Musicians and dancers shine at UH men's volleyball game
On March 27, the KCS 'ohana packed the Stan Sheriff Center to cheer on the home team and support KCS musicians and dancers. In front of a televised audience and a crowd of 8,258 fans, KCS students took center court for memorable performances during the UH Men's Volleyball game against UC Santa Barbara. Mr. Ganiron's Ukulele School students from KCS (as well as Hawaii Kai United Church of Christ) and his high school music class opened the match with an instrumental version of the national anthem and Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī. Between sets, our hula dancers entertained the crowd, which included 358 fans from the KCS 'ohana in attendance. Keala Kanakanui '26 performed a solo to "Paukūkalo" and taught “Kuʻu ʻĀina ʻo Papakōlea" to select students. More students and teachers joined them for the final song to "Kaimanahila." They performed to live music provided by Emma Oliveros, Danny Guillou '26, Tytus Ahn '26, Daven Hamamoto '29, and Marisa Bunao '26.
KCS was honored to once again be a part of this Prince Kuhio Day tribute and is grateful for the opportunity for students to share the gift of music and dance in such an incredible venue. Students continue to grow in confidence and in their performance abilities as they are given these exciting opportunities to showcase their talents. Bravo to Mr. Ganiron for preparing students to shine and proudly represent KCS!
A memorable evening in Manoa for the KCS 'ohana
In front of a televised audience and a Stan Sheriff crowd of 6,800 fans, KCS students took center court for several memorable performances during the UH Men's Volleyball game against UC San Diego on March 28. Mr. Ganiron's Ukulele School students from KCS (as well as Hawaii Kai United Church of Christ) and his high school music class opened the match with a stirring instrumental version of the national anthem and Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī. Between sets, our dancers and musicians entertained the crowd, which included 350 fans from the KCS 'ohana in attendance. Keala Kanakanui ‘26 and Tatum Wise ‘28 danced a hula to “Hanalei Moon," followed by a hula to "Kaimana Hila" performed by Ryah Hamamoto '32, Luxe Ikeda '34, and Reece Hamamoto '34. Both songs were sung by Emma Oliveros '27, accompanied by Mr. Ganiron, Tytus Ahn '26, and Marisa Bunao '26.
KCS was honored to be a part of this Prince Kuhio Day tribute and is grateful for the opportunity for our talented students to share the gift of music and dance on such a large stage. Bravo to Mr. Ganiron and Miss Mele for preparing our students to shine and proudly represent KCS. Check out their impressive performances in the video linked below!
Ukulele School shines in summer performances
Bravo to Mr. Ganiron and his KCS Ukulele School students and singers! These talented musicians had a busy summer, as they were invited to perform at several community events. On July 1, students welcomed guests, including Mayor Rick Blangiardi and other city officials, with music at a groundbreaking ceremony for an affordable housing project in McCully. Later that week, on Friday, July 5, musicians were a part of the entertainment lineup at the 50th State Fair.
A select group also made a television appearance, as HI Now Daily interviewed Mr. Ganiron for a segment on their July 17 show. Jacob Nguyen '29, Daven Hamamoto '29, Joenn Palisbo, and Kawika Morioka '29 accompanied Mr. Ganiron to close out the show, playing his original song, "Let Me Sing." Check out the video linked below to check out Mr. Ganiron's interview. He shares his ukulele journey, an upcoming single release, and his passion for music & teaching the next generation!
Music for the entire family
Perhaps the sounds of picking and strumming have filled your house during this time of distance learning?
Due to COVID-19 concerns, Music/Chorus Teacher, Mr. Wilcox, adjusted his first-semester music curriculum for 3rd and 4th grades, focusing on the ukulele rather than the recorder. Despite the challenges of introducing a new instrument via Zoom, students have learned new skills in each session, working on tuning, holding the ukulele correctly, and strumming. They will soon progress to learning basic chords. Meanwhile, 5th graders continue their work on the ukulele from last year and look forward to starting songs together soon.
As students have the unique opportunity to receive music instruction from their homes, Mr. Wilcox believes that "learning to play the ukulele can be a meaningful family experience." With other schools turning to distance learning and parents working from home, Mr. Wilcox has embraced the idea that parents and siblings can be a part of the learning process. He hopes that family involvement surrounding the ukulele leads to lasting memories. Music certainly has the power to bring joy during this time!