"Played a show for some cool kids and their families at shriners today. One kid knew almost the whole set. About 5 songs in, his friend was singing along..."
Today I was invited to Shriners Hospital in Honolulu. They were having a party for the kids and their families. I played a 90 min set. I didn't know what to expect cause I haven't been to Shriners in about a year. I have been playing at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children across the street from them. Shriners is different from the other hospitals I play at because for the most part the patients are from other countries or American territories. The kids today were from Samoa, the Marshall Islands, and other South Pacific areas. I was concerned with how well my usual music selection would go over for the kids and their families. It went over really well. I had forgotten the basic truth that music speaks every language. There were grandparents dancing, parents clapping along and children singing and smiling. I was so blessed to see how the music had an affect on the room. My favorite part of today was when these boys were singing along to my reggae rendition of "Say Something". They were singing really well. I set up a loop on my pedal and walked the mic over to the louder of the two boys and he was so shy, through his dark polynesian skin, I'm pretty sure he was blushing. His younger friend was not shy. He took to the mic and sang his little heart out. His family and friends, and patients and staff cheered him on. I recognized the look on his face, its the same look I get every time I perform. The kid was a natural. He stayed close by singing along with me for the rest of the show. After it was all over and I was breaking down, he came and thanked me in broken english, very softly. I told him I needed to thank him for reminding me why and how I fell in love with music to begin with. He's about the same age as I was when I started really enjoying singing and rapping. I love what music has allowed me to experience and the people I have met through it. Man, this is a dope journey.
If you're a musician or singer in Hawaii and want to know how you can volunteer your gifts to children and families in local hospitals, checkout www.makeemsmilehawaii.com or hit my Contact Me page and we can talk about it. Aloha and Blessings fam.