HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0711.034 2008-2010Murashige, Laura
From: Michael Springer [musicmikie @hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 1101 AM
To: counciltestimony @co hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony for 3/22/2010
Attachments: CBand.doc
To whom it may concern:
Please open the attachment to view my testimony for the Council's budget hearing on Monday,
3/22/10. Please print the fourteen copies for the event.
Aloha,
Michael 0. Springer 1722 Kaiao Street Hilo, HI 96720 (808) 959 -2116 email:
musicmikie @hotmail.com
Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.
3/19/2010
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Ref. Date MAR 2 2 2O1Q
Hawaiyi County Council
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Michael 0. Springer
1722 Kaiao Street
Hilo, Hawaiyi 96720
(808) 959 -2116
musicmikie @hotmail.com
ATTN: FOR ORAL TESTIMONY, March 22, 2010, Hawaiyi
County Council Hearing, 5:OOp.m.
Dear Honorable Council Members:
My name is Michael Springer and I am a lifelong
resident of Hilo. I am here to respectfully
request your assistance by amending the proposed
budget by fully funding our Hawaiyi County Band.
Please do not allow our County to balance its
budget on the back of the few musicians who
perpetuate a unique legacy that, for 127 years,
enriches our humanity.
The Hawaiyi County Band remains an integral part
of my professional life. For more than thirty
years now, I continue to work as a music educator
and professional musician in our community. In
my formative years as a musician, the Hawaiyi
County Band helped shape my artistry as a
musician, conductor and educator. As a
professional musician, I have on occasion
performed with the band as a keyboard artist as
well as with choral music groups from Haiti
Church and the University of Hawaiyi's Na Pua
No'eau. I am not alone as the unquestionable and
encouraging influence that the band has had on
countless musicians and educators over its
history is immeasurable.
Beyond my career, I must share that the Hawaiyi
County Band remains an integral part of my
personal life. I met Kim Springer, my wife of 29
years at County Band. She has been a dominant
force as both County Band percussionist and
advocate for over 35 years. Our four children,
being offspring of professional musicians, were
raised with private music lessons. In addition,
attending County Band rehearsals, concerts and
parades strongly influenced their development as
musicians by supplementing their music education
with real life examples of professional music
performed by professional musicians. Our
youngest, Andrew, is a trumpeter with the band
since 2007. I make every attempt to attend the
bands' monthly concerts and other performances as
my schedule allows. Frequently, our family plans
trips around the County Band's performance
schedule, allowing us to enjoy their gigs while
taking pleasure in the travels around our island.
It is unfortunate that our community like the
rest of our nation is once again challenged by
situations that render economic hardship on
everyone. In these times, people grow more
despondent, more jaded, more pessimistic, to name
just a few of the undesirable attributes that
undermine civility, diminish humanity and as
history has shown, proven to be the cause of
collapse of societies. Indeed, we are in these
times and, therefore, I feel that more than ever,
our island community must honor and cling to our
cherished cultural icons of civility. What is
fortunate is that, there among these priceless
icons, is the Hawaiyi County Band.
Mahalo nui for your time and consideration of my
request to amend the budget and thereby fully
fund the Hawaiyi County Band.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Springer
dba Springer Music Studio
Kamehameha High School Choral Music Director,
2002 - present
State of Hawaiyi Department of Education 1981-
2002
Organist: First United Protestant Church of
Hilo; St. Joseph Catholic Church of Hilo
Pianist: Haili Congregational Church;
Kamehameha Schools Alumni Choir