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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
 Posted - 06/28/2004 : 03:20:15 AM
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So after two years of pinching pennies and saving, plus Dubya's tax cut, I was able to take my family to Hawai'i, and as an added bonus, spend a couple days at George Kahumoku's slack key camp at Napili. I hadn't planned to go because I looked at the tentive dates for the camp when I bought my tickets in February and it wasn't possible until the date got moved back.
I'm sure when the camp is over (today -Sunday- is the performance by students at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center) there will be lots of TPer's ready to reminisce about kanikapila under moonlit nights and tiki torches.
But I wanted to offer my quick feedback from someone who had to pinch pennies pretty hard to get there, not to mention negotiating with the wonderful mother of my two young children for a few days off to go play guitars.
George Kahumoku in person is exactly who you see on stage. His pidgin is thick, his manner is sometimes gruff, but he's always giving and sharing. Keoki is very much the same. While we set up the tents, or played guitars or sat around eating great food, there was none of that us/them attitude at all, and it was very relaxed. In fact, George rarely wore a shirt most of the time. Strictly shorts and slippers.
I was able to take in the optional Sunday trip to Kahakuloa, which was interesting. George took us to an ancient heiau (sacred site) and taught us the "E Ho Mai" chant, which we used throughout the week. Then we set out for Kahakuloa, a tiny village on the north side of the island. It's about 1.5 miles of one lane road to reach it, which is an adventure in itself.
Uncle Oliver Dukelow, who farms taro and other things on his patch up the valley, talked to us for about a half hour about traditional ways and heritage before putting us to work up to our shins in mud in a taro patch pulling weeds. It can be back breaking work, but we just sampled it, clearing a couple small patches of weeds in preparation for planting. Afterwards, we dunked our sweaty, mostly middle-aged bodies in the stream, sitting under a waterfall for a free shoulder massage.
After sandwiches, chips, cherry tomatoes and bananas, we played for an hour or so in the hale (open air shelter). After that, we headed home for a rest and the welcome dinner at the Mauian Hotel.
The full-week tuition for the workshop is about $850, plus lodging and airfare (for mainlanders). Pretty steep. But the tuition includes lunch and dinner most days. That seemed like a lot of money until I saw what went into organizing the workshop, feeding us all with very good food, of which there was always more than enough. Each of use received a packet with a songbook (Thanks Ed!) and a handy guide to slack key basics, plus a tshirt and a lot of miscellaneous teaching and promotional stuff. It also includes entrance to two concerts at the Ritz-Carlton, where the tickets are $35 each. Then there's the faculty, people like Bob Brozman, Led Kaapana, Ozzie Kotani, Richard Ho'opi'i, Dennis Kamakahi and others. Organizing, housing and transporting all the faculty around is a major task. Nancy Kahumoku does a lot of the legwork, especially once the workshop started. George admitted that they have lost money three of the seven years of the workshop.
So after a few days there, I realized that the tuition barely covers the costs.
Bob Brozman, the slide guitar master and ethnomusicologist (say that three times fast!) was a daily teacher and he was worth the price of admission. Not because he's the best slack key player there (that was Led!) but because he never stopped teaching and he would gladly break down any chord, run or tuning in laymen's terms, musical terms or anthropological terms. Plus, when the older guys were done with kanikapila in the evening, Bob would grab his guitar and say "Let's jam!" until the clock pointed to "quiet hour" and we had to shut down.
Most of the students were older caucasian people who love Hawaiian music deeply. At the camp, everyone was accepted as 'ohana. Many were beginners or intermediate players and that was fine, too. It was really great to meet other players of Hawaiian music from the mainland who didn't have to hide their musical obsession, but rather celebrate it. Some had never sung or played Hawaiian music in public, but everyone was encouraged to do it at the camp. Some of us got tapped to sing one, and then we stopped singing long enough to let Led Kaapana play a couple licks in our song. Where else does that happen?
Unless I win the lottery, I don't think I'll ever get back there, though it's a "life goal" now. But I met some nice people, including taropatchers like Dusty, Lawrence, Julie Hendriks, Bwop, Catheglass and others.
Mahalo George and everybody! Jesse Tinsley
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 03:50:44 AM
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Here's snap from a class Tuesday, June 22, 2004, with George Kahumoku (upper right) with the back drop of Napili Bay...
Jesse Tinsley |
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kihoalukid
Lokahi
USA
289 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 08:45:54 AM
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| Thanks for sharing, i hope someday i can make it.. |
Lee |
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MahinaM
Lokahi
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2004 : 12:53:11 AM
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Hey Jesse!
Thanks for your wonderful account of your experience at the music camp! I will be pinching the pennies for next year myself and enjoyed your "Travel Log." I hope I will have as much fun as you (and probably everyone else) had. It will be a dream come true for me to be there. I am starting to practice, practice, practice!!!
Maggie
Maggie |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2004 : 02:26:59 AM
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You go, Maggie!
I practiced a little before going, too, but it doesn't matter that much. The teachers were patient with beginners and veterans alike. The joy of the workshop is not learning more licks, but being able to bask in the music, whether you're playing or not.
The most important thing I took was an open heart and mind to experience the aloha spirit. And you meet all kinds of people and they're all wonderful in their own way. Some shared the same deep love for the music and Hawai'i, but couldn't play much yet.
The best part of the workshop was sitting down with other players (guitar/uke/steel) and listening to beautiful music come out. I only had two days of instruction there, and I didn't want to waste a minute swimming in the pool, or even running to the bathroom. When I'm playing Hawaiian music, I just want to play, play, play, play and play!
Everyone was gentle, almost reverent, with the music and culture we were studying and with each other, much as they are here at Taropatch.net.
Mahalo fellow slackers!
Jesse Tinsley
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2004 : 2:17:25 PM
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Hi Jesse,
I got to Maui on Saturday. George and Nancy generously invited Lynette and me to the Luau Saturday night and we jammed with campers until about 12:30 in the morning.
We must have just missed you? Bummer! Thanks for the sharing your experiences.
It was so fun to see so many taropatchers and to meet new people too. So much fun in a jet lagged, music filled couple of days! |
Andy |
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MahinaM
Lokahi
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2004 : 6:17:58 PM
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Jesse--
Sounds like good times were had by all no matter what level of playing and experience people had. That's a great relief for me, since I have some form of performance anxiety on occasion! I'll be sweating bullets in the end at the Festival though!
Thanks again for your recap and reply. I hope to meet some Taropatchers and other wonderful folks next year! I'm sure I will!
Maggie |
Maggie |
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catheglass
Lokahi
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2004 : 01:24:41 AM
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Ah Jessie!
You captured the essence of camp - jus' press. There were so many outstanding moments for me but I agree, the bestest was playing and listening and letting the music flow.....
Auwe! I'm homesick for camp already. |
cathe |
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