We love Hawaii and all the amazing people and music from all over the islands. We were invited to play piano concerts and teach some piano classes there and were privileged to play at some very special places on the islands, and the audiences were very supportive of our music and what we do. We played a large selection of Hawaiian music as well as patriotic and classical music during our performances. We got to play on some beautiful grand pianos in exciting venues including on our favorite piano brand from Kawai.
We also got to play on some Steinway and Yamaha grand pianos and we enjoyed our piano playing experiences on those brands as well. But the Kawai piano brand has the key touch and piano sound that we personally prefer and their piano cabinets are also beautiful. The Hawaiian islands are full of good music and the music is part of the Hawaiian culture and local experience. Without the music of the islands, it would be a different place as far as we are concerned.
We don’t go to Hawaii very often and we obviously do not drive there in our touring vehicles. But we love it when we are invited and get an opportunity to play music at various places in Hawaii in front of appreciative audiences. The weather in Hawaii is typically very beautiful but it can start raining from time to time, so we are always ready for rainy days or nights in places like Hawaii where there can be rain on various days and when you may not expect it. We have a specially made “Kevin & Katie Keys” umbrella that is bright, musical in design, and is large enough to cover both Katie and me at the same time. We used our umbrella on one of our performance nights as we were talking with the “locals” outside before one of our concerts.
Many of the performance venues in Hawaii are so beautiful and we thoroughly enjoy playing piano in them. The accommodations were great and the interior and exterior designs were also beautiful and inspiring and definitely had a Hawaiian feel to them. The sound acoustic were also perfect for us and the designs and colors of the interior and exterior of the buildings were impressive in their own ways. Katie and I were able to play our “duet concerts” on some very fine grand pianos and hopefully we can do it again some day and bring our children along when they get a bit older.
Hawaii is certainly a place where people come there to be outdoors and experience the beautiful natural Hawaiian surroundings. With that in mind, Katie and I were able to play an unscheduled outdoor piano concert while we were visiting at one of the most beautiful and prestigious hotels on the islands. The facilities there were first class and the design and accommodations at the hotel and for our concert were outstanding. Although our concert was outdoors, the acoustics were perfect there along with it being casual for everyone in attendance. The beauty of that area with the Hawaiian ocean being immediately in background made for a perfect day of music and friendship. They also served some delicious Hawaiian inspired food & drinks at our concert so that the audience could watch and listen in comfort.
As piano concert performers and educators, our main goal is to share our music and piano lesson curriculum with audiences and piano students throughout America. Hawaii is certainly one of the most beautiful states in America, as well as being the 50th and last state to join the union at just over 65 years at this point. If you live in or have visited Hawaii before, then you know what it is like there and why people generally love living in Hawaii.
It is an “expensive” state to live in, but if you can afford to be there, then it’s hard to beat. As a US state, Hawaii is not physically connected to the “mainland,” so driving there is not something you can do. But should you be able to fly there and stay for awhile, it will be worth it and we recommend it. We hope to visit there again in the future to see our Hawaiian American friends again.