GARY LEAVITT Maui Choral Arts Director shines!

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Jason Schwartz with GARY LEAVITT– Gary is the director/conductor of Maui Choral Arts. Upcoming April 28 Concert at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center– also speak of WPAA, Wailuku Performing Arts Association and Wailuku’s future as an entertainment Mecca.4-15-2019

Summary & Transcript Below…

Summary of the Video Transcript: Interview with Gary Leavitt, Musical Director of Maui Choral Arts

• The show begins with a warm musical introduction and host Jason Schwartz welcoming listeners to The Neutral Zone on KAKU 88.5 FM, Maui’s community radio.
• Jason introduces Gary Leavitt, highlighting his multifaceted role as the musical director of the Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) summer shows and Maui Choral Arts. Gary is described as a uniquely talented and humorous figure who brings joy and professionalism to Maui’s music scene.
• Gary, originally from New York, has been deeply involved in Maui’s musical community since moving there in 2001. He is known for his leadership and ability to engage with a wide range of singers, from professionals to amateurs.
• The Maui Choral Arts group is open to everyone without auditions. Gary emphasizes inclusivity, encouraging even those who “can carry a tune in a bucket” to join, reflecting the group’s welcoming spirit.

1. 1. 1. 1. [02:58 → 08:29] The Maui Choral Arts Organization and Rehearsal Philosophy

• Gary explains the diversity of the choir’s membership, including professional singers who have performed globally and casual singers who simply love to sing.
• The choir prides itself on not requiring auditions and supporting a wide range of musical abilities. Some members read music fluently while others learn by ear.
• Jason praises Gary’s ability to make the concert experience memorable, not only through the music but through his engaging onstage presence and interaction with the audience.
• Gary shares his background in music, having studied vocal performance and conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music, and performed at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
• His journey to Maui initially involved a career in financial services, but music remained a lifelong passion and avocation.

1. 1. 1. 1. [08:29 → 13:42] Musical Direction, Show Themes, and Growth of the Choir

• The choir typically has about 85 to 100 singers, with the Christmas concert drawing the highest participation.
• Gary describes the unique experience of singing as part of a group, emphasizing the rewarding sense of community and shared purpose.
• The upcoming spring concert, Those Were the Days, focuses on nostalgic hits from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, reflecting audience feedback for familiar music from their younger years.
• Gary carefully selects arrangements that are accessible, interesting, and creatively fresh, ensuring the music remains engaging for both singers and audiences.
• He stresses the importance of helping people uncover their own musical talents and creating an atmosphere where everyone—from novices to professionals—can thrive.
• The choir has grown significantly since Gary took over leadership in 2012, expanding from 35 to about 100 members.

1. 1. 1. 1. [13:42 → 17:45] Collaboration and the WPA Collective

• Gary discusses the WPA (Wailuku Performing Arts Association), a coalition of five major performing arts organizations on Maui: Maui Choral Arts, MAPA, Maui OnStage, Maui Pops Orchestra, and Maui Chamber Orchestra.
• The WPA organizes collaborative events to showcase the island’s diverse arts scene and encourage cross-pollination among audiences and performers.
• The collective strives to boost cultural engagement in Wailuku, Maui’s cultural hub, and is involved in revitalizing the area with new facilities like a second black box theater.
• The WPA’s unified calendar helps avoid scheduling conflicts among the various organizations, promoting a thriving arts ecosystem on Maui.
• Gary highlights Maui’s exceptional artistic talent across genres and age groups, emphasizing the island’s reputation as the “Arts Island” due to its vibrant, locally rooted arts community.

1. 1. 1. 1. [17:45 → 25:00] Performing Philosophy and Audience Engagement

• Gary shares his philosophy of conducting and directing with positivity and encouragement rather than criticism, ensuring singers remain motivated and joyful.
• His approach contrasts with some harsh conductors he has experienced, focusing instead on affirming each individual’s contributions.
• He believes music is a universal joy embedded in human DNA and strives to nurture that in everyone he works with.
• The concerts are designed to be interactive and informal, encouraging audience participation and creating a “living” music experience.
• Gary also has experience performing onstage, including roles in Pirates of Penzance and Fiddler on the Roof, but focuses mostly on directing and conducting.
• The choir’s demographic is broad, ranging in age from 9 to 92, and includes people from all walks of life and political backgrounds, united by their love of music.

1. 1. 1. 1. [25:00 → 31:52] Personal Journey and Community Impact

• Gary reflects on his transition from New York to Maui, originally for work in financial services, but finding his home in the island’s music community.
• He works closely with Bob Wills, director of the Maui Chamber Orchestra, forming a dynamic partnership that enriches Maui’s classical and choral music scene.
• Gary praises the passion and heart of Maui’s musicians and artists, highlighting how the local community deeply cares about their craft.
• He mentions notable performers in the community such as Liana Locke, Katie Vincent, and others who contribute to the island’s thriving artistic environment.
• The choir’s performances consistently receive high praise from audiences, with many attendees calling the shows the best they have seen on Maui.

1. 1. 1. 1. [31:52 → 40:51] Musical Rehearsals and Live Performance Philosophy

• Gary offers an inside look at rehearsals, demonstrating how he meticulously shapes the music, highlighting details like precise note emphasis and phrasing to bring arrangements to life.
• He explains that live music is a uniquely ephemeral experience—no two performances are ever the same, and the energy of the audience contributes to the magic of the moment.
• The rehearsal clips include harmonies from songs like The Beatles’ The Long and Winding Road, showcasing the choir’s ability to handle complex arrangements with precision and joy.
• The group’s musical selections span genres and decades, including Queen, Neil Diamond, Elton John, and more, appealing to a wide range of audience tastes while keeping the repertoire fresh and engaging.

1. 1. 1. 1. [40:51 → 46:27] Logistics, Outreach, and Upcoming Concerts

• Gary discusses the logistics of preparing for concerts, including distributing sheet music and providing practice tracks and sectional rehearsals to help singers learn their parts.
• The cost of music materials is carefully managed to keep participation affordable.
• The choir’s promotional materials, such as posters and postcards, are created by local graphic designer Courtney Holland, whose work evokes classic 1960s and 70s aesthetics.
• The upcoming concert, Those Were the Days, is scheduled for April 28th at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater.
• Gary highlights the WPA’s role in coordinating performance schedules across organizations to avoid conflicts and maximize audience attendance.
• The choir’s holiday concert is traditionally held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, helping to kick off the holiday season on Maui.

1. 1. 1. 1. [46:27 → 52:26] Community and Artistic Collaboration

• Gary praises the talent and versatility of Maui performers, including younger artists like Keegan Ottarsson and seasoned veterans like Logan Heller and Francis Tawa.
• The choir includes a mix of professionals and amateurs such as teachers, government workers, business owners, and more, reflecting the diverse makeup of Maui itself.
• He emphasizes the collaborative spirit that defines Maui’s arts community, where people support each other and bring passion to every performance.
• Gary expresses his dedication to continuing to bring high-quality music to Maui audiences, while also nurturing the next generation of singers and performers.

1. 1. 1. 1. [52:26 → 56:51] Closing Remarks and Musical Excerpts

• The interview concludes with Gary sharing more musical excerpts from recent rehearsals and performances, including a unique, introspective arrangement of California Dreamin’.
• Audience participation is encouraged, with sing-alongs and relaxed concert atmospheres making the shows feel like a joyful gathering among friends.
• Gary stresses that the goal is for audiences to leave smiling and feeling connected to the music.
• Jason thanks Gary for sharing his insights and enthusiasm, encouraging listeners to attend the April 28th concert for an unforgettable experience.
• The program closes with an invitation to follow The Neutral Zoneand engage with Maui’s vibrant arts community online and in person.

1. 1. 1. Key Insights

• Gary Leavitt’s leadership has been instrumental in growing and enriching Maui’s choral arts, emphasizing inclusivity, joy, and musical excellence.
• Maui boasts a vibrant, interconnected arts community supported by organizations like WPA, enabling collaboration and cultural enrichment.
• Live music on Maui is a living, breathing experience shaped by performers and audiences alike, creating unique moments that cannot be replicated.
• The Maui Choral Arts group welcomes singers of all skill levels and backgrounds, fostering a sense of community and shared artistic purpose.
• The upcoming concert, Those Were the Days, promises a nostalgic and fun repertoire with strong audience engagement, reflecting Gary’s commitment to accessible and exciting music.

1. 1. 1. Keywords

Maui Choral Arts, Gary Leavitt, Maui Academy of Performing Arts, WPA, Wailuku Performing Arts Association, community choir, live performance, musical director, Maui Arts & Cultural Center, inclusive choir, concert engagement, collaborative arts, music rehearsal, audience interaction, local talent, choral music Maui, music education, performing arts Maui, musical theater Maui.

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[Music] some Maui the neutral zone reports would like to thank Maui Arts and Music Association tree makers Foundation of Maui for their support presence 1991 hundreds of television shows there Maui Arts and Music comm website they have champion self sustainability on Maui the neutral zone is earned live Mondays at 11 a.m. and replayed Saturday at 7 a.m. on kak u 88.5 FM the voice of Maui [Music] it’s the neutral zone I’m your halftime your guests listen to that I’m Jason Schwartz welcome to the

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show [Music] I’ve been around for a man sold away [Music] [Music] well that wasn’t Mick Jagger that was me you know I was over at Maui college and Joel Katz had a class recording and they wanted someone to sing the lead on the song so they brought me to sing sympathy for the devil so I thought make it fun we are here with Gary Leavitt those out there who are on Maui and breathing know that there is someone that we have here is very special we have stuff we have stolen him from I want to say all the

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great the metropolis is of the world you’re a New York guy like me are you I am indeed Gary Leavitt is the he has so many titles and roles but I know him as when I first met him I thought he was a stand-up comedian and then someone said no no no he is the musical director of the Maui Academy of Performing Arts summer shows the big productions he’s the man then my partner Ariel said oh we also have this Maui choral Arts you should come saying Gary is just so much fun to work with I could not resist

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putting Gary Leavitt on our show for all of you who don’t know him to join us happy people that know Gary Leavitt welcome to a show thank you so much it’s great to be here now we’re on radio you know kak you 88.5 FM but we’re also on Facebook live and you leave you’re on YouTube and you’ll see us up at Maui neutral zone so you’ll be able to see Carrie when I first saw Gary I thought really I thought he was a stand-up comedian and and only because I could stop talking and let him deliver the

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lines he is so funny you know when you go into music rehearsal I’m on the 28th of this month at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center I should you should speak with me because otherwise I’m gonna dominate there’s a show those were the days though the Maui choral arts group how many years you’ve been doing that I’ve been running the organization since 2012 I sang with the organization much longer than that in fact when I first moved to Maui back in 2001 and was under different leadership and then I

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took the helm at in 2012 although the organ is a see I I guess I’ve been asleep but this group is open to anyone that wants to say yes we we kind of pride ourselves on not having auditions we want anyone who has the desire and the love for singing to come and join us and I basically tell people if you can carry your tune in the bucket just bring your bucket and I’ll teach you the rest and we’ll be fine and some people read music and some don’t read music we have the broadest spectrum

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I think of singers that you might find in any community organization like this as you said we have people who would not only read music we have people who have been professional singers and performed on stages all over the world you know in the past we’ve had singers singing with us who have been singers who have actually performed at the Metropolitan Opera and then all the way down to the other end of the spectrum we have people who really just like to sing in the shower and then decided well it would be

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inappropriate if I send with a bunch of other people in the shower so I’ll go over here and I’ll sing instead and this is what we have well you know when you go to these shows you know it’s it’s I think it’s a toss up because your introduction of of each piece and the way you interact with the audience make that experience as memorable as the singing and the singing is memorable I have a couple of clips maymays thickened just to show you some music we have seen these guys do but I am amazed at the

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detail you know I you have a background in music clearly or not ideally I doing before you got to Maui well you know life takes us on very interesting journeys which ultimately bring us to Maui and we’ve all had different journeys that bring us there if we go back about a million and a half years ago in the early 1800s when I actually was still in college I went to the New England Conservatory of Music and that’s actually what I studied I was a dual major in vocal performance and conducting and so I’ve been very very

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blessed and fortunate to have performed on stages all over the world I’ve performed in Carnegie Hall multiple times at Lincoln Center blah blah blah done concert tours in Ireland on Australian Romanian Bulgaria things like that but it was through my day job at the time which was in the financial services industry that brought me to Maui initially I sing and then I planted my roots musically pretty quickly and then just started enjoying my singing which has still been an avocation for me my entire life well

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it’s interesting you call it an avocation because I don’t know of your other life are you still in financial services no no I’m a federal employee actually I say okay so you’re now in a totally different world that I think is there to support your music career in the sense of here on Maui you are absolutely a gift to all of us every time there’s anything that you’re involved in the music is excellent people know how to hit their mark and sing their parts and they do it with joy

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because you just really add so much to the experience well I think if I can do anything it’s hopefully to just enable that inner joy and love of music that and most people have within them you know I don’t try to impose my own thought processes on that I just try to open people up and let them find the tools that they need in order to discover the beauty of singing or performing on their own it’s the same thing I do when I do the summer musicals with map same thing I do with Maui choral arts you know it’s it’s one of

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those things I think that music is something that is in our DNA I think it’s something that’s part of the universe around us and I think some people just maybe need a nudge in the right direction to tap into that and once they do they find that joy of music and for some people that’s in singing for some people that’s instrumental music you know I was also an instrumentalist for many years I played clarinet for a thousand years and a couple of other things here and there but I think if we can tap into that it

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lets us free up a certain part of ourselves that we all desperately need yeah and you sure give it to that joy to a lot of people that are in your group how many of you figure you have singing this time well it’s interesting because it varies you know semester to semester our Christmas concerts are always our most heavily supported by our singer base and we have averaged out at about 100 singers now which is kind of crazy we have a thing 85 good are going to be on stage for this spring concert

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I see Wow which is pretty cool even people like me you know I’m often think of myself as a lead singer but singing with a group is a very different experience it’s a different experience but it’s a very rewarding some unity to have this shared sense of purpose to create this thing from nothing that we do and then share it with people which i think is wonderful and you have such dedicate dedicated people that come back season after season after season and part of what you’re doing it’s a ton of

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fun it is well this show that’s coming up those were the days when I was a kid I remember that song but I was thinking about the early 1900’s it is sad to think that we’re looking back and thinking that the 60s 70s and 80s are looking back what got news for you we’re not as young as we think we are neither of us I know understand that well this music show I mean I was reading off the the songs what a great bunch of songs how do you choose your music you have a well you know I take a dartboard no oh yeah but

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what I do is I try to well the Christmas concert is all be easily easier to figure out because you know at least I know sort of what the material thematically needs to be and I try to keep it around holiday or winter music and then my goal with those seasons that half of the semester is to find interesting arrangements of things that people might recognize so I’ll find things that have an interesting melody that they may have heard before a Christmas – and they may know and then find a very creative and new

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interpretation of it and bring that to people because I think you know we like to make things fresh and and and find stuff that’s really interesting and different as far as the spring concerts those themes vary year to year and that tends to be basically my whim as to what direction we’re going to go we’ve done a summer of just opera choruses we’ve done a summer of just Broadway music we’ve done last summer it was all women composers and then this year there was some feedback from people they wanted to

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have sort of a retrospective of some of the great music of their younger years and I said well why not let’s dive in and do the 60 70s and 80s and have some fun with it once we figure out the theme then it’s a matter of finding the actual arrangements we’re going to use and I listen to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of arranged must to try to find arrangements that are musically accessible something at a level the course can do and yet still interesting and different that make them unique and

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fun and then put it all together well you know I listen to some of those things that you give us to we is really provides not only do we all get to have tremendous support with you know we have music scores to follow and we have videos of past performances you add a great spin I’ve never seen anything videos online that rivaled the kind of performance you get out of your people I know it’s a little bit different they may be polished some of them in some ways but you have a great knack of

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taking raw material and turning into a great finished product thank you you know and all it is is helping people uncover their own their own talents I like to think that I really just have a very small part in that really I just sort of crack open the can and see what pops out all but you say that and yet i watch as you take a passage that is certainly I can see it musically going by but you highlight every look that was a double F not a single F if how can we build if we don’t start somewhere lower

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I mean you really take the novice and involve them in music in a way I you know I remember when I was a kid there were always these people on TV that were like working with kids these are like big kids these yeah and hopefully they have as much joy as the little kids have when they when they approach these types of things you know III I’m told that I perceive music in a somewhat unique way I tend to hear and see music in a three-dimensional way and so my challenge is to communicate what I’m

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seeing and hearing and experiencing and what I think the music should end up looking like and feeling like and be shaped like and then conveying that to everyone in a way that they can understand and then draw from their own and then sort of get some perspective of where I’m coming from and then they jump on the bandwagon and off we go I see well it is very fun to be in your group and any of you out there that can sing let’s see if we can hit 200 I don’t know if you want 200 people I’d be very happy with I

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raised the bar every year and I tell them every year I said last year you know the bar was a hundred and we hit it I’m and I’m being realistic I think I’d like to see for the Christmas concert I’d like to have 120 I see I don’t think that’s unreasonable based on the way we’re going right now when you come and you sing with us you know people often come in and they’re you know the little overwhelmed initially in the first couple of weeks it’s like a lot gets thrown at you

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initially and I tell them just stick it out and you’ll start getting into a groove and you’ll find you start to get it plus there’s also the resources on the outside the sectional rehearsals the practice tracks they’re so dedicated to doing all that it takes to do an excellent job for you you’re like the proud Papa’s you get out absolutely absolutely we had a experience Oh No one night only happens in Wailuku I can let Gary explain if the WPA a had show at at the ER theater what is the WPA the WPA a is

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a fairly new organization and it’s an umbrella organization that’s come together with the five major performing arts organizations that utilize Wailuku either to rehearse or perform in so you’ve got Maui choral arts you’ve got Maui onstage over at EF theater you’ve got mapa on Maui Academy Performing Arts you’ve got the Maui Pops Orchestra and then you’ve got the Maui Chamber Orchestra so those are the five groups and then what we tried to do was we’ve never done anything tick all together to

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sort of showcase what everybody does great and so we took the opportunity of these oh noes the one night only series that they do at iya theatre to bring all five of the groups there and just kind of showcase for 15 minutes apiece a little bit of what the others does and it was really really useful first off it was pretty much sold out and it was a free event which is everyone’s favorite I know it’s mine and it gave people the opportunity who maybe only go to watch their kids dance at mapa for instance

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who might never have heard an orchestra play and they heard you know a wonderful double quartet of Orchestra musicians play and maybe now they’ll be inspired to go watch an orchestra concert and maybe be exposed to something culturally that they hadn’t done before or whether it’s some of the the theater kids who had never thought about singing in a chorus before who may now want to come and join and sing a chorus whether it be with us with any or with another course there were a couple of courses on the

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island that specialize in different types of music anything that inspires these people to then sort of what we call cross-pollinate and expose themselves to different areas of the arts and the culture that’s available on this wonderful Island you know we like to say that Maui is definitely the Arts Island considering the size of our population we have the largest number of arts organizations of any of the islands in the Hawaiian state we’ve got you know three major theater organizations going

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on on the island we’ve got two orchestras we’ve got you know major theater programs going on we’ve got a couple of choruses that go on simultaneously throughout the year and so we’re very fortunate to have all this expression of the arts available right here on Maui with all local talent so that’s exciting and I I think that many people are almost everyone that goes to the theater or goes to any of these performances feel that the things they see on Maui rival anywhere they’ve seen

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in the world absolutely you know one of the things we like to be careful of you know some people say well you know that was really good for Maui no we don’t want people to say that I want them to say wow that was the most amazing performance of this that I’ve ever seen well you know the WPA a has been I think a really great thing not only to bring all the arts organizations together to showcase but they stand strong for a while lugu town yes that’s the revitalization of why elugu town we hear all kinds of things

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in the news about the parking structure and the new building but the mapa people by example put their money where their mouth and they’re gonna build a second black box theater right in Wailuku so our future in Wailuku is exciting and that group that that highlights all the while ooh cool thing it’s a great and supportive group and I think that all our audience you should come out I think to this April 28th show if you haven’t been to a a merrily choral arts performance you’re going to be there on

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there and then everyone after that I mean it’s a growing group of admirers I’m really very excited that the Wailuku group has come together in that way with all the arts you know you I mean I took this on the Maui Arts and Music Association and when I talked about Maui I think of some place that can showcase to the whole world so in my mind w PAA is one of the most important groups as part of what we do to try to showcase to the world the incredible talent we have absolutely we we’re so fortunate to have

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the the breadth and depth of talent available to us on this island and it’s fun because what I like to do is when I when I do the summer show’s over at mapa whenever those shows are over I’m like well if you’ve been enjoying singing for the last 16 weeks getting this show ready and you’re sad that it’s over come sing with me and you’ll you’ll learn a different set of skills which then you can apply to your next musical theater production same thing if you’ve been

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doing chorus with me go out for one of the musicals you’ll learn a whole different set of skills to go and do musical theater you know and and and get involved on the different sides and that’s how we’ve grown when we when I took over in 2012 we had 35 singers Wow and so to have grown that quickly and and pretty much sustainably to this 85 to 100 singer range it’s really exciting and well you are majorly again you are majorly a reason because once you have an experience like me I like singing as

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a solo and now I’m here singing with your group and I’m enjoying myself it’s just the experience of being there and the way you work and what you’re very profession you know you’re very casual you’re very professional and you hit your mark and you you bring up the tone of the room all the time and you’ve been able to get a tremendous piano player in Lotus song she’s amazing right she’s amazing fantastic yeah that you’ve been able to inspire you know and and have someone

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like her who works so carefully through all kinds of passages it is a really wonderful experience so I mean I’d say it’s a rough thing you want to be on stage and out in the audience at the same time so for this round I think those that aren’t in it you got to come and see this and next time some of you’re gonna want to join in the ranks and I tell people that at every concert I always you know I interact with my audience a lot and I’d like to talk with them and tell them hey you know what if

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you’ve had a good time today you know there’s two things you can do number one is you can certainly donate to us go so gosh knows we need your money as a donation and then excuse me the other thing would be if you if you enjoy this then then try come try and sing and see how it works out for you it might be a little more than you can handle but it might not you might get something really rewarding out of it and a lot of people have done that and I also know more than you can handle has the other thing which is if you have a

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difficult passage if you know when not to sing because you know you don’t know your part that’s good too absolutely because you’re glaring thumb okay yeah really have your group being very sensitive to what they can and can’t do and the sound on the oh no the when we had a little preview on April 8th yeah people that were there that hurt us thought we were fantastic yeah and that was not in an acoustically friendly environment because it was you know it’s a no-no so we didn’t have any

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infrastructure in place that would make us sound better like an acoustic shell or anything so even in in in a more rough shot environment we do it quite well I think so it’s good and how many are out there no Queen group Queen guys didn’t anybody see that movie recently at all what was that oscar-winner that wasn’t I don’t know well Bohemian Rhapsody is a fun thing and then Neil Diamond and written songs by Neil Diamond and the Beatles yep I don’t want I’m still standing Elton

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John John we’ve got Simon and Garfunkel Mamas and the Papas Annie Lennox which pushes us up into the 80s a little bit Crosby Stills Nash and young Cyndi Lauper yeah so we got them on the audience you know we could call you part of the extended choir because I don’t know how everyone’s gonna sit in those seats and not you sing it with yeah I know and and I’m not gonna tell them not to terribly much but try to contain yourselves as much as you can but have a good time you know that’s the other

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thing is I when you come to our concerts one of the things I tell people all the time is I don’t want you to feel that you’re at a concert right and you need to sit there very quietly you know with your tie on and just gonna be oh darling that did you see darling that lovely concert we were at is just marvelous you know bring the kids and if the kids you know make a little noise so what they’re having a good time they’re being exposed to music that’s what it’s all about and

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if you come in I want people to think that basically it’s as if 85 people just kind of showed up in your living room and just started jamming and whether that’s jamming to this kind of program or our holiday program which might be more classically based or even with we did our opera opera choruses concert I want it to have that familiarity and I want people to feel that they are at home whether they’re in the castle theatre or in the living room and have that kind of that openness and that that

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wonderful sense of enjoyment and not feel and it’s terribly something we just have to be exposed to and not have to take so seriously well you know even if it started out seriously you have I was gonna say you look at the audience and you give them a nod everyone is kind of waiting for you to kind of break in how did you begin that you know interpersonal experience with the audience you know I always felt that that the concert experiences should be interactive and so whenever I’m on podium anywhere I’ve always been

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interactive with my with the audience’s as much as I can be within that given you write your own dialogue I don’t write any dialogue all literally comes right off the top there we go there and you know I love talking with people I love interacting with people and I certainly don’t take myself too seriously so there’s no way I’m gonna take any of the rest of it too seriously and you know I I get a kick out of people that sometimes really think they’re just too important to sentence

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and what I can’t be bothered with that oh this is just not appropriate at all it’s not appropriate it has my interest well that’s so there you go and you’ve been able to take people from the straight Chamber Orchestra crew and incredible people Cheryl others there that yeah that are very professional that just want a hit of someone down to earth very professional and make it real you make it real well yeah you know whether you’re a professional musician or a first-timer I try to approach all of the

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music that we do in a very positive reinforcing and affirming way so that you know even when you know something doesn’t quite work out the way it’s supposed to in rehearsal you know I don’t brow beat anybody I just you know trying to find a way to you know keep people lifted up and enthusiastic about correcting little mistakes and then moving on and really getting enjoyment out of it rather than beating them down because I you know I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of conductors in my

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life and in some of the experiences were amazingly wonderful experiences and some of them I only remember for the negative things that were said to me and I’ve vowed that I would never be that kind of conductor that’s great well I from being a conductor and doing your your job there in a really fun way you have another side which I’m sure people have seen so how many of you have been seeing the yeah who saw the Pirates of Penzance raise your hand do you remember the King the pirate king looks quite different

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here looks very different he had a shave and got rid of his dreadlocks and you know I do on stage stuff but not that often you were fun there thank you the other big things that I’ve done were and I did Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof with mapa and I did a couple of shows down at Pro arts as well Bermuda Avenue triangle and 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee but you know generally I really pick and choose what I’m gonna do on stage that is suitable for my unique sort of weirdness well unique weirdness is absolutely

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appropriate for Maui isn’t it I hope so it fits just so well here I mean seems like it’s worked out well and I think we’re like I like to say we’re an example to the world of how you can be if you just you know let people live and be themselves and bring it all together with you know fun and enjoyment in the middle of it and you really do that so very well well thank you and you know everyone is welcome to come and sing with us and we’re very we’re very lucky the the the breadth of the chorus

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demographically has changed too over the years we’ve had singers as young as 9 and as old as 92 Wow no and it’s wonderful to see that that diversity of people from all walks of life from all political backgrounds socioeconomic backgrounds who come together with this common love of music and everything else gets left at the door when it does you just sit there and you have a great time and enjoy it all and it’s it’s a beautiful thing so well I’m here with Gary Leavitt here at Kak

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you 88.5 FM we’re going to take a break for our sponsors and come on back and listen to a couple of pieces here with Gary Leavitt our wonderful guest and we’ll see you soon want to host your own radio talk show you can once every month kak you 88.5 FM offers an introduction to radio class at ikkaku plaza at 333 dairy road in Loui this introduction to radio will get your feet wet and show you what you need to do to get started interested call us at 875 five four for more information and registration the

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rising tide shows brought to you by the support of Maui Sporting Goods located at ninety two North Market Street in Wailuku Maui Sporting Goods is a family-owned store specializing in water sports equipment beer fishing tackle and camping supplies for more information contact Maui Sporting Goods at 808 two four four zero zero one one two an end to the rising tide show live on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. on kak u 88.5 FM the voice of Maui the neutral zone with me Jason Schwartz would like to thank Maui Arts and Music Association tree

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makers Foundation of Maui for their support since 1991 with hundreds of television shows and their Maui Arts and Music calm website they have champion self sustainability on Maui the neutral zone has earned live Mondays at 11 a.m. and replayed Saturday at 7 a.m. on kak u 88.5 FM the voice of Maui in 50 feet turn left why are you driving so slowly after a few drinks I’m taking it slow you’re not fooling the cop behind you what get ready to pay in point getting pulled over for buzzed driving could cost you around $10,000 in

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fines legal fees and increased insurance rates nothing kills a buzz like getting pulled over for buzzed driving because buzzed driving is drunk driving brought to you by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council my movie is a free editing application that comes with all Apple products and is easy to learn have a slideshow or video content you want to edit into a fun compelling presentation come train how to navigate and use the features of iMovie for desktop using a hands-on

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approach in this two-day workshop at ikkaku Friday April 12th and Saturday April 13th to register visit ikkaku org or call eight seventy one five five five four well we are back we’re at the neutral zone I’m Jason Schwartz with gary Leavitt hello the musical director of the maui choral arts group the pirate and pirates of penzance and who knows what the future will bring but if you’re on this island on April 28th it’s three o’clock in the afternoon when you come to the Mac and you see one of these

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incredible performances you will say what I said I don’t care what these guys sing they are having so much fun I want to sing with them and this guy that’s leading them he is terrific you know you really have made the experience when I watch choral groups you know after a while because I’m I guess I don’t listen carefully they all can sound a lot the same sure you bring so much to the experience I mean we watch you I mean I remember as an audience member before I got on the stage I’m like I’m really

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torn don’t want to be in the audience and on the stage those are that’s a great tearing inside it is every once in a while you know one of our singers will have to miss too many rehearsals and so they don’t they’re not going to make it for the concerts of the as an audience member and they always come back to me and they go wow it’s just such a different experience to be in the audience it’s so go love like yeah it’s nice to be in the front of course I get that opportunity every day

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have a good time oh yeah I’m lucky I’m the luckiest man on Maui oh so are you from New Yorker yeah you are yeah how did Molly call you because it was work-related it was work-related yeah yeah I came over to take over a financial services business back in 2001 sure and it was in April of 2001 and then there was a whole big confluence of events that kind of you know destiny sort of shaped my world in a different way and after 9/11 had happened and the subsequent stock market crash that happened at the same time this sort of

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was assigned to me it was time to go and do something else and I decided to move into it and different employment realm at that point and but I never thought once about leaving Maui so I’ve been here ever since and well it’s really funny when you say financial world or federal employee I am you’ve branded as the music guy here you are well that makes me happy for it to me you are the guy in the center of if there’s something going on you and the other guy that’s doing that it was just Bob Wills

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no loss yes friends and sound together and different musical groups what a great thing we have pretty much every every performance that involves singing will either have Bob in the front conducting or me in the front conducting and if one of us is in the front conducting the other one is usually singing and you know and it’s it’s a great wonderful dynamic that Bob and I have together you know he runs the Maui Chamber Orchestra and he has created some of the most memorable classical masterworks performances that we’ve ever

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had between the Hyden creation the Mozart Requiem the Bachman if he caught all these big wonderful gorgeous works of the big choral repertoire and you know no one can do it with the precision and the depth of understanding and analysis that Bob brings to the table he is by far one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met anywhere in my travels around the world well yeah and many say that about you well you know that’s very kind that’s very kind you know especially put the two year together we are unbeatable

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here oh absolutely without it absolutely without a doubt so as I noticed Bob’s not singing with us this time in the choral arts right but that’s because he’s got yet another show channeling up mic so much stuff going on all the time so I’m here those in the theater community can’t help but know that the head of mapa mm-hm David Johnston yes has been I dare fail and had a significant health challenge and is now back what’s on this slate coming up well you know mapa has got all

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kinds of wonderful things on their agenda for life going forward that are in different phases of planning and execution part of it as you had mentioned earlier part of their intention is to take some of the real estate that they’ve purchased with the help of some wonderful grants and loans from the USDA and other organizations to try to you know turn Wailuku into this Arts Center there’s going to be building a black box theater which will allow them to get back to having full full-time theater performances on their

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local campus expanding their offerings on their dance in their dance world which they are what they’re really known for right and then I’m sure that once we get through all of that process probably by next summer we’ll probably get back to doing the big summer shows it’s so likely this summary you don’t know we’re taking this summer off as far as the big summer shows there’s just too much else going on right now and and with David just coming back I was gonna say welcome

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back David we’re happy to have you back at the reel and then back haven’t at all yes yeah we are blessed and like he said this local community was there and loving him from a distance absolutely and we’re so thankful yeah we have I am every time I’ve been involved in the theater here mmm and I vote because I think there’s two may you tell me there’s always time for rehearsal you just have to sort of put your job out and you know I can’t make it work you make it work so for a

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couple of months you don’t sleep that’s you know what’s what’s sleep you know it’s overrated anyway so it’s all good but the experiences there are so many wonderful talented people I can’t imagine you know I I say it in a funny way I’m sung in Los Angeles and I’ve sung in New York but on Maui the people here have so much heart they’re so person there’s yeah there’s a lot of passion and they’re and they just they care deeply about the work that they do yeah

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and whether that’s you know the singers like Liana Locke who does again both sides of the fence hers are singing as well as her acting you know people like that and and Katie Vincent and now coming up as the new leading man Keegan ottarsson who’s fantastic Dylan bode who’s just come back to us from having been in Wisconsin for a few years Logan Heller Francis tawa who’s like a national treasure for Maui because he can do anything you know to people like Cathy Collins who are so versatile and

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are so interwoven and everything that happens on Maui in fact she’s going to be hosting our concert and being our emcee for the concert on the 28th there’s just so many talented people here I can’t even name them all Kirsten taught us and Keegan’s mother that’s the size about Maui it’s beautiful and in the choral arts group I mean it’s yeah all kinds of people I saw joy fields was there absolutely teachers all kinds of people are involved voice teachers music teachers

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instrumentalists you’ve got they all work in government for the county for the state for the federal government business owners people who work in fast food restaurants it doesn’t matter who you are everybody who wants it loves to sing comes in and we’re all in the same boat and we start paddling hopefully in the same direction and it all works out that’s right and if not I tell you the audience I have never ever gone to a performance here where I didn’t hear the audience say virtually every time that

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was the best show I’ve ever seen on Maui that is a common because the quality level is up there my goal is to have people walk out smiling if they walk out smiling we’ve done what we set out to do right well I’m gonna play a few pieces here just because I want to give the audience a feeling of something okay let’s see if they remember some of these things let’s hear [Music] this was a piece during rehearsal I guess I hear [Music] there we go now it uh it is so fascinating to watch you work got a

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little bit of the long and winding road yeah that’s good The Beatles long and wine or to hear the the harmonies you know when you hear it in performance you hear it fast and it goes by and but when you’re doing it slow you get to really experience and I’m telling you are I’m sure you know you are a master it just to watch the faces of people watching you as you you take this thing called music and you you make it alive and you make it visual for them it’s just really terrific well I believe very strongly

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that music is a living thing and these these concerts that we create are living things that have such an ephemeral and short lifespan you know when you go to a concert and it figure to any live concert anywhere in the world any live performance anywhere in the world what you see that night you will never see exactly the same way ever again right it is a unique fragile thing that exists for that moment in time and then it only exists in memory and you even if you record it you can record it you can make DVDs out of it it

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doesn’t matter the experience that you have live in that theater on that night is something that will only exist for that moment and then it’s gone forever right because the the experience of the live music and the energy that comes from the people who are experiencing it in the audience that you’re sitting next to that are around you will never be exactly the same ever again I could do the same concert 20 times it’ll be completely different 20 times and I’m sure that when you get to the end of the

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show you see him hit this mark they didn’t do that they didn’t do this but it is all just wonderful none of that matter one derful and especially the audience was hearing it fresh always loves it I really I’ve it’s been an extremely fun experience I’m gonna play another one see what we get this time okay [Music] I’m having fun so you can hear we’re all having fun learning these songs it’s interesting also to see people that never heard Queen B it’s really funny

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ya know you know III we you know we make assumptions sometimes based on our our own backgrounds like well surely everyone has heard this before right and then you ask for the braised hands and you see that nobody has okay well there’s happens to be a current movie out you might want to go see it’ll give you a little idea who these people were our cuz they’re still playing and you know for our are more mature members when we get into some of the the 80s music and I was like does anybody know

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Annie Lennox and nobody you know isn’t that funny I’m like did you ever hear the rhythmic back in the 80s big band with Nick’s then also there oh yeah well she went solo after that and this is from the solo album see we have great material here all kinds of stuff really just very fun and as a someone singing up there you don’t get bored no none of these are the same they’re all little unique gems that you found and you give us all to have a wonderful experience think of all the sheet music that I mean

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oh my goodness there’s a lot do they give you credit when you turn them back in no no no no you can’t turn it back in no you know the Samuel French I remember it in the music business all the written we always wondered what about this then you get into the choral world and you see all this sheet music is going out oh yeah all the time the backbone of the music in you bet I mean we you know it’s it’s it’s cost a pretty penny to get 100 copies of I bet each of 15 pieces of music and get it

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out to folks and we manage very carefully to keep the cost low for the individual singers so that it’s accessible for everyone we don’t want anyone to feel that cost as an issue to joining the chorus so we make that possible yeah you do who did this poster I when I looked at it I was thinking pretty cool right yeah yeah we’re very fortunate the last two concerts now the Christmas concert which had that wonderful dove on it and everything and this one were done by a wonderful young lady with the name of Courtney Holland

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who also sings in the group a lot of the time and she is a graphic designer and she does freelance work and she came up with with this wonderful concept for our postcard Nair poster which is very reminiscent of the work of the great Milton Glaser who was one of the biggest ad people of the 60s and 70s who created a lot of the big campaigns of the 60s and that’s where she came up with all the the swirling colors the color bands and it was really a great way to if you see this on some store you should say to

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them well if I buy four tickets and for you guys we let me have that poster I think they’d be full she signed them she’ll sign it I’ll be happy to sign that you kid she does a great great work and she’s available for all kinds of freelance stuff too yeah those were the days well April 28th how do you you just sort of take it I’m sure you’re fine tuning your calendar what a busy place Maui is it didn’t think you got an empty spot in the schedule then you go how come everyone

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pick the date that I picked what is that yeah yeah well you know one of the nice things about WPA a is it’s helped us resolve that problem right because with you register on the WPA which is WPA a Maui comm website you get a unified calendar that shows you when everybody’s performances are so you guys don’t overlap purposely right and so we all talk to each other the heads of the different organizations and we plot out our calendars to try to not interfere on performances sometimes of course

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rehearsals will overlap and that’s fine we make that work but we try to make sure the performances don’t overlap you know like we’ve always stayed out for art because we only do two concerts a year that the Sunday after Thanksgiving is always our holiday concert so remember that one guys right so and this this year that’ll be December the 1st so the Sunday after Thanksgiving we like to be the ones that kick off the holiday season and then we’re usually followed shortly thereafter by you week by the

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Pops and then usually that’s someone my Chamber Orchestra does their next thing and and somewhere right in there also mapa usually has their big dance extravaganza Gonza every like nutcracker every other year and those types of things then the spring concert that one’s got a little more flexibility when we scheduled it we always shoot for the end of April early May part of that is to catch our traveling population because some of our folks don’t stay here year-round and so we try to get them before they

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leave some people leave for the summers and some people are just coming in so there’s that weird crossover time so we try to get it right like right after Easter and right before the beginning of May it’s perfect time now April 28th yep it’ll be the Sunday after Easter so you’ve got nothing to do because Easter is over so come on that’s right come on out and enjoy this thing when you think about music on Maui and you’ve mentioned some of the people that any people you extremely just have a fantastic time

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working with you mentioned Liana Locke and Katie Vincent yeah I’ve seen those guys too I should say guys for great performances amazing incredible level of artistry you know when you sit I can listen to Liana sing all day every day and not get bored you know she is a lyric soprano and she’s got so many tools in her toolbox that wherever she chooses to apply that whether it’s a musical theatre or in a concert performance she’s absolutely incredible I love working with her she’s open to

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exploring new levels of nuance and other areas of interpretation that she may not have originally thought of and because again because the way I hear things I may hate what’s right try this see what you think what do you how does that make you feel does that do like the way that feels and and Katie’s the same way they’re very open to these wonderful ideas and they’ve come with a wonderful background in this repertoire that they then apply and they’re just so great to work with some of the you know you newer

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people like Keegan Addison was an amazing musician who has an amazingly carefully tuned ear and he can pick up things with almost no rehearsal at whatsoever he’s so great yeah he’s almost prodigy level again also very open to interpretation thoughts and and working with them and things like that and it Kirstin audison was an amazing joy to do work with on into the woods that we just did this past summer right and just the breadth of the abilities that we have you know people like Logan Heller who can be wonderful baritones

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and yet have the range to sing as tenors as well which gives us the ability to put him in into the woods as the Baker when where is he also has an amazing rich baritone voice so it’s just we’re so lucky we’re just so lucky it’s it’s for me it’s like Christmas every day whenever I get to work with these people and I’m just so blessed and lucky well I keep saying it you do a really terrific job every single show that we see here on Maui has that stamp and like you say to the you or Bob Wills but it has that

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stamp of someone really you know helping make this all come together beautifully thank you for that oh you know it’s it’s it’s my passion it’s my love it’s what make gets me up in the morning working with people like David Johnston and when you know when we sit down and we work on a show together it’s it’s magical because we can almost see we teach of these thoughts are gonna be on something and then we just start to collaborate and things just kind of bubble up and then you bring someone in like Andrei

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Morissette for choreography or this last remember working with jay-z for choreography and it all just kind of blends together in this beautiful synergy and we’re like hey what about to try that let’s try that can we do that great all right we need to add like four more bars in here can we add more four bars I’m liking of course we could add 4 more bars it and we just make adjustments as we go and we and it just it’s so much fun it’s great well and it shows I mean it really is a wonderful

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thing have in these years that have gone here on Maui as I’m going I have seen well this may be a different subject but in kind of the same there’s the outside of the theater world less and less venues are around for music a lot of the local musicians that are more pop I want to say pop country why and don’t have places to play have have you any thoughts are there any thoughts in the WPA a about bringing in more contemporary other kind of music absolutely I think if we you know follow

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the what what what the Wailuku plan is to its ultimate fruition we’re going to have you know this campus available in Wailuku which in in theory will have not a smaller black box theater which can be used then for concert performances will have yeaaah theater right over there which is a good midsize you know theater and I think if we’re gonna help create spaces and they say you know more restaurants more activities will be coming in absolutely more place to enjoy more music all the time all the time

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there’s you know in those plans there’s a small amp outdoor amphitheater built in and so there’s the opportunity for live music to be formed outdoors for people as they’re just enjoying town and wandering around and shopping and going for a dinner over here or cocktails over there and and then going to the theater and making it an all immersive experience we want people to spend more time in Wailuku right get a thriving place that’s what I think everyone I think that we all want that yeah it’s a

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beautiful thing mm-hmm this is April of 2019 it is I think if you were looking into the future mm-hmm do you have any kind of direction that you’re going specifically musically oh you’re just taking it as it’s going now you know I’m just enjoying each moment as they come you know there’s all kinds of you know hopes and dreams that I always keep in the back of my mind that I hope we sort of continue to work towards and so far that we’ve been moving in those directions and that is to bring more and

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more quality music to people in as many places as we can and I think we’re doing a good job with that and I wanted to consider you continue to see that grow and blossom I think as long as we keep moving in that direction we’re definitely in the right direction right so do you we have five minutes left and I have this desire I think only because or a show and we’re on radio we should give them a little bit of music trying to think of which we should want to give them a little chance to hear I’m gonna take this is a piece

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from the Ono that just went on I’m gonna just slide it and see where it comes out see what [Music] yesterday this was in the elevator in zones [Music] see anyway music [Music] and this is only this is only half of our members who’ve made it to the we’re gonna be able to fit a hundred people on stage and then I’m just looking I hear Lizzy let’s see this is a little later [Music] some of you know that that’s California dreamin for us old folks young guys don’t know this is a really cool

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arrangement that we found which takes which is a fairly upbeat song and then takes it and stretches it out into a much more introspective almost mysterious exploration of the lyrics it’s really really pretty you really have fun taking songs like you say and putting them into a totally different kind yeah that’s that’s my favorite thing [Music] see if we can hear him singing in the audience [Music] so I was gonna I’m gonna stop there was a spot back here does anyone how can I say that does

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anyone know sweet cow my gosh here it goes the audience was so active here we go [Music] can you imagine a whole very everyone’s wearing their black formal formal attire all the time the audience is singing along it’s great it’s great your shows are always so much fun I’m glad that you choose material like you do because you make it so fun as an audience even the classical pieces I had to find myself singing along you just have a really good sense of when the audience is getting that and that’s hopefully you

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know what we find when we do like the holiday concerts is you’ll find songs that we all know and then just find really cool arrangement something go wow I’ve never heard this like that before and you know we just try to have a good time with it well can you imagine we only have another minute before we’re out of here and we have been here speaking with Gary 11th the conductor director extraordinaire of the Maui choral Arts Group remember if you’re out there at the Maui Arts and Cultural

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Center on April 28th Sunday at 3 p.m. you should go out and get your tickets while there’s some really good seats still available I hope at the castle theater those were the days Maui choral Arts Gary it’s really been a pleasure having you here thank you so much I wish you only success and I really am thankful to be in your group you make it a lot of fun thank you thank you thank you thank you we want to make sure that everyone out there knows that we will be back here next week same time same

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station at the Maui neutral zone calm you can go up and see the show and hear it at Maui neutral zone calm go on YouTube and find it in a day you’ll find it and have fun with us we are so happy to be here with you every week thank you for joining us we are going to sign off I believe I see where I’m at if I can find the button here we go you