ISLAND VOICES
Royal Hawaiian Band is essential part of us
By Ed Michelman
We should be grateful for this national treasure
Advertiser library photo • May 1, 2004
Apparently there are those among us who would transform Hawai'i into a place indistinguishable from any other in the United States.
The Royal Hawaiian Band performs at the new Waialua Bandstand.
However, for most of us who live here or who return to Hawai'i as visitors year after year, these Islands are unique and special. It is the culture, the history and, most of all, the people of Hawai'i who make the difference.
An integral component of Hawaiian history and culture is the Royal Hawaiian Band. It has played an important part in every momentous event from the time of King Kamehameha III. It is one of the last living links to Hawai'i's monarchy and carries the legacy of Queen Lili'uokalani, King Kalakaua and the royal dynasty.
The queen saw fit to confer the title of "The Father of Hawaiian Music" on legendary bandmaster Henry Berger.
To those who suggest cutting costs by eliminating the Royal Hawaiian Band or making it "self-sufficient," think carefully of what you say. Shall we tear down 'Iolani Palace and build a high-rise because the land on which it sits is not being put to its "highest and best use"?
By the way, it would take an amendment to the City Charter, approved by Honolulu's voters, to change the status of the Royal Hawaiian Band.
There seems to be some confusion, even among people who should know better, concerning what the band is all about. First of all, primarily it is a concert band. Only about 10 to 15 percent of its activities involve participating in parades, despite those who insist on calling it a "marching band."
The Royal Hawaiian Band gives approximately 300 free concerts and other performances a year.
It is a prime attraction for visitors, many of whom plan their vacations around the band's schedule. For our kama'aina, some on limited budgets, it provides an opportunity to hear the great music of Hawai'i and the world.
The band plays, without charge, at schools, hospitals, retirement homes, community functions, ethnic festivals and for state and city ceremonies. In addition, it presents weekly concerts at 'Iolani Palace and Kapi'olani Park and monthly concerts at various shopping centers and other public venues.
The Royal Hawaiian Band is a department of the City and County of Honolulu, and the bandmaster receives the same salary as any other department head. Their remuneration is determined by the Honolulu Salary Commission, not the mayor. The bandmaster, as a department head, is a member of the mayor's Cabinet and attends regular Cabinet meetings. In addition to his musical duties, he is the administrative head of his department and is required to spend many hours fulfilling those duties.
The Royal Hawaiian Band has received national recognition from the Library of Congress as a "Local Legacy." It is the only organization ever inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame, and has carried the message of aloha through concert tours of Europe and Asia and dazzled audiences in Carnegie Hall in New York and in other Mainland cities. The prestigious Order of Merit recently was bestowed on Bandmaster Aaron Mahi by the Republic of Germany for his work in renewing cultural ties between the Royal Hawaiian Band and Germany.
Instead of sniping at this national treasure, we should be grateful that we have been blessed with a truly world-class musical organization, now celebrating 169 years of continuous service to the people of Hawai'i.
Ed Michelman is president of Friends of the Royal Hawaiian Band.
