My Kumu Story
This is my kumu story...
On my way to a gig, I ran into the principal of Kahakai Elementary School.
She had heard about my previous musical leadership roles and she offered me an opportunity.
She took me to a storage room back at the school where there were stacks and
stacks of hundreds of dusty, unstrung, untuned ukuleles.
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She asked if I would be interested taking on a project that would require me to restore these instruments and then design a class that would show children the joy that music can bring.
That summer, I spent every week restoring those ukuleles.
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I know what its like to be the slowest learner in the room. I thought about this as I prepared to become Kumu.
I drew on my own challenges as a student, and used the power of music to shape the character and confidence of my students just as it did for me.
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The number of students grew from six to over 100, and so did my responsibility as Kumu. I started to teach Hawaiian studies classes that used music as a foundation for the curriculum, and this program reached a level I could have never imagined. After 6 years of teaching at Kahakai, my students last performance reached an epic level.
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As a very difficult decision, I left the school to pursue my music career. I couldn't leave my love for teaching entirely, and opened up my garage, a free place for my students to continue to foster their love of music. Today Akamu Music Academy continues to grow as a music and mentorship program supporting self directed, autodidact learning.
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My doors are always open to my community, showing the power that music holds.
My kumu story continues...
Shoot me an email to find out how you can be a part of the Akamu Music Academy