PUKALANI – Students wowed the audience with their musical talents last night during the annual Kamehameha Schools Maui High School Spring Concert, Thursday, April 11.
Mr. Dale Nitta’s high school choir class and Kumu Kalei ʻAʻarona-Lorenzo’s ʻukulele classes and Hawaiian Ensemble all showcased what they could do in front of an audience of approximately 200 people.
“We’ve been working to get to this point since the beginning of the semester,” Mr. Nitta said.
The night started off with the high school choir singing Song of the Islands and Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Next was the ‘Ukulele I class with Rhythm of the Falling Rain and Honolulu Baby.
‘Ukulele II played Guava Jam, Maori Brown Eyes, Olinda Road, Pandanus, and Europa.
Hawaiian Ensemble then sang Hanohano Helumoa, Nani Ahiahi, Nākulukulu Ka Nalu, and Toia Mai Te Waka. Some of the numbers were accompanied by hula taught by Kumu Henohea Kane.
The high school choir returned to the stage with a rendition of Avril Lavigne’s popular song, Keep Holding On. They also performed Blue Skies with campy choreography that made the audience chuckle, complete with a final pose of “jazz hands.”
Select ‘Ukulele, consisting of Tyler MacArthur, Billy Ayakawa, Kevin Goo, and Maleko Lorenzo, featured junior Mika Kane’s masterful ʻukulele skills in a performance of Spain, accompanied by Mr. Nitta on piano and Kumu Kalei on electric guitar.
As a finale, all students made their way back on stage to sing and perform Honey Baby, which the audience was invited to sing along to.
Mr. Nitta said that while the show went well, there were challenges on the way.
“It’s hard to get [the students] into the right mindset at first,” he said. “But it’s always a good outcome. They feel really good about themselves and accomplished about it afterwards.”
