Skye Aoki has been playing the violin since she was 3 years old. The Punahou 10th grader talks about her love of Beethoven and advises young students to study music they are interested in.
Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba grew up in Pearl City listening to a variety of music – mostly in the car and the choice of the driver (Grandma, Mom, Dad, sister or brother). It ranged from Hawaiian to Japanese Enka to Top 40 to HPR. Sharene played the violin in school, and is now a professional freelance harpist and mother. She and husband jazz bassist Dean Taba love to play and listen to music, and are raising their children to celebrate the love of learning and of all kinds of music.
The winners of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestraʻs 2025 Na Hōkū ʻŌpio Music Competition, Iris Yun, harp and Lei Yao Chang, cello share their Tuesday Student Takeover. The ʻIolani graduates were both cellists and featured soloists in ʻIolani Schoolʻs Orchestra 5. They will share the stage again next week with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra as Yun performs Gliereʻs Harp Concerto in E-flat Major, mvt I & Chang performs Dvorakʻs Cello Concerto in B minor, mvt. I. https://www.myhso.org
Mani Kovacich is a percussionist and a jazz drummer. The Kalani High School Junior studies Brazilian drumming, plays in the both YSI and Jazz I in the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony Orchestra organization, and finds the balance easily because he prioritizes learning and improving. This summer, we can hear Kovacich at jazz jam sessions with Noel Okimotoʻs Ohana Jazz, or reading the Hawai`i Public Radio call letters when heʻs helping at HPR2.@ohanajazz