Classical Music Conversations

ʻEwa Makai Middle School Tiger Jazz Band on Classical Pacific

Hawaiʻi Public Radio | By Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba

Published March 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM HST

Celebrate arts at our public schools! March is the Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s inaugural Fine Arts in our Schools Month. Classical Pacific host Sharene Taba visits ʻEwa Makai Middle School’s Tiger Jazz Band, led by Ms. Leah VanDoran. The jazz band musicians are top students who also play in the school’s concert band. Students share their experiences, advice for newcomers and their favorite songs.

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Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba

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.

See stories by Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba