HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0711.044 2008-2010Yoshimoto, J
From: Lauren Carvalho [laurenacarvalho @gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 10:52 AM
To: dyagong @co.hawaii.hi.us; dikeda @co.hawau.hi.us; jyoshimoto @co.hawaii.hi.us;
donishi @co.hawaii.hi.us; enaeole @co.hawaii.hi.us; genriques @co.hawaii.hi.us;
bford @co.hawaii.hi.us; kgreenwell @co.hawaii.hi.us; phoffmann @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Hawaii County Band
Dear Council members,
I recently heard of the decision to cut the County Band from the budget and was deeply disappointed. I
am currently an undergraduate at Harvard College, but I played in the band throughout all of my high
school years. I am writing to urge you to reconsider this decision. For a relatively small percentage of
your budget (I believe it is 1 %), a historic institution that has become ingrained into the culture of the
big island could be retained. In fact, you should be thinking of this as an investment to Hilo's small
businesses: the monthly concerts at the Mooheau Bandstand (always very well attended) brought surges
out of town attendees to the downtown Hilo area! More than that, all you have to do is attend a concert
once to meet significant number of individuals, particularly seniors who have been concertgoers their
entire lives, who will vouch for the therapeutic benefit these concerts have on a community, especially
during these trying economic times.
As I had been one of the younger members of the band, I have to attest to the amazing inspiration it is to
aspiring young musicians. Hilo is full of prodigious musical talent, and the bandmasters have always
been very enthusiastic about allowing high school students the opportunity to sit in and have the
experience of playing alongside these extraordinary musicians. I currently perform with the Harvard
Pops Orchestra, a fairly prestigious organization on campus. I never would have made it this far in
music without those critical years of learning alongside the musical greats of the Hawaii County Band.
Please don't take this learning experience away!
Everyone I have spoken to has expressed feelings of shock and regret at the news! As Council members,
it is your job to use the taxpayers money in the way they want it to be used. Hawaii wants and needs its
band! Please understand how important this is to the community and reconsider.
Thank you so much for your time,
Lauren Carvalho
B.A. candidate in Neurobiology
Harvard College 2011
2/26/2010
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