Kenneth Makuakāne

We had our Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts Board of Governors retreat this past weekend at the Ala Moana Hotel. It was a long and fruitful time.

We selected the 2009 Lifetime Achievement recipients, enacted policy changes in the By-Laws, did a whole bunch of strategic planning for the future, and addressed a multitude of other issues. I am very hopeful that what we are doing today will affect future generations of music industry people in a positive way.

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I performed at the 26th Annual Slack Key Festival this past Sunday at the Kapi‘olani Park bandstand. I have been working as stage manager for the statewide event for the past two years, thanks to promoter Milton Lau. This year I was invited to perform with my friend Stephen Inglis on his set. It was so nice of him to let me sit in on his set and I even got to sing one of my songs, Kaleouwaloikapono, from my upcoming CD.
Stephen is the guitarist on my CD, playing both electric, as well as acoustic guitars. What a great talent.

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I am going back into the studio this coming week to do my vocals and guitar work for my upcoming contemporary CD. I am still excited and feel that there are several songs that could get some airplay.

I will keep you updated as I go. Soon Iʻll start to post my rough mixes on my myspace page.

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At the Kauai Music Festival, I met and befriended Jeff Dayton. This gentleman from Nashville is truly an island boy. What a pleasure it was to hang with him. At first, you think this guy is just a really nice tourist. By the end of the week, you find that this guy is a powerhouse of dynamic talent and just marvel at his craft. What a privilege!

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I was so fortunate to meet Cary Valentine, an incredible percussionist with a passion for helping school children. He attended both of my workshops at the Kauai Music Festival. We had so much fun and energy up on stage. I wish it didnʻt have to stop.

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I am having such a wonderful experience at the Kaua‘i Music Festival. I taught two workshops and attended several others during the week. I got so much more than I ever asked for. There were a lot of laughing and a lot of crying. I can honestly say that I have found some great inspirations to place in my book.

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Wow, I donʻt believe how time flies. I leave for Kaua‘i today to attend the annual Kaua‘i Music Festival, a four day event from Wednesday though Saturday.

This year, I will be teaching a couple of workshops. The first workshop will be on Apple computerʻs Garage Band software. This is a great tool for songwriters to use for developing a more than decent demo of their songs. The second workshop will be on writing Island Music. I will be showing the different styles of songwriting from a local perspective, geared for the island market.

If you are living on Kaua‘i or planning to travel to Kaua‘i this weekend, please come and check out the Friday night Island Music concert and the Saturday night Gala concert, all held on the grounds of the beautiful Hilton Kaua‘i Beach Resort.

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My little boy is not little anymore. He just completed his junior year at Kamehameha Schools. This past year he went to his Junior Prom and the Senior Prom. Now imagine that! Here’s a picture of he and his date at the Senior Prom.

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I went to Japan last weekend. I stayed at the Hotel Pacific in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was one of those whirlwind jaunts. We did only one show, but had such a great time eating Japanese food, riding the trains, shopping and doing other fun stuff like spending the afternoon in the music store.

This picture was taken by my producer friend Toshi Harasawa in Shibuya. I was trying out a Cole Clark guitar, the rage of Japan since Jack Johnson played it on tour.

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What a sad day:( One of my favorite hangs, the rRed Elephant is closing their doors. For those of you who don’t know where they are located, it’s across the street from the Hawaii Theater.
I met and befriended many new friends there. I joined the Oahu Songwriters Group and was part of their rRed Elephant showcases. I also met the director of the Kauai Music Festival there and have since gotten on the Board of Directors.
The rRed Elephant will be sorely missed.

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