Who We Are:
Aloha and welcome to the King Kekaulike High School music program under the direction of Mr. Casey Nagata. Located in Pukalani, Hawaii, the music program at King Kekaulike provides a comprehensive musical experience for its students with special emphasis placed on the areas of concert performance, musical expression, and creativity.
We at King Kekaulike High School are dedicated to guiding our students to reach the highest possible level of excellence. Our goal in the music program is to instill a life-long appreciation and love of music that our students can carry with them long after they’ve graduated from the program.
The King Kekaulike Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, Na Ali'i Big Band I, Big Band II, Teal & Black Jazz Combo, Jam Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Na Ali'i Pride Marching and Pep Bands, Pit Orchestra, Guitar Ensemble, and Ukulele Ensemble make up the foundation of the music program here at King Kekaulike High School. Although we provide many different opportunities for music performance, these ensembles provide the fundamentals of music performance from which the other opportunities stem. Students are encouraged to participate in as many musical opportunities as they can, both through and outside of the KKHS music program, and private lessons are strongly recommended for those who wish to pursue either a career in music or musical opportunities at the collegiate level.
Although performance is a major goal for these courses, it is not the only one. There are many standards that simply cannot be met through performance alone. It is our belief that the process is just as important as the product. Most musical concepts are taught through the rehearsal of quality literature for performance. Student objectives include listening to, discussing, and writing about music as well as acquiring a basic knowledge of music vocabulary, history and theory.
We at King Kekaulike High School are dedicated to guiding our students to reach the highest possible level of excellence. Our goal in the music program is to instill a life-long appreciation and love of music that our students can carry with them long after they’ve graduated from the program.
The King Kekaulike Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, Na Ali'i Big Band I, Big Band II, Teal & Black Jazz Combo, Jam Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Na Ali'i Pride Marching and Pep Bands, Pit Orchestra, Guitar Ensemble, and Ukulele Ensemble make up the foundation of the music program here at King Kekaulike High School. Although we provide many different opportunities for music performance, these ensembles provide the fundamentals of music performance from which the other opportunities stem. Students are encouraged to participate in as many musical opportunities as they can, both through and outside of the KKHS music program, and private lessons are strongly recommended for those who wish to pursue either a career in music or musical opportunities at the collegiate level.
Although performance is a major goal for these courses, it is not the only one. There are many standards that simply cannot be met through performance alone. It is our belief that the process is just as important as the product. Most musical concepts are taught through the rehearsal of quality literature for performance. Student objectives include listening to, discussing, and writing about music as well as acquiring a basic knowledge of music vocabulary, history and theory.
Where We're From:
The King Kekaulike High School Music Program was established in September of 1995, coinciding with the opening of the main school. Due to a small and relatively inexperienced initial enrollment of 383 freshmen, the Na Ali'i Pride Pep Band was the only active music ensemble during this first year, rehearsing in classrooms and performing in the school cafeteria. With the music building complete in 1996, King Kekaulike added symphonic, jazz, and choral music courses while continuing to expand the pep band.
Today, the program has blossomed into a myriad of courses covering anywhere from ukulele and Polynesian music to theory and composition. Students are free to choose from:
Along with these great course offerings, Kekaulike offers two music-based clubs, the Jam Club and Tri-M Music Honor Society.
Today, the program has blossomed into a myriad of courses covering anywhere from ukulele and Polynesian music to theory and composition. Students are free to choose from:
- Concert Band/Symphonic Band/Wind Ensemble
- "Na Ali'i Pride" Marching & Pep Bands
- "Na Ali'i Big Band" Jazz Ensemble I & II and "Teal & Black" Jazz Combo
- Pit Orchestra
- Concert Choir
- Chamber Ensembles
- Music Theory/Composition
- Polynesian Music
- Beginning Band (no experience necessary)
- Guitar and Guitar Ensemble (no experience necessary)
- Ukulele and Ukulele Ensemble (no experience necessary)
- Music Appreciation (no experience necessary)
Along with these great course offerings, Kekaulike offers two music-based clubs, the Jam Club and Tri-M Music Honor Society.
Our Mission:
- To Instill a life-long appreciation and love of music.
- To Foster a safe, positive, and creative environment in which students can feel free to express themselves through their music.
- To Perform high-quality musical literature, both traditional and contemporary, spanning all genres, cultures, and geographies.
- To Provide opportunities for students to develop their leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.
- To Teach students that hard work and dedication (Rigor) and a supportive and helpful attitude (Respect and Relationships) will continue to serve them not only in their classes here at King Kekaulike, but also in their lives after high school (Relevancy).