Whenever we get a chance to take our performing artists out and around Maui - WE DO IT!
Sometimes it's for one session, and other times it's more - like last Thursday, it was FOUR sessions, all day long! All in. All day. All around Maui. Henry Kapono and his friends/bandmates Alx Kawakami, Blayne Asing, and Johnny Valentine visited Maui High Band and Choir students in Kahului; Aloha House - Substance Abuse Services in Makawao; Lokelani Intermediate School in Kihei; and Ke Hale A Ke Ola - Homeless Resource Center in Wailuku. Whoa, what a day!
These "Artists in the Community" forays usually turn out to have a two-fold effect: the community members love seeing the artists up close and personal... and it turns out the artists get a lot in return: meeting the people of their audiences on a personal level, in daylight. (Remember, it's not always easy for the performers to see who's out there beyond the lights!)
These special 'on the road' meetings are the times when the arts truly help us all connect on a deeply human level -- these moments, when artist and audience can look directly into the other's eyes, help create greater understanding and form new inspirations. We do this because it is part of our mission to bring the arts to all of Maui. Simply stated: for people who may not be able to come to the MACC, the MACC will come to the people!
We can't force it to happen, but by inserting these musicians into the mix of schools and social service agencies, someone may have found inspiration; someone may have found what it looks and feels like to be passionate about your path (in this case, music); or maybe someone just used the 45 minutes to breathe and take in the soothing music. It may be that some or all of this happened, maybe not.. but we will always set the stage for the "aha!" moments to occur.
Take a look on the website for more of the unique experiences made possible by MACC programs with our visiting artists - on Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i. And we look forward to seeing you, too: All in, All around Maui ... or Only @ the MACC!