Member Spotlight: Noel Okimoto “Always learning,” Hoku-winning drummer locks in on his own fascinating, artful rhythm Noel Okimoto is a popular, versatile, in-demand drummer and award-winning jazz recording artist. His work on a self-titled, classical/jazz debut with Megan Bledsoe Ward’s Pacific Harp Project garnered a 2016 Na Hoku Hanohano Award (Hawaii’s Grammys) for “Instrumental Album […]
New Collective Bargaining Agreement with Diamond Head Theater is a promising start Theater Musicians: This past year, a new collective bargaining agreement was put in place with Diamond Head Theater. Pay was raised to $89 per rehearsal or performance, with stipulations for doubling (which had not previously been paid for). This rate is still not […]
Local 5 Hotel Workers’ Union Strike Successful On November 27, the Local 5 hotel workers’ union successfully ended a 51-day strike against five prominent Kyo-Ya-owned, Marriott-managed hotels. It was a long and difficult battle, but workers are calling this a huge victory. Besides wage and benefit increases, the new agreement provides for improvements in safety, […]
OF NOTE: Coming Up: December 18, 7:30 p.m., Studio 909, Musicians Association Jazzed Holidaze with the Rich Crandall Trio Rich Crandall-piano, Bruce Hamada-bass and vocals, Stacey Tangonan-drums Chamber Music Hawaii presents: December 10, 7:30 p.m., Paliku Theater The Honolulu Brass Holiday Concert December 17, 7:30 p.m., Doris Duke Theater The Spring Wind Quintet Holiday Concert […]
Les Peetz, a writer who knew his way around some glorious jazz Union member, jazz pianist, award-winning journalist, published author, attorney, legal services developer for the State’s Executive Office on Aging, son of a Big Island plantation supervisor… There’s a lot to the late Les Peetz, 68, a lot more that people never knew. Originally […]
Aloha kākou, We have had a busy first half of 2018: After over a year and a half of negotiations, the musicians at Diamond Head Theatre finally have a contract; The Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra has completed another season and we are currently negotiating a new agreement; The Hawai‘i Opera Theatre has leadership changes and is […]
Musicians Association General Membership Meetings Monday, September 24, 7 p.m., Studio 909 Monday, December 17, 7 p.m., Studio 909 From the Spring/Summer 2018 issue, Ke Ola O Na Mele
2018 MAH Elections Elections for the Musicians’ Association of Hawaii officer and board of director positions were held this past May 10 through May 16. Unopposed and elected outright for three-year terms were: Steve Pearson: President Jim Moffitt: Vice President Robert Shinoda: Secretary-Treasurer David “Mochi” Freeman: Sargent at Arms Board of Directors elected are: Steve […]
Of Note The Last 5 Years Actress/producer Kimee Balmilero has launched a new theater company, Stagefish, to provide paid local opportunities for professional actors and musicians. The company’s premier production, “The Last 5 Years,” was presented to critical acclaim on May 9 at the Doris Duke Theater. Musicians worked the show under a Musicians Union contract and […]
Member Spotlight: Jim Moffitt, the Music Man Everybody in town knows Jim Moffitt, Symphony musician, Chamber Music Hawai’i president, AFM Local 677 union vice president, and an all-around nice guy. He’s been in the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, now Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra since forever — 1981 to be exact. And he lived through the infamous 2009 […]