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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0711.029 2008-2010J! Yoshimoto, J From: Clayton A. de Leon [cdeleon @alumni.usc.edu] Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 7:14 PM To: J S Yoshimoto Subject: Re: How the Hawaii County Band Changes Lives I saw your video on Big Island Video News, and was quite impressed. It is good to know that you "get it!" Although the band is rather small, at 44 or so members, each one of those touch many people, and those people touch others and it is a very large segment of people that are enriched by the arts. Your interview was excellent, and I am certain you have made friends with both the band and friends of the band. Over the years the band has reached out to thousands and will continue to do so. Art is so difficult to gauge because it enriches people in intangible ways. But music, hula, theatre and all of the arts are an important part of any community and gives avenues for young people to grow into meaningful contributors of society. Some of the band members and the director(s) have help Big Islanders find their way, and will continue to do so for many years to come. The band has survived the Overthrow, the Great Depression, two World Wars and Vietnam, it can survive this financial crisis the world is in. Music will see us through! Great stuff! Job very very very well done! c From: J S Yoshimoto <joshimoto @co.hawaii.hi.us> To: Clayton A. de Leon <cdeleon @alumni.usc.edu> Sent: Mon, March 8, 2010 5:39:58 PM Subject: RE: How the Hawaii County Band Changes Lives - It's great to hear that you are moving back to Hawaii. I just wanted to let you know that the budget won't be finalized until the beginning part of June. March 22 is the date for the public hearing, which sole purpose is for the Council Members to hear the voices of the public. The Council does not vote /take action at public hearings. There will be 3 -4 meetings in the near future to discuss the budget and for the public to provide testirpp_py before the budget is finalized. So it looks like you'll be returning just in time to lobby the Council in person. ° 0 bC = _, �,; 1-k M -e ., a) r. From: Clayton A. de Leon [mailto:cdeleon @alumni.usc.edu] r) Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 12:46 PM y I_i, r(1 To: J S Yoshimoto r 773 up o' Subject: Re: How the Hawaii County Band Changes Lives 7 -; N Aloha, J Mr. Yoshimoto, 3/16/2010 Page 1 of 3 Comm. No.. - ill. 2 --9 Ref. To; ` l f CClmeti- 1 P.ef. Dote t AR 2 2 zeal Thank you for your prompt reply. I am moving back to the Big Island on the 24th of March, and hope that things will be worked out. The band, music and the arts are so important to the life of the people. I've lived in Mississippi , Texas , Alaska , Long Beach , Los Angeles and Sacramento . I've visited 3 /4ths of the United States . The Big Island takes a back seat to none, and it is because of the culture and aloha that no other city or state can boast of. Keep up your good work for the people, I know politics can be a challenge, and budget issues are a concern both for the nation and throughout the world. Good luck! Clayton A. de Leon From: ] S Yoshimoto <jyoshimoto @co.hawaii.hi.us> To: Clayton A. de Leon <cdeleon @alumni.usc.edu> Sent: Mon, March 8, 2010 12:42:51 PM Subject: RE: How the Hawaii County Band Changes Lives Aloha Mr. de Leon: Mahalo, J Yoshimoto Council Chair From: Clayton A. de Leon [mailto:cdeleon @alumni.usc.edu] Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 9:48 PM To: cdeleon @alumni.usc.edu Subject: How the Hawaii County Band Changes Lives 3/16/2010 Page 2 of 3 Thank you for sharing your life story and your concerns about the Hawaii County Band. The Mayor submitted the budget to the Hawaii County Council on March 1, 2010. Thereafter, the Hawaii County Council has the opportunity to amend the budget and make any necessary changes. Please be assured that I will consider your concerns as we review the Budget. If you have any other additional information you would like to share with us, please do not hesitate to contact me. How the Hawaii County Band Shaped My Life For this little story about how the Hawaii County Band helped me to live my life, there are thousands of others that have not been told, verbalized or shared. Growing up in Hilo , I have memories of the Hawaii County Band performing at events, at Mo'oheau Park and during parades. I remember Andy Baclig Sr., and his relentless leadership of the band. The music the band has shared over my lifetime has influenced me in many ways, as they have influenced so many others. I recall just a few of the names that have influenced the lives of many Big Islanders. Names like Baclig, Camarillo , Agasa, Skaggs, Leite, Maesaka, Springer, and a host of others whom have touched the lives of so many on the Big Island , and beyond. In the 1995, while living in Hilo , after listening to the band and talking to friends and family, I decided I wanted to be a musician in the University of Southern California (USC) Trojan Marching Band. I had never played a wind instrument in my life. I was a graduate of USC, so I had an idea how to audition for the band, but had a major road block, not knowing how to play an instrument. RSVP requested. 3/16/2010 Page 3 of 3 So I cast out my net, to investigate how I might be able to accomplish this goal. I went on Mynah Bird's Trading Post radio show and related that I needed a saxophone. It worked, and I purchased one. Then I went to Agasa Music Store, and asked the sales team how I might go about learning how to play the saxophone: I quickly received the information I inquired about. They also sold me another saxophone (but that's a story for another time). The Agasas (whom have a long history with the band), suggested a band member, Corey Maesaka may be able to give me music instructions. I did take lessons, for a few months, after which I was off to the mainland. During the intervening time, I also attended the band's performances and took in concerts suggested to me by Mr. Maesaka. I learned quickly, and practiced endlessly. As a side note, I was doing all of these things as an adult, not a youngster, not by a long shot. I had already graduated college and been in the work world for many years. What happened for me that magical summer, is; I combined the lessons from Mr. Maesaka, the influences of the Agasas, and a lifetime of listening to the Hawaii County band, and channeled that energy toward learning to play the saxophone and auditioning for the USC Trojan Marching Band. On very short order. After a lifetime of knowing the beauty of music, inspired by the Hawaii County Band and it's members, then in less than 6 months, I learned to play the saxophone and was successfully accepted to the USC Trojan Marching Band. I performed with this band for 3 years. I traveled to the University of Notre Dame twice (Indiana and Chicago), played in the Rose Bowl Parade, played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, performed at the Rose Bowl game, Arizona Sun Devil Stadium, Oakland Coliseum, Stanford Stadium and various venues throughout California. All of this because I had a song on my heart, bred into me by the sounds of Mr. Andy Baclig Sr., those that followed him, and those whom I have enjoyed over the years. If this experience was not enough, I parlayed my time with the band into 10 years of working for USC in various capacities, culminating with the last two years of working with the football team, reporting about the players and legendary football coach, Pete Carroll. This was my dream. It was a dream come true and it was because of the Hawaii County Band. I can assure anyone, that my tiny little story has been experienced by thousands of others, and more than likely, in much bigger ways. Music is life, killing the music is killing life. The Hawaii County Band must live on. It has been building and influencing lives for 127 years. It should not be stopped by a stroke of a pen, or by an oversight of those who made this tragic decision. There are thousands of lives still to be influenced by the band, it would be a grievous error to deny the future. Step up to the challenge, Mr. Mayor and Councilpersons of Hawaii. Keep your eyes open. Keep the music alive. Find another way to distribute county funds Thank -you in advance, on behalf of the citizens of the Big Island - past, present and future. Clayton A. de Leon cdeleon @alumni.usc.edu