Mahi also said he cannot be certain a majority of band members oppose his continued leadership and believe many were pressured to sign the petition or signed it under false pretenses.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Hannemann said he has met with people on both sides of the issue but has not made a decision on the job, which pays an annual salary of nearly $100,000. At least three people, including Mahi, have interviewed for the job.

The band was founded in 1836 by King Kamehameha III and is the only full-time municipal band in the country.

A petition telling Hannemann they would support replacing Mahi and assistant band administrator Wayne Oshima was signed by 25 of the 34 full-time band members, according to Eric Kop, a French-horn player and one of three union shop stewards. According to the petition: "Under the current leadership, the Royal Hawaiian Band has experienced decades of inconsistent labor practices, arbitrary policies and lack of accountability."

Kop, who has been with the band for 16 years, said he and other members question why the group has played for special interests when it should focus more on community service. Kop said that concerns about Mahi's leadership have been mounting but "the reason why the band has not come forward up until this time is because of the fear of retaliation."

Mahi said requests for performances are handled by the mayor's office and that all requests are accepted provided the band is available. The band plays for nonprofit groups for free but charges for for-profit requests.

Todd Yukumoto, a saxophone player with the band full time for four years and also a shop steward, said one example of administrative foot-dragging had to deal with concerns raised about exposure to the sun. Band members had to argue for nearly a decade before they were allowed to wear hats to protect themselves from the sun, Yukumoto said.

Mahi said besides giving band members the option to wear hats, "I do as much as I can to find the shade." But band members, he said, should also be realistic and recognize that marching bands perform outdoors.

Band members say another concern has been the direction of the band's music. The musicians carry sheet music for about 200 different pieces but continue to play the same 30 or so pieces.

Several band members said Mahi is focused on the performance of music originally written for string instruments and then adapted for wind instruments. Nearly all the band's instruments are wind instruments.

Mahi said he believes the band has a mission to perform "the classical music of Hawai'i" that was written and performed between the 1860s and the beginning of the 20th century. "We're the last organization that exemplifies that period and that time, that performs the music of the monarchy," he said, citing the music of legendary composer Charles E. King as an example of that work.

Ryan Hotoke, a French-horn player and full-time band member for 23 years, said he supports Mahi, but signed the petition because of the administrative policies put forth by Oshima, the assistant band administrator. Mahi is "too nice a guy" who has devoted too much of his energies to work outside of the band, leaving too much authority to Oshima. "He's micro-managing the band," Hotoke said.

Oshima, a saxophonist and assistant administrator since 1997, said he and Mahi have made administrative decisions by the book and consulted both city attorneys and human-resources officials before taking action.

"There's a lot of disgruntled employees for various reasons and there are personal agendas," Oshima said. Many of the allegations by Mahi's opponents that were part of an e-mail sent to Hannemann are untrue and can be refuted, he said.