. My poor feet are tender!)

But I LOVE getting in the mud in the taro patch. (A future blog post with pictures coming soon!)

I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts about planting. Or dirt therapy. Or references to nature in the Hawaiian lexicon. Or …  well …

I’d LOVE to hear from you. So please leave a comment if you feel inspired to do so.

**EXTRA SUPER BONUS: Here are some of my favorite Hawaiian plant/flower resources:

AMY B.H. GREENWELL ETHNOBOTANICAL GARDEN

AMY GREENWELL GARDEN ETHNOBOTANICAL GARDEN GUIDE TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN PLANTS

LĀʻAU HAWAIʻI: TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN USES OF PLANTS

NĀ LEI MAKAMAE: THE TREASURED LEI

Cherry Blossoms at the Sakura Matsuri in Flushing Meadows, Queens. (4/24/10)

On Saturday, I found myself standing on an improvised asphalt stage facing a semi-circle of mostly Japanese people. And from the bits of conversation that I’d overheard, they were a mostly Japanese speaking audience, as well.  We had no sound system for the musicians to use.  We were the only non-Japanese group performing at the event.

That’s enough to make a performer take a step back and go “Hmm….”

I was singing for a hula performance with HĀLAU I KA PONO at the Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) in Flushing, Queens.

The day was beautiful. Picture perfect.  A cool breeze.  Blue skies.  Big fluffy, white clouds above.

The venue was really cool. There are some architectural “ruins” that dominate the space which I’m told were built for the 1964 World’s Fair.  All that remain are some bones of the original designs, but I can imagine they were far out and “space age” when they were first constructed and the space was full of wonder-seekers.

To the right of the “stage” were charter busses that had been used to shuttle folks from Manahattan to the event.

Did I mention these full-size busses had been filled to capacity?

Yup.

There were a lot of people in the audience. Some who had come specifically to see the event.  Some who had just happened on the event at they made their way through the park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Everything moved along swiftly with a thrilling performance by a taiko drumming group, a karate demonstration, a children’s marching band and a Japanese chorus.  I wasn’t sure what the response was going to be when it was time for us to perform.

An audience sitting in semi-circle can feel like a gang surrounding a victim.

Kumu June introduced the group.  Then I introduced the songs we were performing.  I told the audience we didn’t have a sound system and suggested they pull close together.

The dancers moved beautifully. Their bodies dancing in harmony with the songs.  They looked stunning in their pink mu’umu’u—a reflection of the pink cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The musicians managed to sing loud enough to be heard–even over the occasional plane that flew over the park to land at nearby JFK airport.

After I’d introduced the final number, I returned to the music stand to begin the song.  Just then, a gust of wind blew the music sheets off the music stand.  There was no way to get everything back together quickly.  The audience was looking at us in anticipation.  The dancers were looking at us with anticipation.

I walked away from the music stand and stood close to the audience.

When I began to sing, it finally dawned on me.

See, it didn’t matter that we weren’t Japanese.

It didn’t matter that we were singing in a language that I’m sure 99.999% of the audience didn’t understand. (I would say 100%, but to be fair, I can’t honestly say that no one spoke Hawaiian!)

It didn’t even matter that it was difficult to hear the songs.

What mattered was the spirit.

Our portion of the program crossed cultural and linguistic barriers.

We shared ALOHA.

And the audience got it.

Right on.

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

Who composed the classic crooner ballad from 1940, LOVELY HULA HANDS?

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Update:  You guys are incredible.  All 3 of you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.  The answer is R. ALEX ANDERSON.    And… I’ve decided to forgo the random selection this week.  YOU’RE ALL WINNERS! Congrats, ladies.  Right on!  Check your emails for the a special WINNER email from me! (Hope it makes you smile!)

And a giant MAHALO to you all for playing. I hope you’ll play again next week!

Have a great weekend!  See you on Monday.

A  hui hou…

Jason

Aloha kākou!

I always have my iPod with me. It’s my personal jukebox.

Living in New York City, I spend a lot of time traveling underground via subway–and those rides can be long and boring! But having a collection of great music with me at all times keeps me from losing my mind. I can escape to a tropical isle with the push of a button. Portable paradise!

Here are the TOP 3 SONGS from my iPod this week:

1. Kaneʻohe (Aunty Genoa Keawe’s recording on the album Party Hulas)

This has got to be one of the greatest albums EVER recorded. Nobody sings the hula classics like Aunty Genoa did. Iconic. Every song is a gem.

And thereʻs something special about this song–its energy makes me smile when I hear it. How appropriate since it’s about the installation of electricity at Kaneʻohe in the 1920s, right? Energy. Electricity. Get it??  (Insert audible “groan” here.)

It’s also a great song to know if you play/sing for hula dancers.  I get this one as request from time to time.

2.  Holo Wa’apā (Lena Machado’s recording on the album Hawaiian Songbird – Lena  Machado)

We were just talking about this song in a Hawaiian language class this past week. Perhaps that’s why it’s been playing over and over in my mind.  It’s a delightful number written by the Songbird herself.  The sound effects of the water splashing at the beginning and end of the song–and her wonderful giggle at the end of the second verse–make the song really, really fun!

And you totally NEED to check out the story of the song in the book, SONGBIRD OF HAWAIʻI – My Memories of Aunty Lena, written by her hānai daughter, Piʻolani Motta, and Kīhei De Silva! This collection of music and stories is a wonderful resource for Aunty Lena fans and ALL Hawaiian musicians! A staple in my music research collection.

3.  So Free (Kaʻau Crater Boys recording on the album Making Waves)

I’m a sucker for music that has a true 1970s vibe. And this song, written in 1976 by the one and only Cindy Combs, really captures that feel. Makes me feel like I’m hanging out with friends down at the beach. It makes me smile–a moment of “beach-y peace” is a treasure when one lives in the “concrete jungle!” Sweet guitar, ‘ukulele and vocals. AND happy, “chill” lyrics. A perfect combination.

What have YOU been listening to this week?  Drop me a line and let me know!

Aloha kākou! Greetings from my little writing desk in NYC!

Ah… if my friends could see me now.  I’m sitting here “draped in green.” I’ve been practicing tying a new pareu (kihei-style) that my friend, Mariko, just gave me. It’s a deep green beauty from Sig Zane. Finding an attractive but not-too-feminine print can be tough. But Sig Zane always delivers! I can’t wait to wear it during a protocol the next time I’m the Valley! Pops usually wears a red kihei when he’s teaching (kumu colors!) and I love to wear the green—it makes me think of Molokai. Mahalo e Mariko!

I’ve also spent some time staring at my bookshelves this morning. I’m really hungry for a (good!) new book to read and I’ve got some titles to choose from.  And then it hit me:

We should start a Hawaiian-themed book club!

I could announce a bookʻs title and we could do periodic book check-ins and/or discussions. Whatcha think? Is that something you’d be interested in? We can make it a Saturday posting or something …  Good idea? Not so great?

I’ve been working on some updates for the website which will be coming soon.

New photo albums from recent events. New blog posts with photos! (Yes–I’m finally learning how to use this thing!)

And … (Drum roll please … )

A NEW SONG for the Mele Pages! It’s a special piece that acts like an instant connection to Hālawa Valley. It’s been a long time coming! Legal stuff takes a while. (Especially if a song is listed as being “traditional.” Ah … the joys of copyright law!) I’ll let you know when that’s ready to roll—stay tuned!

This website is a dream come true for me. And I want to make it a place that you all want to visit regularly.

So …

How can we make it better? More posts?  More stories? More photos?  More songs? More Hawaiian language? More recipes? I want to know what you’re thinking!

You know you can subscribe to the site to have updates emailed to you, right?

But did you know … that when you comment on a post, you can elect to be notified when OTHER comments are added? It’s a way for you all to connect, too! We’re building a community here! The more you comment, the better it gets!

This spring promises all sorts of new possibilities for the site. And I hope that you guys are excited to check out what we’ve got in store for you.

Looking forward to hearing from YOU!

A hui hou…

Jason

I’m obsessed with the art of the story.

I remember a day when I was a little boy and a man came to our school.  He was a “professional storyteller.” I had never heard of such a thing—I didn’t know that was something you could be when you grew up. He travelled around the country sharing American folktales at festivals and schools and libraries and all sorts of cool events. He was totally self-contained and portable. He didn’t need elaborate sets. We sat in a circle to listen to him. He didn’t need elaborate props or costumes.

The stories lived inside his brain.

And that’s the key—they LIVED inside his brain. He hadn’t just memorized a bunch of words. He had gone out and collected stories and then found a way to bring them to an audience. He’d found a way to make them come to life!

A seed was planted that day. I started collecting volumes of folk tales from around the world.  I was fascinated by this concept of someone who kept the stories ALIVE by telling them—over and over and over. That man gave us all a gift by sharing the stories.  And in sharing them, he passed them along to a new generation.

But ALL stories are like that, right? I mean, they don’t need to be fairy tales or folk tales. They don’t always need to describe monumental events.

What defines a story? Is a story simply something that has a beginning, a middle and an end?

I think about the stories that I tell again and again. Sometimes describing a funny event. Sometimes telling about something sad. It’s not always a HUGE or DEFINING moment.

I think about the stories my grandparents told. Sometimes it would just be a simple, “You know, when I was a child, I …” And then a secret window to the past would be opened.

That moment LIVED again in the retelling.

And maybe that’s the art: the retelling. It has to be done in a way that honors the story. AND it needs to honor the audience. It has to be presented skillfully.  It’s no good if no one wants to listen, right?

Music is a wonderful way to share stories. We sing the songs—sometimes like a bard recounting an epic tale and sometimes describing a simple, intimate event—and the moment lives again. As a singer, I give my voice to help the composer’s words LIVE again.

When we dance hula, it illustrates the song or chant using the dancer as a vehicle. It helps the audience to literally see the story. It helps the audience the to feel the story’s energy. And it helps the story to LIVE again.

My kumu (a.k.a. Pops) is not only a kumu hula and kumu Hawaiʻi, but he’s also a master storyteller. I’m entering into a rich lineage of storytelling …  So exciting!

And … SO humbling!

The material for a story is EVERYWHERE! Every person you meet is a walking library full of stories. Every situation has the potential of being retold. Shared. Relived.

Stories help define us as people.

WHAT we tell. WHY we tell it. And HOW we tell it.

It helps define us as a culture.

Broad statements? Bold statements? True statements?

I’m a neophyte with this whole “story thing.” Still formulating my thoughts. But I’m obsessed with it.

Story-sharing is a gift. Storytelling is a gift.

Rich material, indeed.

What stories do YOU share again and again?

Aloha kākou!  Here’s this week’s question:

What is the name of the group that recorded the incredible album, LIFE IN THESE ISLANDS?

Hint: The album was released in 2006.

Hint:  I’ve mentioned this album in some of my Facebook and Twitter posts.  AND I’ve mentioned it in at least one of The Crooner’s Weekly TOP 3.

• Please post your answer as a reply to this message.
• All correct answers will be eligible to win a special email message from me.
• One winner will be randomly chosen at 11:59pm EST.

Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner?

Good Luck!

Happy Aloha Friday!

**Update:  Congrats to everyone who answered!   Why?  Because each an every one of you had the the right answer!  It was KAUKAHI that made such a beautiful album!

And this week’s winner is (Drum roll please…) Kealoha!

Mahalo to all of you for playing this week’s TAHC’s ALOHA FRIDAY TRIVIA CHALLENGE!  I hope you’ll play again next week!

Hope you guys have a great weekend.  See you on Monday!